The magazine… XOLOitzcuintle, a free online magazine, was created to share our love for the Xoloitzcuintle with other Xolo lovers in the world. This magazine for Xolo lovers, made by Xolo lovers. Not only you can share your love for the breed, but also you can share pictures of your Xolo to illustrate the pages or cover of this magazine, or even advertise a kennel, dog, rescue or handler.
The ads are completely free for those who support this magazine by sumiting an article, otherwise the ads have a cost of 10 USD, which will be donated to help take care of xolos in need.
Warner Bros Chata Tributo a Gio Bred and owned by Ase & Janne Persson ©Janne Persson
~Giovanna Suedán~ 2
The magazine… Feel free to join our Facebook group “XOLOitzcuintle”, submit an article about any topic related to the breed or share pictures of your Xolos to illustrate the next issues of XOLOitzcuintle! This issue wouldn’t have been possible without the help of: Alicia Hernandez, Alberto Campos, Angel Garcia, Ase Persson, Carol Miller, Carles Toldrà, Daniela Anderhub, Donna Cawley, Ffiona Erskine, Inger Thunstedt, Jacqi Dinis, Jan-Ake Persson, July Karjakina, Kay Lawson, Kristina Gervinskaite, Linda Pulido, Marco Hernandez, Michelle Salazar, Miguel Angel Retana, Renata Magaldi, Sanna Jonsson, Sergio Aguilera, Garcia, Suzanne Pohl, Tatiana Opalatenko, Taylah Rattray, Terri Reindl, Ove Pohl, Ute Schörnig, Yadith Río de la Loza & Zahira Ocampo All the articles are the responsability of the author and reflect their own opinion. All articles and pictures were published with the authors’ or owners’ permission. 3
On the cover…
“¿Quién soy tu?”
a painting by Yadith Río de la Loza “¿Quién soy tu?” (Who am you), is a word game that refers to the exchange so intimate that exist between the Xoloitzcuintle and the humans. Like that I interpret the enigmatic pottery figure of the cultures of the Nayar that shows a Xolo with a human mask. Person is the mask, the mask is used for entertaining and religious purposes. In the scene shown in the painting a Xolo looks at another one playing to the “other”, while a third one keeps its role seriously looking out of the box.
Fragment of “20 pajaro, 5 paraguas” by Yadith Río de la Loza ©Yadith Río de la Loza
Yadith Río de la Loza is Visual Art teacher of the National School of Plastic Arts. She develops her visual approach from the photographic techniques and of painting. Her themes are interested in the sincretism, the own, the depth of consciousness and in particular the prehispanic essence. 4
Table of contents The magazine On the cover Table of Contents The Xolo Times From our readers Second meeting of the Club Mexicano del Xolo Colors of the Xolo Photographing the Xoloitzcuintle in Oz People of Xolos
page
2 4 5 8 12 15 19 20 28
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We are proud to say that our Champion Comte des TÊnèbres de Xoconochco got Best of Breed at the World Dog Show in Paris, which makes him World Winner 2011!!! Big thanks to his breeder Sarka Brunner for trusting us this boy! Siegfried Jacques France www.chien-chinois.com
“Being able of touching a Xolo is feeling my past alive and the best of all is that I have it here, next to me, giving me all it’s love” -Lupita Arena
Hambre (Mendez) Mex. Owned by Veronica Mendez © Iva Koukalova
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The First coated AKC Champion
Times Puppy BIS-3
AKC Grand Champions for Amoroso Xolos
MultiCh. Chabella (Mazzarella) Mex.FCI
Azuwyn’s Ain’t Miss “B” Havin, an Intermediate coated female, bred by Kay Lawson and owned by Kay Lawson, Penny Inan, and Sandra Bridges. Finished her AKC Championship. Making “Phoebe” the first coated to be an AKC Champion!
On July 16 an International show was held in Lisboa, were Fernando du Coeur des Tenebres, an Intermediate male bred by Kennel Coeur des Tenebres and owned by Dina Limankina got Best Puppy of Breed and Puppy BIS-3, and the next day Fernando got once again Best Puppy of Breed and Puppy BIS-2!
