Welcome to the home of Yadalanh Kennels where our primary focus is the Xoloitzcuintli. Right now we will only have the toy size (10”-14”) and the miniature size (over 14”-18”), but we may have standard size Xolos down the road. We co-own and work closely with our breeder mentor Jennifer Vawter of Augustine Kennels.
What are Xolos?
Xolos are an ancient breed dating back over 3,000 years from Mexico that the Aztecs used as guardians, physical healers because of their body warmth, spiritual guides to the underworld, sometimes as sacrifices to the God Quetzalcoatl and sometimes eaten if food was not readily available.
When people think of Xolos they often think of a hairless dog, but xolos also come coated as well and are available in three different size ranges. The hairlessness is a dominant mutation as a result of the Foxi3 gene and even in hairless to hairless breedings you’ll often have a coated (short, smooth and close fitting) or two in the litter as well. In AKC coated xolos can be shown and can be seen in a variety of different colors. In AKC the sizes are listed as Standard (over 18” up to 23”), Miniature (over 14” up to 18”) and Toy (over 10” up to 14”).
Xolos tend to be aloof with new people and require lots and lots of ongoing socialization. I do have one Xolo that tends to be a little more on the outgoing side with new people, but she’s started to become a little more aloof with maturity.
If they are very food or toy motivated then they can be easier to train of course, but i wouldn’t necessarily call them easy. They are independent thinkers and problem solvers and none of the Xolos I’ve had have been too fond of constant repetition so it involves a lot of throwing random fun tricks into the mix and out of the box thinking. Learning new things is fun. Proofing stuff we already know and fine tuning behaviors... my Xolos get bored of it quickly if I’m not creative. If you are looking for a dog that’s super biddable and always up for doing anything asked then a Xolo might not be the right fit for you.
Alert dogs. They do not miss a thing. They notice everything in their surroundings, super watchful and generally good at being the first to let you know something is amiss or someone strange is outside.
As for Velcro. You will get mixed reviews on that it seems from the Xolo community. Here’s how mine are. They aren’t up my butt constantly, but like to at least know where I am at all times and are generally near me majority of the time. My miniature, Neva, tends to be a little more snuggly, and they do pick their person. In fact, I do find them to be very loyal to their people.
Mid high energy level. The standard calls them calm. I find that a little misleading as I’ve not yet had a single Xolo that i would define as being calm. Calm moments sure, but not calm all the time. They tend to be mid high energy level, but they have an excellent off switch. Mine have a pretty high prey drive as well.
As for special quirks. Mine use their paws for literally EVERYTHING! If I didn’t know any better I would think think they have opposable thumbs. They can open doors with their monkey feet. By the way, speaking of feet... feet are harefeet, webbed with well arched toes.
Most standards can easily clear a 4 foot fence,and some can easily clear a 6 foot fence. These guys can be excellent climbers as well so i wouldn’t put it past a smaller Xolo not to get over a fence as well if they felt motivated to do so.
I also have to add a note again about socialization. I believe a lot of early socialization with these guys is super super important. Genetics play a role as well of course, but I’ve seen quite a few Xolos become extremely fearful without proper socialization and environmental exposure at a young age. I cannot stress enough how important it is to go the extra mile on socializing these guys.
They are not often a good fit for the first time dog owner,or someone who is not going to put a lot of work into socialization or training. They are not like a golden retriever, they are a primitive breed and a lot of research needs to be done before adding one to the family.
What are Xolos?
Xolos are an ancient breed dating back over 3,000 years from Mexico that the Aztecs used as guardians, physical healers because of their body warmth, spiritual guides to the underworld, sometimes as sacrifices to the God Quetzalcoatl and sometimes eaten if food was not readily available.
When people think of Xolos they often think of a hairless dog, but xolos also come coated as well and are available in three different size ranges. The hairlessness is a dominant mutation as a result of the Foxi3 gene and even in hairless to hairless breedings you’ll often have a coated (short, smooth and close fitting) or two in the litter as well. In AKC coated xolos can be shown and can be seen in a variety of different colors. In AKC the sizes are listed as Standard (over 18” up to 23”), Miniature (over 14” up to 18”) and Toy (over 10” up to 14”).
Xolos tend to be aloof with new people and require lots and lots of ongoing socialization. I do have one Xolo that tends to be a little more on the outgoing side with new people, but she’s started to become a little more aloof with maturity.
If they are very food or toy motivated then they can be easier to train of course, but i wouldn’t necessarily call them easy. They are independent thinkers and problem solvers and none of the Xolos I’ve had have been too fond of constant repetition so it involves a lot of throwing random fun tricks into the mix and out of the box thinking. Learning new things is fun. Proofing stuff we already know and fine tuning behaviors... my Xolos get bored of it quickly if I’m not creative. If you are looking for a dog that’s super biddable and always up for doing anything asked then a Xolo might not be the right fit for you.
Alert dogs. They do not miss a thing. They notice everything in their surroundings, super watchful and generally good at being the first to let you know something is amiss or someone strange is outside.
As for Velcro. You will get mixed reviews on that it seems from the Xolo community. Here’s how mine are. They aren’t up my butt constantly, but like to at least know where I am at all times and are generally near me majority of the time. My miniature, Neva, tends to be a little more snuggly, and they do pick their person. In fact, I do find them to be very loyal to their people.
Mid high energy level. The standard calls them calm. I find that a little misleading as I’ve not yet had a single Xolo that i would define as being calm. Calm moments sure, but not calm all the time. They tend to be mid high energy level, but they have an excellent off switch. Mine have a pretty high prey drive as well.
As for special quirks. Mine use their paws for literally EVERYTHING! If I didn’t know any better I would think think they have opposable thumbs. They can open doors with their monkey feet. By the way, speaking of feet... feet are harefeet, webbed with well arched toes.
Most standards can easily clear a 4 foot fence,and some can easily clear a 6 foot fence. These guys can be excellent climbers as well so i wouldn’t put it past a smaller Xolo not to get over a fence as well if they felt motivated to do so.
I also have to add a note again about socialization. I believe a lot of early socialization with these guys is super super important. Genetics play a role as well of course, but I’ve seen quite a few Xolos become extremely fearful without proper socialization and environmental exposure at a young age. I cannot stress enough how important it is to go the extra mile on socializing these guys.
They are not often a good fit for the first time dog owner,or someone who is not going to put a lot of work into socialization or training. They are not like a golden retriever, they are a primitive breed and a lot of research needs to be done before adding one to the family.
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ― Milan Kundera