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PERUVIAN INCA ORCHID |
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Like their gentle Inca Indian masters, the Inca Orchid dogs are tranquil and intelligent. In the original Peruvian tongue, Oeuchua, the breed is called caa-alkpo, which translates to dog without vestments. When Spanish
explorers landed in Peru, they found these hairless dogs in the homes
of the In-can nobility, surrounded by orchids decorating the darkened
rooms. The Inca Orchid dogs were kept inside during the day because of
their sensitivity to the sun's rays. At night they ran free under the
light of the moon—hence the origin of both names.
The Incans exercised selective
breeding among their own people—even brother/sister marriages to assure
purity and a predictable consistency—and carried over the practice to
their animals. Incan nobility prized the light-colored dogs and rivaled
among themselves for creating the palest hues. The common people strove
to breed the best quality
dogs possible as a means of barter for favors from the nobility. Peruvian
Indians still raise the dogs as beloved house pets but, reportedly,
also as an occasional main dish. The hairless
head may be completely bald or be topped with a crew cut. The rarer
powder-puff variety is not shown, but is kept for breeding purposes
to correct teeth and skin problems that plague the hairless breeds.
The ears of the hairless variety stand pricked at attention; the powderpufPs
hair tips the ears forward, similar to a Sheltie's.
Oil is added
to the dogs' food to keep the skin soft and healthy. The Inca Orchid
must be protected from the sun, not only to ward off blisters and burns,
but to prevent possible skin cancers. The Inca Hairless is dark-skinned,
furnishing protection, and is considered the "daytime dog."
Deerlike in
structure and movement, the breed is light boned but supple, lithe and
swift. They are extremely sensitive in temperament and wilt under any
roughness, even so much as a raised voice. They are laid back and unaggres-sive,
and bloom with adult companionship. Kindness is repaid with utter devotion.
The warmth received from their affectionate natures and heat-radiating
bodies make them appealing to many as house pets. They can be found
in America and Europe as well as in South America.
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