Chabella (Mazzarella) Mex.FCI , bred and owned by Stephanie Mazzarella, become the first Intermediate to obtain the AKC Grand Championship! And following her steps, Chabella’s son, Amoroso’s Basilio also finished his AKC Grand Championship! 8
The BIS-3 for Tuna
Ch. Tuna (Arena) Mex.FCI, a Standard female, bred and owned by Lupita Arena got Best of Breed, Best in Group-1 and Best in Show-3 in the city of Puebla under the expert judgement of Manuel Queijeiro.
Times BIS for Apancingo
On August 29th the Mexican Hairless (Xoloitzcuintle) Club UK had a Fun Day Show, where MultiCh. Apancingo (Gimenez-Valdes) at Ammexbiche, an Intermediate bred by Rafael GimenezValdes and owned by Sian Gordon & Catherine Davis, got Best in Show from judge Tan Negrecha.
Puppy Best in Show for Solana
During the Fun Day Show organized by the Mexican Hairless (Xoloitzcuintle) Club UK, held on August 29th, IMA Little Miss Sunshine for Shanshal, a Standard female bred and owned by Donna Cawley, and co-owned by Shannon Roberts, got Best Puppy in Show and Reserve Best in Show!
The Another AKC Grand Champion!!
Times Another BIS for Fernando!
Best in Shows for Tuna and Xel-Ha
Ch. Tuna (Arena) Mex.FCI
Azuwyn’s Ix Chel, a Standard female bred by Kay Lawson and owned by Terri Reindl finished her Grand Championship with 10 Best of Breed and 1 Best Opposite Sex.
On October 2, Fernando du Coeur des Tenebres, an Intermediate male bred by Siegfried Jacques and owned by Dina Limankina got Junior Best in Show, Best in group, and Best in show at the Dog show held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, under the judgement of S. Slukin and G. Todorova.
On October 15 and 16th there was a show organized by the Club 00, where Tuna (Arena)MexFCI, a Standard female owned and bred by Lupita Arena won Best in Show on Saturday 15 and 3th Best in Show on Sunday 16! During the same show, Xel-Ha (Vega) Mex.FCI, bred by Elida Vega and owned by Lupita Arena got both days 2nd Best Puppy B in 1 Show!
We are proud to say our Intermediate female, Estelle de Korrantoh, got Reserve CAC x 2 and Reserve CACIB in France!
We expect to have puppies from Estelle next Spring!
Katja Nielsen Sweden kennel.annorlunda@spray.se
From our readers At the end of August my Mum entered the Purina Spring Fair International show at Erskine Park in New South Wales. For Junior handlers my Aunty organised for me to show and handle one of Jacqi Dinis’s Xoloitzcuintle. Junior handlers is where children in different age groups go in the ring together with different dogs and have to carry out certain exercises with their chosen dog, doing what the judge says and then he picks 1st, 2nd and 3rd best handlers. Competitions are held each weekend at different shows.
By Taylah Rattray
Taylah with AuCh. Besitos Naca (Imp USA) Bred by Patty Hoover & Owned by Jacqi Dinis ŠFfiona Erskine
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Taylah with AuCh. Besitos Naca (Imp USA) Bred by Patty Hoover & Owned by Jacqi Dinis ©Ffiona Erskine
The Xoloitzcuintle I handled was named Naca, he was three years old, and I found out that they are breed for eating, which I thought wasn’t very nice I don’t understand why anyone would want to eat one of them. He was great fun to show being very easy to stand and his skin felt really weird to touch and when I first saw him he reminded me of a mystical animal out of a book. I was so very excited to be able to handle Naca as I have never ever seen one in real life and could not believe that I was going to handle one of the few here in Australia. I felt very proud and was telling everybody.
It took me a little while to learn how to say the name and I kept forgetting until Jacqi gave me a pamphlet showing me to pronounce it, show-low-eatz- queent-lee, and that made it so easy to remember then and I think I was one of the few who could say the name properly as my Mum kept asking me how do you say the name again. When we went into the ring I felt the attention being on Naca, because they are so rare and not many people get to see them. I had a lot of fun with him and we went around the ring together, he moved so well. I would love to have one of 13 my own definitely and hope I get to handle Naca again really soon.
