The Chinese Crested Price: Is She Affordable?

If the Chinese Crested seems like the right dog for you, you may be wondering how much it costs to bring one home. Well typically, the Chinese Crested price range falls between $1,000 and $4,000.

This is an average to high price for a breed. And, of course, the purebred Chinese Crested price is more likely to reach the upper limit if she has a stellar bloodline.

However, before you start anticipating which costs to eliminate from your budget in order to afford her, you may want to consider her temperament first.

Temperament, along with certain other factors, can certainly make or break your decision to purchase a particular breed of dog.

And when that breed costs into the thousands, you definitely want to make sure you’re making the right decision before you go ahead with it.

The Chinese Crested, Up Close

You may think that, of course, the Chinese Crested originated in where else? China!

But actually, no, she didn’t!

Some experts believe the Chinese Crested actually originated in Africa. Others believe she is somehow related to the Mexican Hairless.

So why Chinese Crested? Perhaps because their owners would regularly use them to clear rats on Chinese ships.

If you like a breed with a little bit of mystery who doubles as a conversation piece with your friends, then the Chinese Crested’s history would certainly do it!

Chinese Crested Temperament and Personality

Have you ever had a dog who doesn’t leave your side? That’s the Chinese Crested in a nutshell.

There’s a reason why owners of this breed have nicknamed her the “Velcro dog.”

Here are some more things to know about the Chinese Crested’s personality that will either endear you to her or convince you to look elsewhere.

She’s Good with Children…But Not Younger Ones

The Chinese Crested likes kids, but she prefers older children to the more rambunctious younger ones.

Not only that, but the Chinese Crested can become jealous of the attention you show your child and may resort to snapping at or even biting the child.

So, if you have young children, this personality trait alone may convince you to look for a different breed.

(And isn’t it way better to find out something like that now, before you pay for the dog and promise to give her a good home?)

She’s a Good Watchdog

There is a fine line the Chinese Crested walks between acting like a yappy dog and a watchdog.

She will, by nature, bark at literally everything. But if you train her on when the right times are to bark, you can turn her into a great watchdog.

She Gives Hugs!

The Chinese Crested will actually use her paws to hug you around the neck to show you how much she loves you! How cute is that?

Her sweet-tempered nature actually makes her a good therapy dog, too.

She’s Playful

The Chinese Crested can play for hours with older children or other animals.

She also loves playing with her toys and giving in to the “zoomies” around your house or yard.

Just be sure to put sunscreen on her if she’s outside in the sun for a while.

She also enjoys the spotlight and will do tricks for you to make you happy and get your attention.

She doesn’t require a lot of exercise, though, so if you’re not an active person, you’ll still be a good match for her.

A few quick walks each day or a walk around the neighborhood followed by some backyard play should be enough to keep her satisfied.

Chinese Crested Size

The Chinese Crested is a tiny little thing.

Her maximum height goes to between 9 and 13 inches tall, and her maximum weight falls between 5 and 12 lbs.

If this is too small of a dog for you, you may want to look elsewhere for a bigger breed.

This is always a great thing to know before you buy because if you don’t know anything about the breed, how can you know how big their puppies will get?

Chinese Crested Price – How Much Do Chinese Cresteds Cost?

As mentioned previously, the Chinese Crested puppy price is somewhere between $1,000 and $4,000.

If you find the Chinese Crested dog price may be a little too rich for your blood, there are some things you can do to reduce it.

For one thing, you can try to adopt, though you may have difficulty finding this exact breed in the shelter. You’d probably have better luck with a mix.

You can also try to rescue a Chinese Crested from a dedicated rescue group, though this is usually a few hundred dollars more than a shelter adoption.

The general rule of thumb, though, is that if you can’t afford to pay for the dog outright, then you can’t afford to keep a dog – period.

Demand

Chinese Cresteds are a rare breed, which also accounts for their higher price.

Demand is also somewhat high for this breed because they have less hair, which makes them easier to handle for allergy sufferers.

This too adds to the price tag in that, when a breed like this is in high demand, there simply aren’t enough to go around.

Chinese Crested Rescue and Adoption

Rescuing a Chinese Crested can set you back more than adopting one from a shelter. The price of a Chinese Crested rescue can run around $400 or so.

This is because rescue organizations dedicate themselves to making sure the dog is as appealing as possible so they have a better chance at a “fur-ever” home.

For instance, they raise the dog alongside kids and cats so the dog will do well in any home with either.

The Bald and Beautiful Rescue group (how great is that name?) is a great source of information on adopting one of these beautiful dogs.

If you’d prefer to look for one at the shelter, that’s fine too, though you may have less luck.

Telling the shelter you’re open to a mixed breed increasing your chances of finding a Chinese Crested – even if that’s not all she is.

Adopting from a shelter costs around $150 for shots and neutering.

Chinese Crested Cost of Ownership

As with most other smaller breeds, the Chinese Crested average price of ownership shouldn’t bankrupt you.

Here is a list of some of the things you should expect to incorporate into your monthly budget in owning one of these dogs.

Cost of Food

The cost of food for a Chinese Crested shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Talk to your vet about what brand of food they recommend. You may be able to pay for a higher quality food if you have to buy less of it for a smaller dog.

Health Care Expenses

There are, however, many health problems to look out for with this breed.

Of course, just because the Chinese Crested is susceptible to these conditions does not guarantee she will get them.

It’s still a good idea, though, to know what to look out for in the event symptoms arise.

In the Chinese Crested, you need to be aware of:

• Allergies
• Autoimmune diseases
• Canine Multiple System Degeneration (CMSD) (a hereditary disorder)
• Eye issues, like glaucoma
• Legg-Perthes disease
• Patellar Luxation 
• Teeth issues (more of a problem for Hairless Cresteds)

As you can see, some of these conditions may require long-term care.

You’ll therefore need to budget for extra vet visits and potentially medication if your dog develops one of these conditions.

Training Programs

While you should be able to train your Chinese Crested with no outside help, you may find it difficult for certain lessons to take.

For instance, if your Chinese Crested is a barker, and you just can’t get her to stop yapping, you may want to hire a trainer to assist her.

When it comes to the training program, there are a variety of options out there.

You should look into what is available in your local area insofar as discounts on multi-lesson packages and the like.

You may also be interested in hiring a trainer to come to your home to give your dog specialized one-on-one lessons if a group session isn’t successful.

Grooming Costs

You may think grooming is easier with a dog who has little to no hair.

Unfortunately, these dogs tend to be more high maintenance than those with fur. This is because they require regular care for their exposed skin.

You need to give her regular skin treatments to prevent infections.

You also need to put sunscreen on her every time you take him out for prolonged periods in the sun.

Treatment may also be necessary if he develops a skin allergy to certain materials, like wool.

You should be able to do these things yourself, but if your dog develops a condition that requires medication, you’ll have to factor that into your budget.

Similarly, you’ll also need to account for buying extra sunscreen!

Kailyn C.

Kailyn has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2012, and during that time she has written about nearly every dog breed imaginable. Her mother loved Collies, and so Kailyn grew up with three of them throughout her childhood – including a blonde one who was half-blind! Now her home belongs to her first official dog, Macho, a Dogo Argentino rescue.