Mexican Hairless vs Gull Terr - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Gull Terr hails from Pakistan. Having been introduced to the country by the British Raj, the dog has always been valued for its guarding and fighting abilities.

The British army, on bringing English Bull Terriers with them, mated them with local dogs. The dog was in other words, created from the old bull terrier which became extinct, and the Bully Kutta.

The Gull Terr or Pakistani Bull Terrier as he is known is a rare breed of dog. Today they are usually found in rural areas of Pakistan as well as in the Indian Panjab area, becoming popular as both pet and watchdog. It is no longer used for dog fighting as this has been banned.

Who can believe that the origin of these dogs which hail from Mexico, goes back more than 3,500 years?

Known as the Xoloitzcuintli dog or Xolo for short, they comes in different sizes – toy-, miniature and standard which means there are different sizes. Both coated- and hairless dogs can be found in the same litter.

There was a time when the dog nearly became extinct buts its numbers have recovered. This is no doubt because there was a time when the natives ate the dog’s flesh.

As a medium sized dog, the muscled Gull Terr stands as 45 – 66cm in height and weighs in the area of 40 – 45kg.

The dog has a short, smooth coat which is white, but you may find some black spots on him. He has a egg shaped head, ears are naturally erect, dark slanted eyes, and he has a long tail which is held upwards. Muscled and agile, he is a powerful working breed and makes a good watchdog.

Temperament:

This is an aggressive dog breed, and first-time dog owners might want to have a more amicable kind of pet to start off with.

He is a fearless dog, somewhat aggressive and suspicious towards strangers and therefore wants to protect his owner from them. With training and socialization he can be good with children in the home, although he is inclined to be boisterous and stubborn. He has fierce protective instincts, even though he is considered not as aggressive as some other Pakistani dog breeds.

The Gull Terr will need an experienced dog handler. Even though he has been a fighter in his day, he is capable of being an excellent family pet as well. You won't have trouble training him as he is intelligent. He then becomes more obedient and more manageable. He is a very active dog and therefore he won't fit into city dwelling where there are small spaces. He needs a place to run and on top of that he will require a good deal of exercise.

The Mexican Hairless is truly an ancient dog breed of the Americans. He stands at 35 – 58cm if he is the standard variety whereas the miniature will stand at up to 35cm. Weight can vary too, but with the standard variety, you're talking about 16 to 22kg.

It has faced times of nearly being extinct but it’s numbers have recovered, and the dog is often sought after for those who suffer with dog-hair allergies. You could say that this dog’s most notable characteristic is its lack of hair and the soft skin.

Some of them have small tufts of hair on the hair, mostly around the top of the head. The skin can be various shades of gray to bronze and a yellowish color too. His body is slightly longer than its height and he is slim and well muscled. The tail is long and thin and is sometimes carried high. You can expect 2 – 5 puppies from these dogs.

Temperament:

Anyone acquiring a Xolo will discover that this is an intelligent dog breed and that just like with other dogs, you’ll be able to have him trained and socialized easily. Then he is obedient and a pleasure to have around.

He is active too and will require games with balls and ropes as well as a daily walk. The Xoloitzcuintli is noted for its calm demeanor. The puppies are a lot noisier than the adults and very energetic and this continues till they are about 2 years of age when they are considered to be adult.

Well raised Xolos form strong bonds with their human family, becoming loyal and devoted.

Your Gull Terr love the attention he receives from his human family and he won’t flourish at all if he is put into the back yard for watch dog purposes only. He is a dog that needs to come indoors to be with his family.

He tends to be somewhat aggressive and this is why he isn’t looked upon as the ideal pet for first-time dog owners and those with young children in the home.

He is a confrontational dog, willing to enter into a fight with provocation. Strong willed he will require early training and socialization, and when he is brought up by a firm, consistent, kind owner, he can get over his aggression and become a loyal, devoted, protective and loving pet.

The Xolo is one of those dogs who don’t get ill easily. He is also intelligent and fairly easy to train. Add to that the fact that he is also a low maintenance dog as he doesn’t have a coat that needs brushing and grooming.

Give your Xolo lots of attention because in exchange for the good care you give him, you’re going to get a loyal, devoted pet who loves to be with you constantly.

Bloat:

The Gull Terr has a deep chest and this means he is more prone to bloat, a condition known as gastric dilation volvulus.

Your pet's stomach fills with air and this leads to decreased blood flow to vital organs. The stomach can twist and this is when the condition becomes life threatening as blood supply to the stomach is cut off. Instead of feeding him large meals, feed him smaller meals more frequently.

Deafness:

Deafness in your pet can be temporary or permanent, in one ear or both. There are are so many reasons why your pet could be deaf and it could be a birth defect, an infection or old age. Certain dogs such as the white coated Gull Terr are also more predisposed to congenital deafness.

Get him to the vet who will examine your dog’s ear canal for wax and debris and discuss the way to go for your beloved pet.

The Xoloitzcuintli is a hardy dog in terms of health and can live to a ripe old age in dog years – some have been known to reach 18, 19 and 20 years of age. Without a coat, this dog is susceptible to sunburn so care must be taken when outdoors.

Hairless dogs tend to battle with skin problems such as pimples. Skin allergies can cause itching and scratching and these can lead to bacterial infections. It is interesting to note that the genes that bring about hairlessness also produce troublesome teeth, so that dental disease is quite rife with these dogs.

Grooming:

Easy to look after with his short coat, the Gull Terr will only require a brushing twice a week to keep the coat shiny and healthy.

Because his coat is white, it can show dirt easily, and it will simply require taking a damp cloth and wiping the mark off him. You don't want to be bathing him often as this dries his skin out – rather just wipe the coat down.

Exercise:

Your Gull Terr is a highly energetic dog and he loves nothing more than to be involved in robust exercise and games. He is best suited in a home with large grounds and if you do opt to have him in the city, you will have to pay close attention to his exercise needs – lots of walks, runs, ball games, swimming and running with you as you cycle.

Diet:

You want to be sure that your energetic Gull Terr has a healthy diet full of important proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Protein is always important for a dog like this and you want to make absolutely sure that apart from his high quality kibble, you mix in raw meat from time to time as well as cooked chicken, fish, brown rice and vegetables.

When looking for a commercially manufactured dog food, look for high-quality animal protein as a top ingredient. Make sure he always has fresh, cool water available to him.

You’ve got to remember with this dog breed that he doesn’t have a coat so he can burn easily when out in the sun. If you know you’ll be in the sun for long, you’ll have to apply special sunscreen.

You can wipe down your Xolo or bath him from time to time, though not to often so as to strip the natural oils from the dog’s body. The nails will need to be trimmed regularly, as long nails can be a danger as they can hook on things and cause pain and bleeding.

Provide your hairless pet with a nice, soft bed to lie on.

Take him to the vet when he appears to be ill and see that you get his vaccinations done to prevent deadly illnesses such as rabies and parvo.

Check his eyes and ears for infections.

Brush his teeth to remove plaque. Never use human toothpaste. Take a look at the different canine toothpastes available.

Never leave your pet in a hot car with no windows open.

Provide your Xoloitzcuintli dog with high quality dog food so as to enhance health and longevity. Keep food simple for your pet to avoid digestive problems. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and cooked potato, carrots and spinach can be chopped up and added to his dry kibble from time to time. Also a little bit of raw meat added in occasionally can also be excellent. Avoid feeding your pet foods such as onions, avocados, nuts, chocolate, coffee and raisins.

Make sure this dog has access to cool, fresh water night and day.