We are jumping for joy at
Besitos Tekua won Best of Breed for 2 points from Puppy Class
Thanks Patty Hoover for this lovely girl
REECREAT‘N
Marie L. Lundbom USA ree7creat@hotmail.com
Second meeting of the Club Mexicano del Xoloitzcuintle The first is to comment that unfortunately there were technical problems that impeded the live broadcast of this event. Going to it, it wasn’t possible to count with the prescence of the first speaker scheduled. However, that time was used to read a document relating the revaloration and redefinition of the coated Xoloitzcuintle. Such text was presented by Gabriel Mestre, even though the reading itself was conducted by Miguel Angel Retana. The content consisted in a very good summary on different historiographical aspects that allow us to know the evolution of thinking about the coated Xoloitzcuintle and the way this is increasingly appreciated among the general public in direct proportion to the increase in the scientific knowledge about it. A very important part of the presentation was a proyection of images of tens of coated Xoloitzcuintles, some of them widely known for the international community.
By Marco Hernandez
Miguel Angel Retana reading the document presented by Gabriel Mestre ŠSergio Aguilera 15
This testimony indicates a marked shift in recent times as it has gone from total denial to the presence of this dogs in different contexts of the world. While a few tens of coated Xoloitzcuintle could seem little to those who are unfamiliar with the situation of the breed, indeed the existence of each one of them is a giant step in the process of change. It is note worthy that out of the chromatic diversity, most of the dogs shown present a morphology that gives them typicity according to the standard established for the hairless variety, as their anatomy is comparable. It was also explained that this document has been created in response of the recent regulations issued by FCM and have reduced the status of the coated Xoloitzcuintle without any clear operational or logical basis. The document presents an extensive literature that supports its permises and will be published in various media in a formal way. Afterwards we had the participation of Francisco Trujillo, who presented a wide range of genetic concepts. While several example refere to general theories or conditions of species such as the fruit mosquitoe (Drosophilia Melanogaster), continually tried to link this premises with concrete situation of the Xoloitzcuintle breed. Subsequently, who writes, presented a paper about the way it is possible to generate criteria to determine the typical colors for the coated Xoloitzcuintle. Historial, archaeological and fiel observation themes where addressed. Francisco Trujillo ŠSergio Aguilera 16
The conclusions constitute a chromatical proposal for the breed, which could include all the range of yellows, black and its variations (black and tan, tricolor), brown and various shades of white. All this supported by the evidence presented. Some other colors may enhace the proposal, but still require further analysis on it. It was satisfactory to notice that several members of the public welcomed the proposal positively. After, Elida Vega spoke about the progress in planning the International Congress of the Xoloitzcuintle, which was also discussed by Ricardo Forastieri. We highlight the fact that the Congress initialy proposed to address issues of the Xolo now expands to accomodate the issues concerning the Chihuahua breed, transforming the conference into a Congress of Mexican breeds.
ŠRenata Magaldi
The greater intensity of the exchange came during the question and answer session. The most highlighted theme was without doubt the great concern among the community to achieve a satisfactory and urgent total acceptance of the coated Xoloitzcuintle. The simple and plan reality is that such process consists in a series of simple decisions. There is a total consensus regarding that the coated Xoloitzcuintle must be equal to the hairless Xolo, therefore the coat must be short and its ears erect. The only topic to be defined would be the color, a theme in which there is a consensus and a considerable argumentative progress. 17
ŠSergio Aguilera
If the will of achieving this goal is legitimate, this could be done in a very short term. Perhaps to some there is the desire of see crystallized the goal may appear vertiginous, however, the reality is that the process is not recent but has begun more than ten years ago, and in the present enough scientific evidence exists to sustain all the necessary decisions. The canine world isn’t different to the science in its goals, instead it is sustained in the arguments of the science. Thematically, with this the full circle is closes which precisely this is the cluster of serious and published researchs that can give credibility to a document presented at the beginning of the meting.
