Peru's unique hairless dogs saved at ancient ruins

Lima, Jan 22: His eyes gleaming with joy underneath a yellowmohawk and his tail with a little brush at the tip wagging playfully,Josh the Peruvian Hairless Dog heads out to greet tourists at Lima'sPucllana ruins.

About the size of an English pointer, Josh and his kin are notguard dogs, but, rather, are guarded behind the walls of this and otherhistoric monuments on the Peruvian coast -- the hairless sight hound'shabitat for more than 3,000 years.

They are part of the historic scenery here, but the canine breed almost became history several years back.

''Now we can say they are safe, saved by this project, but a fewyears ago the Peruvian Hairless Dog was under threat of extinction inPeru,'' said Pedro Vargas, coordinator of the Huaca Pucllanaarcheological project excavating an ancient temple site of the Limacivilisation dating back to 500.

The breed normally has hair resembling a mohawk on the head and a tail brush, but otherwise has naked dark, very warm skin.

Its history is long and rather sad, especially after the Spanish conquest starting in 1532.

Native pre-Incan civilisations used the dogs for hunting and aspets for company. They are represented on the ceramic pottery of theChimu, Moche and Chancay cultures found on the coast.

They were sometimes mummified and buried along with people to helpthe departed find their way to the world of the dead or to continueserving their owners in the afterlife.

The Spanish brought giant war dogs to fight the natives and wouldoften amuse themselves by setting off one such dog against a small packof the smaller local breed.

''There are reports it could tear four, five hairless dogs in pieces easily,'' Vargas said, caressing Josh's head.

For centuries afterwards, it mostly ceased being a pet animal andwould roam along the coast feeding on mollusks, often hunted by peoplesimply for fun or for skins, believed to help with arthritis and usedsometimes as thermal bags due to a popular myth that they retain heat.

As a result, the breed got to the 21st century on the brink ofextinction, and that's when the government decided to safeguard it byordering all archeological sites along the coast to have at least apair -- after Huaca Pucllana's 1989 initiative. They are now alsoPeru's only own world-registered breed.

''We know there are quite a few now, and there are people breedingthem and people buying them here and for export - it is a luxury dognow,'' Vargas said, adding though there was still a lot of prejudiceagainst the dog's naked skin.

''Ugly dog, they call it, dirty dog, 'punk' dog. But it is muchcleaner than hairy dogs -- leaves no hair around the place, has nofleas, does not provoke allergies. And it is a great company and a livethermal bag in winter.'' Josh, his mother, Jala, and brother, Cuni,feel quite at home at the Lima ruin, where the breed had lived formillennia.

''It's rather curious. As soon as the museum closes it's like theysay: 'Our home is ours again,' and start walking up and down the wallsof the ruin. They are the masters here.''

Reuters>