Page 238 - Showsight January 2013

EVALUATING THE XOLOITZCUINTLI
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB APPROVED STANDARD FOR THE BREED
By Kay Lawson The Xoloitzcuintli is a
study in balanced mod-
eration. It’s very impor-
tant to remember where
these dogs come from.
They were not molded
by the hand of Man to work, or fetch or
comfort – although they excel at all of
those. Created by Nature’s force, they
still retain the cunning and intelligence
of what most certainly was the wild canid
of the area. All three sizes are noteworthy
hunters, anticipatory thinkers, and give
heart and soul to whatever desire drives
them. In today’s world, that is what makes
them devoted guardians, unrivaled per-
formers, and extraordinarily good fam-
ily pets for those who invest the time and
effort it takes to breed true type and raise
quality puppies. The indigenous people
who discovered them living in the jungles
did not take these dogs and change them.
They accepted the dogs as they were and
considered them part of the deities they
worshipped. Instead of taking one special
trait and breeding dogs to capitalize on
that (as with many other breeds), the Indi-
ans allowed the breed to become “every
dog” – hunter, retriever, herder, laborer,
guardian and companion. From the tip of
their nose to the end of their tail, the Xolo
should be a moderate balanced dog the
way Nature intended it to be. Xolos must
be able to move effortlessly, not overmus-
cled and heavy nor overlight and weedy.
They must have stamina and determina-
tion. Their essence should still reflect the
primitive dogs that they are. Their bodies
should flow from one soft curve to another,
without any hard angles or edges, without
undue rise or fall. Front angles should be
balanced and equal to rear angles. The
width of the dog in the front should be the
same as the width of the dog in the back.
The head on a Xolo should match the
size of the dog’s body. It should be a wedge
shape; the muzzle should appear to be
slightly longer than the skull without a
pronounced stop. Some cushioning on the
muzzle allows for a true wedge when seen
from the front. Eyes should be almond
shaped and obliquely set – reflecting again
the primitive dog. The ears should be large,
elegant and expressive – Xolo ears often
move independent of each other, since as
both predator and prey in the wild they
need to maintain constant awareness of
their surroundings. In young dogs the ears
may not be fully up, however by one year
our standard requires that they can be held
erect. When the ears are carried fully erect,
they make the wrinkling on the forehead
pronounced which adds to the intelligent
inquisitive look typical of the Xoloitz-
cuintli. Excessively wide or narrow heads
are a fault. The bite should be scissors, with
correct alignment even in dogs missing
teeth. Lack of underjaw detracts from the
strong primitive functionality necessary
in this breed. A bulky head with excessive
muscling is not correct – these dogs are
primitive and do not hearken back to the
Molossian dogs of the ancients. The nose
and eyes should be colored to match the
dog, dark preferred. Loose skin around the
muzzle, dewlap or anything suggesting, it
is not correct.
The correct Xolo exhibits a strong,
slightly arched neck, smoothly muscled
and well-set into laid back shoulders
blending into the body without any hint
of a 90 degree angle. The back should be
level and firm; the topline should be level
with a slight arch – only over the loin. The
length of body – since the Xolo is to be
longer than tall – should be primarily in
the ribcage, never in the loin. The correct
proportion of length to height is 10 to 9
– visually rectangular, but not overwhelm-
ingly so. Viewed from the front, they
should exhibit a sturdy frame with enough
fill in front to prevent any hint of “cathe-
dral” chest. The bones should be oval for
strength. The shoulders should be long,
sloping and covered with smooth muscle.
They should lay flat to the body and be
Correct Standard Head profile
Adolescent female Standard
Beautiful Toy/shows colorvariation and correct
conformation
234 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2013