Apparently, achieving full acceptance of the coated Xoloitzcuintle is just a step away. However this optimistic version was restricted by the exchange of information what also took place during the last part of the meeting with Juan Luis MartĂnez, senior representative of the FCM and with whose presence we were honored in the event. Although, as usual Juan Luis was very modest with his speech, it was remarkable to notice the following points:
1. The rule that says coated Xoloitzcuintles can be used in breeding programs, this right is only possessed by the coated Xoloitzcuintles whose parents are both hairless is maintained. The inconsistency of this provision is that such breeding produce coated Xoloitzcuintles that can not be reproduced because one of its parents has coat, which puts them back at a disadvantage and of null utility, without any scientific basis. 18
2. The recent provision that prevents coated Xoloitzcuintle obtain an International pedigree no matter the number of generations they have in their lineage, is maintained. That is, such dogs can not be exported even though their littermates, with identical genetic load can leave the country. The incoherence results evident again since this norm, supposedly created as response to the exhibition of three coated dogs in the World Dog Show 2011 of Paris, in nothing helps the breed and instead put the coated Xoloitzcuintle back to second category regarding their own littermates. 3. The prohibition of showing coated Xoloitzcuintles arguing “lack of typicity” is maintained. The reality is that all breeds lack of unified typicity and this is as seen among the hairless Xolos as it is between the coated ones. Therefore it is not a condition exclusive of the coated Xolo. However, this is the only one diminished with the disposition, because it denies the main tool of zootechnical selection, that is the show itself, not to mention the appropiate standardization. It is not possible to first demand typicity first and then a standard. First you establish the standard (and show) and the result is the selection towards the desired typicity. The proposal of doing selective exhibitions even without an official award doesn’t seem to have had a good acceptance by the institutional representation.
©Sergio Aguilera
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ŠSergio Aguilera
4. The alleged need of breeding several hundreds of typical coated Xolos before even starting to think about standardizing it or fully accept it was mentioned. It is understandable that being so few the breeders of the breed, this work results enormous and not achievable with the available means, at least not in a medium term. It results impossible not only numerically but byt the absence of a set standard.
5. It is established that the obstacles to achieve the acceptance of the coated Xolo does not obey the will of FCM but the FCI was directly made responsible for all the negatives about it. This argument results incoherente with the fact that FCI already has a dual breed fully accepted and with the same exact genetic condition, the Chinese Crested. On the other hand, this argument invites indirectly to the national and international community to express their opinions directly to FCI with thehope of getting better answers. In the case that it was really FCI the instance who is “blocking� the coated Xolo, then it will be expected that the FCM responded to the proposals of the club, generated democratically and defended before the FCI for being a legitimate decision if the Mexican community of the Xoloitzcuintle. Instead what it is observed is an evasion of the proposals and an unnecessary delay of certain 20 measures that could be taken relatively soon.
6. It was established that the FCM will randomly decide DNA testing to coated Xoloitzcuintle bred in Mexico. The argument is that the permission of reproduction was being “abussed�, even though this concept of abuse wasn’t clear. Once again, the only indicted is the coated Xolo, not the hairless Xolo. It is possible to say that the vast majority of breeders can accept to perform such tests and not only in the coated, but also in the hairless, but the measure as it was proposed denotes a lack of faith in the integrity of the breeders and purity of the coated Xolos, even if they share the same heritage.
From the above it follows, that again the situation of the coated Xoloitzcuintle is far from being solved in case of mantaining the same resolutions. The preception of several elements of the public is that an attempt of circumvent the coated Xoloitzcuintle, which in one side becomesincreasingly uncompromising but also more incoherent and unsubstained.
Coated and hairless siblings Bred by Marco Hernandez
As in everything, if well it is important to share the perceptions, it is also valid to raise the need to jointly overcome this challenges and ultimately achieve the goal set that, that is the acceptance of the dual breed, cultural heritage of our country. Therefore, the work must continue and with renewed vigor. It is worth to mention that the fact of all being together reunited in the same space , it is a start to the dialogue, in which we all want to take us to an adequate end. 21
Kennel Naglis We are proud to introduce our new males Both, Viki and Dag, were shown at two International shows, where both got Best of Breed and become Baltic Winners 2011, but also Dag got Junior BIS-2!! Big thanks to their breeders July Karjakina (Tecuani) and Helena Kharitonova (Harmeks) for letting us have this lovely boys!
