Westport couple's Peruvian Inca Orchid is a rare sight indeed

If you want a dog that's going to turn heads, the Peruvian Inca Orchid (PIO) just might be the perfect choice.

These unusual hairless or short-coated sight hounds are very rare in this country and always attract a lot of attention.

Westport resident and PIO owner Darlene Dimor says that even at dog shows, experienced fanciers and professional handlers stop and ask about the almost 7-month-old Kat, who resembles a punk rocker.

Kat has pink skin with mahogany spots and sports tufts of hair on her head and tail.

Dimor, a longtime pharaoh hound breeder and successful exhibitor, began searching for a hairless breed about 10 years ago. She and her husband, Phil, wanted a smaller breed to complement the four large sight hounds they own.

"The PIO has the moxie to co-exist with the pharaohs," Dimor says, adding that when Kat matures, the sleek canine will be the size of a whippet and will weigh about 26 pounds.

According to the breed standard, the Peruvian Inca Orchid has three varieties — small, which measures 9¾ to15 ¾ inches at the withers; medium, 15¾ to 19¾ inches; and large, 19¾ to 25¾ inches. Weight is in relation to the size, with males weighing proportionately more than females, and can range from 8½ to 55 pounds, depending on the size and gender of the animal.

Breed historians report that the hairless variety was valued by pre-Incan cultures and later by the Incas, who locked coated dogs indoors at sundown, and allowed the hairless canines to run outside to get exercise. The two types were kept apart, which resulted in a small hairless gene pool that is most likely responsible for the incomplete dentition in the smooth dogs — a trait that scientists have linked to the hairless gene.

When the Spanish conquered the coastal areas of Peru almost 500 years ago, they discovered hairless hounds living in the houses of the Inca among colorful night- blooming orchids, and romantically named the dogs "Perros Flora," which translates to "flower dog." The name later changed to "Moonflower Dog" and today the graceful, willowy hound is called the Peruvian Inca Orchid in the United States.

Canine geneticists believe that there may have been early crosses of native species and small greyhounds brought from Europe by the conquistadors, which reinforced the sight hound characteristics of the Peruvian dogs.

Dimor adds that in Peru, these special dogs were used as bed warmers or to relieve arthritic pain.

"They feel just like a hot water bottle," she says, adding that in ancient times, these dogs were prized by wealthy families. "They are warm to the touch."

While the PIO has the same body temperature as any other breed, the lack of hair makes the dog feel warmer.

Since the hairless dogs have no insulation, Dimor dresses Kat in a light doggie sweater to keep warm when the dog is indoors, and a heavier canine coat when the hound is outdoors in the cold. Breeders recommend applying sunscreen during summer to avoid sunburn.

Dimor says Kat, whose registered name is Xcel's Blue Moon Katchina, doesn't enjoy being alone.

"These dogs like to be with their family," Dimor says. "They like the attention."

While the Peruvian Inca Orchid is primarily kept as a household pet, the athletic dogs love to chase game and excel at lure coursing.

"You don't have to train these dogs," Dimor says, adding that Kat is a natural runner.

Dimor's decade of searching for a PIO led to breeders in Indiana, Texas and Maine — and she would have gladly gone the distance for her dog of choice, she says. But she lucked out when she met a woman at the dog shows Dimor attended — who turned out to be a PIO breeder based in Winthrop, Mass. All PIOs in the United States are descendants of fewer than a dozen imported to the country years ago, according to breed experts.

Of the five females born in Kat's litter last fall, only two were hairless or "naked." While the breed standard emphasizes that the hairless variety must have pricked or erect ears, coated dogs may have floppy ears. Dimor says that while most pricked ears develop naturally, sometimes breeders tape them — as with Dobermans or boxers — as puppies mature.

The hairless variety does not attract fleas and requires a weekly bath, while the coated dogs, whose furnishings can range from short to medium in length, require regular brushing.

"They are absolutely a fun dog," Dimor adds. "Kat is a little clown. They love to play."

Kat had no trouble getting used to her much larger pharaoh hound cousins.

"She's the boss," Dimor says. "She uses the pharaoh hounds like a mattress or a pillow. They are nice and toasty."

While the Peruvian Inca Orchid has enjoyed a long and colorful history, perhaps its latest chapter is the most interesting. Several years ago, when the Peruvian government realized the breed, Peru's only world-registered dog, was in danger of extinction, officials elected to preserve the breed by mandating all archeological sites along the coast have at least one pair on location.

"They're not there as guard dogs but as part of the historical scenery," writes author and breed historian Alice Bixler in a recent email. "They greet tourists in to the museums during the day, and when the sites close down for the evening, they scamper along the walls of the ruins, just as they did so many centuries ago."

Swansea resident Brian J. Lowney has been writing about pets for more than a decade. He is a past president of the Wampanoag Kennel Club, an active dog show judge and shares his home with two shelter-adopted cats. All of Brian's columns are available online in our new pet section. Visit http://pets.SouthCoastToday.com