Harmeks Viktorian Miniature
Kristina Gervinskaite Lithuania www.xolo.eu
Tecuani Qara Dag Standard
[1]
By Giovanna Suedan In this article I will give a brief, easy to understand, explanation of most colors presented in the Xoloitzcuintle breed. Some colors may be considered typical or atypical in our breed, but since the only purpose of this article is help the Xolo lover learn more about them I will explain them with no distinction. Melanin is the substance that gives a dog's hair its color. There are two distinct types of melanin in the dog, eumelanin and phaeomelanin. Eumelanin is, in the absence of other modifying genes, black or dark brown; and Phaeomelanin is, in its unmodified form, a yellowish color.
Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes. These are found in the skin, hair bulbs (from which the hairs grow) and other places. Melanocytes within the hair follicles cause melanin to be added to the hair as it grows. However, melanin is not added at a constant rate. At the very tip of the hair, eumelanin production is usually most intense, resulting in the darker tip. [1] Schmutz,
Warner Bros Milla Luz de Luna Bred by Kennel Warner Bros Owned by Daniela Anderhub
Sheila M.,Ph.D.; Genetic of Coat Color and Type in Dogs, a brief review of the genes controlling dog coat colors and patterns.
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Dominant black is a genotype that is epistatic to fawn, sable, etc.
The K (for blacK) locus completely dominates all formation of phaeomelanin (unmodified form of melanin) pigments. This gene, when in the homozygous recessive form, has a lightening effect on eumelanin (black-based colors) only. It has no effect on phaeomelanin (red-based colors).
AusCh Besito’s Naca (Imp USA) Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Jacqi Dinis ŠAnimal Images
Huapanguera (Campos) Bred by Alberto Campos
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Bronze Xolos have a brown skin color that can go from light brown to a darker brown, similar to the skin of a chocolate Xolo. They can have white or red (or any variation of red, such as yellow) hair. This color is often confused with copper, but unlike copper dogs, bronze Xolos ALWAYS have dark eye rims, nose and pads.
BISS Ch. Maya Tikal (Quintero) Mex. Bred by Monica Quintero and Giovanna Suedan Owned by Giovanna Suedan
Tititl (Retana) Bred by Miguel Angel Retana
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The gene that causes the dilution of pigment has an effect on both eumelanin and phaeomelanin. When this gene is in the dominant form “D/D” or “D/d” it allows for full color, but when it’s presented in the homozygous recessive form (d/d) this gene will dilute black to blue (grey) and red to cream.
Intermediate puppy Bred by Silvia Garcia
Intermediate puppy Bred by Renata Magaldi
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The gene causing red and black color is the Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Receptor Gene located in chromosome 5. This gene has two common alleles E and e. Dogs with the alleles e/e will be red or yellow while E dogs will be black or brown. Copper dogs are often confused with liver dogs, but it’s important to say that ALL copper dogs have light eye rims, nose and pads and liver colored dogs will have this zones black.
Intermediate Butterfly Copper Xolo from Jalisco, Mexico ©Zahira Ocampo
Canek (Hernández) Bred and owned by Alicia Hernández & Ángel García
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The gene that causes the Brown or Chocolate color is the Tyrosinase Related Protein 1. When brown (b/b) is expressed, it means that the final step in eumelanin production has not been completed and the pigment remains brown. The brown color is not a genetic defect. The nose, pads, and eye rims are also affected by this gene. They are black if a B allele is present but brown if not. Hence all brown dogs have a brown nose and all black dogs have a black nose but red, fawn, sable, white, etc. dogs could have either black or brown noses. When the alleles are in the homozygous or heterozygous dominant form of B/B or B/b, the color and pigment (nose, eye rims and lips) remains (or directs the color to be) black.
Intermediate puppy Bred by Silvia Garcia
Intermediate Chocolate Xolo from Jalisco, MÊxico 28 ŠZahira Ocampo
Liver is considered to be like a variation of bronze due to its similitude. Xolos with this color have a brown skin with an uneven tone. This color is often confused with copper. However, liver dogs will always have black or brown nose, eye rims and pads. Liver Xolos are born with a very light tone, but the color gets darker gradually.
Pohlhรถjdens Pepperoni Bred and owned by Kennel Pohlhรถjden 29
There are many theories about the cause of this coat color. A good possibility is that the seal coat is actually a black coat with incomplete dominance. In this case the additional genes cause the "seal" color to come through. It may be possible that an addition of the Ee (Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Receptor Gene) locus will cause more a reddish color to appear in the coat. Dogs of this color appear to be almost black but have a reddish “shade�. There is almost a brown undertone to the coat but the brown will only show in direct sunlight. In the house (indirect lighting) they will appear black.
Besitos Flor de Lupe Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Patty Hoover and Odessa Maxwell
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At birth both, liver and copper, look very light, but the nose, nails, eye rims and pads of a copper puppy will ALWAYS be light colored. As the puppies grow the liver puppy will start to darken very fast. The nose, nails, eye rims and pads of a liver Xolos are always black or dark brown. When fully mature the copper Xolo will have an intense orange color or a light yellowish tone; and the liver one will have a diluted bronze tone. Note: This pictures represent a copper and a liver dog at different ages, so you can see the change of color since birth.
IMA Mr Loverman Bred and owned by Donna Cawley
Warner Bros La Casa del Tequilero Bred by Kennel Warner Bros Owned by Ute Schรถrnig
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Brindle is a pattern of stripes which can be red-black brindle, tan-black brindle, wild boar, isabella-black brindle, etc. Although the cause of this pattern is not yet completely understood at DNA level, much progress has been made in its research.
Peruvian Hairless Dog Amante de Luna Owned by Linda Pulido
Ch. Azuwyn’s Ix Chel Bred by Kay Lawson Owned by Terri Reindl
Ocelotl Bred and owned by Michelle Salazar
The Brindle allele is par of the K (for blacK) series; the presence of brindle is dominant to fawn, so only one copy of Kbr (brindle allele) is required, but recessive to K (black). It can be carried but not expressed, if the allele Kbr is present in a fawn dog the brindle pattern would be expressed. It is very difficult to distinguish a hairless brindle, specially when they are completely 32 hairless, however they do exist.
Black and tan is primarily a solid colored dog with tan “points� above the eyes, muzzle, chest, stomach and lower legs. The color of the points range from an intense red to a pale copper. In order to express the tan point pattern, the dog must have inherited a copy of the gene from both, sire and dam.
Madi Kahai (Alvarado) Mex.FCI Bred by Jorge Alvarado Owned by Renata Magaldi
Miniature puppy Bred by Renata Magaldi
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Spotted Xolos have patches on a white back ground, whose pattern of spots occur randomly anywhere on the body, including torso, and are not consistent in size or location, therefore, piebald dogs can have few o many spots. Solid colors are dominant to piebald. The hairless spotted dogs might suffer from sun burns, if they are exposed long periods of time to the sun.
Tenumi (Magaldi) Mex. Bred by Renata Magaldi
Tsanda (Magaldi) Mex. Bred by Renata Magaldi
WW’08, VWW’10 MultiCh Hedehuset’s India Chala Bred by Kennel Hedehuset Owned by Kennel Warner Bros
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Butterfly is the popular name given to dogs who are born white with very few dark spot, that will eventually “grow” to the point of covering most of the dogs’ bodies, leaving some spotted parts or none. The areas where this kind of dogs can present white markings are belly, feet, chest and/or face.
BIS Ch. Binidxaba (Hoover) Mex. Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Angel Garcia
Ch. Cocol (Alvarado) Mex. Bred by Jorge Alvarado Owned by Renata Magaldi
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At birth butterfly and spotted puppies may look a like, but butterfly puppies have more dark markings than a spotted Xolo. As the puppies grow the black markings of a butterfly puppy will start to “grow� and cover the body gradually, while the spots of a spotted Xolo may grow as well but not to the point of covering the body completely or almost completely.
When fully mature a butterfly will have a solid color or keep very little white spots on their body, and spotted Xolos will continue to have a lot of white color on their body. Note: This pictures represent a spotted and a butterfly dog at different ages, so you can see the change of color since birth. Amixtli (Magaldi) Mex. Bred and owned by Renata Magaldi
Tecuani Ventura Bred by July Karjakina Owned by Tatiana Opalatenko
The coat of sable dogs is mainly fawn, that can be more or less dark, but never orange; the tip of the hair is darker than the base, it can be black or bluish.
Warner Bros Isabell Gonzales Bred and owned by Kennel Warner Bros
Tri-colored dogs have a black background with white and tan markings. Tan usually appears over each eye, on cheeks, on each side of the chest, on all four legs and under the tail.
Tutsi Neye(Alvarado) Mex.FCI Bred by Jorge Alvarado Owned by Renata Magaldi
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The merle color is manifested with patches of mixed colors, with white hair or patches of other solid color. White patches may or may not be present. Eyes sometimes are blue or marbled (brown and blue segments in the eye). The merle gene is an incomplete dominant gene or a gene with intermediate expression and is another dilution gene. Instead of diluting the whole coat it causes a patchy dilution.
Standard puppies bred by Kennel Canes Nudi
The only way a merle puppy can be produced is if at least one parent carries the merle gene, and this color is clearly visible at birth, in coateds, but harder to see in hairless dogs.
When two merles are mated the offspring will have two merle genes, which will cause a double merle dogs, who have much more white than is normal for the breed and some of them may have health problems. Standard puppy bred by Kennel Canes Nudi
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ﾃ［atl Xolos For the equal recognition of the breed
Amatl Xolos is a breeding program based in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Our main goal is to give information about the Xoloitzcuintle, breed healthy Xolos and seek the equal recognition of both varieties of the breed.
Since the beginning in ﾃ［atl Xolos we have respected the life of coated puppies and supported their recognition.
Marco Hernandez & Fausto Rodriguez www.amatlxolos.webs.com Design: Giovanna Suedan
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P hotographing the Xoloitzcuintle in Oz My first opportunity to photograph this breed came just recently at our Spring Fair here in Sydney Australia. The owner Mrs Jacqi Dinis, had flown over from Western Australia to bring these dogs to show the country what magnificent Dogs the Xolos actually are. I heard about that the Xolos were coming to town and was excited about the prospect of getting a chance to photograph this breed especially since there are only 2 in Australia. I was intrigued. So I was even more surprised in person when I met them, very friendly, wanting attention and very alert. I had a vision or 2 in my head of what I wanted and I have been told many a time it’s what I see not how I photograph the subject. So off we trotted down the back of the show grounds which is bush and we had had major burn off so the trees were that beautiful rustic red ... Skye whom was handing the dogs stacked Naca the male and he was what I thought, simply breath taking to the eye, alert, regal and just an artistic piece. Facing the light of mid morning Naca stood regal in presence and statuesque to look at. I see them very similar to the creatures in the movie “Avatar” in expression.
©Ffiona Erskine
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ŠFfiona Erskine
So I asked if I had the time I photograph them in the late afternoon light, at this time of year is incredible as the seasons are changing. Well the shots are nothing but spectacular ... the golden light on the Xolos dark skin and the silhouette of the focal features says it all. And as I photographed the dogs became more relaxed and willing to photograph more. I can’t thank Jacqi enough for the experience, and to be able to get up close, this breed of dog has me so fascinated and I am hoping to be able to create more imagery of them in 41 the future.
My advice is that for these two, as they are dark in colour, a contrasting background worked well and in the afternoon light, this gave the dogs definition and brought out an incredible expression. A beach scene would have been great as well. And never be afraid to lie in the dirt or grass to get the photo and be at eye level with the dog.
Such a regal breed and so aristocratic in the way they carry themselves just magic to photograph. Something I will always remember. An artist’s dream!
Naca is my main photo on my website: go to www.ffirephotography.com
Ffiona Erskine ffire Photography Sydney NSW Australia. ŠFfiona42 Erskine
Yadith Rio de la Loza Immortalize your best friend in a work of art. Oil paintings art based on a photograph.
Yadith Rio de la Loza mediumex@gmail.com Mexico
People of Xolos ~Carol Miller~
When I was offered a young canine, of a breed almost unknown, discovered in the Balsas river basin in western Mexico, I lived in an apartment of the Napoles colony, in a fifth floor without elevator, but I already had a parrot, an iguana and a siamese cat, a normal family , isn’t it? All my life I’ve had dogs and I needed one to add to my little zoo. The new one between my “children” was wrinkled, hairless, loving and at first shy, since she arrived from her home in Guerrero to Mexico City in the trunk of a small truck, owned by a dealer of archaelogical artifacts, who found her in the hut of a local family, among the carved jadeite figurines. “It’s a miracle she wasn´t eaten”, the man told me.
Champion Xolos, 1962. ©Courtesy of Carol Miller 44
“This little animals live with the people as pets, they take them to their beds to feel their heat and cure their rheumatism, but also, especially on holidays, they eat them. I think it is something ritual, because also the shamans buried them with chiefs and people of high ranks. They say it’s the presence of god Xolotl, put on Earth to accompany the dead into the afterlife.” José Reyes with his male and Painani, 1962. ©Courtesy of Carol Miller
José Reyes’s male, 1962. ©Courtesy of Carol Miller
He told me her name was “Painani” and the word fits, something musical, poetry perhaps, but in reality –and I discovered that later – was referring to the mexica warriors in myths and legends, the alleged ball players in the history of a country that was mine, that somehow had always been mine. According to Rilke “We are born only provisionally. It’s gradual, piecemeal,which we compose, within ourselves, our true place of origin.” 45
So, I was already of Mexico, and all the mexican fascinated me. I traveled around the country in second hand trucks, on horse, boat, train, on food. I had learned something of the language. I wrote a lot to magazines and advertising agencies. Had dealt with friends like Norman Pelham Wright, Alma Reed, Diego Rivera, Emilio Obregón, Federico and Alma América Marín, my big “buddy” the painter Adolfo Best-Maugard, who talked to me about a mexican dog; and several people, for example the jeweler, also dealer of pre-Hispanic pieces , Frank Lowenstein who lived in San Juan there near the pyramids, and also Wright, friend of Joe Nash, director of the tourism and culture section of the news paper “The News”, for which, among other media, I was colaborating, were breeding them. “It is necessary”, another “buddy” told me, Patrick Tritton, back then the husband of the polemic heiress Nancy Oakes, “breed and preserve this breed. It is part of the history of Mexico, Diego and Frida love them and had several dogs, but if we can’t introduce diverse blood, they will extinguish”. His magnificent Xolo was mated with Painani and afterwards he introduced me with the countess Lascelles de Premio Real, another personaliry among the society of foreigners in Mexico, that were dedicated to breed this animal.
Xoloitzcuintle puppy ©Courtesy of Carol Miller 46
I don’t doubt that where Mexicans also involved in the breeding, showing and conservation of the breed. When I started to attend the dogs shows of the Asociación Canófila Mexicana, in late 50’s and early 60’s, I discovered many, such as the lawyer José Reyes and the doctor Francisco Castillo-Nájera, with Marianne, his danish wife, and we all treated each other, we became a brotherhood, perhaps a little bit misunderstood by those who found the Xoloitzcuintli repugnant, unpleasant to the tact, but for the fans of the strange, weird, unusual, this breed goes with us, it fits our personality. Then the researchers, the “professionals” who would dedicate to study the origins of the dog, but to us it’s presence, its beauty and its docil temper was enough.
Carol Miller with Painani winning 1st place, 1962. ©Courtesy of Carol Miller
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Now the Xoloitzcuintli, literally “the little dog” lives with the whole world, it is the name of Mexico taken abroad, it is the national dog to the pride of all breeders in the country, but only a little bit more than half century since it was rescued from the ignominy and the extermination this unprecedented occurence of canis lupus in the Americas, version that is repeated in our neighbor Peru, and we only need to look into its eyes – prescence this insolity look- to know that the Xolo is not any dog, and realice that in effect, it has something divine. Xolotl still lives. Xolo breeder ©Courtesy of Carol Miller
“You only need to see its eyes – prescence that insolit look- to know that the Xolo isn’t any dog, and realice that in deed, it has something divine. Xolotl still lives”
- Carol Miller
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