Peruvian Inca Orchid puppies

About the Peruvian Inca Orchid

The Peruvian Inca Orchid is an ancient sighthound type from Peru, shown on pre-Inca pottery and kept for centuries as a hunter and a house companion. They come in three sizes and in both hairless and coated varieties, so the breed spans roughly 3.9 to 24.9 kg and 25 to 65 cm at the shoulder, with a typical lifespan of 12 to 14 years. The build is light and elegant. The character is affectionate and closely bonded at home, reserved to the point of aloofness with people they do not know.

This is a lively dog that wants daily activity: walks, a fenced garden to sprint in, or games and trick training indoors when the weather is poor. Grooming is minimal, but hairless dogs need sun cream on bright days and a coat in cold weather, because there is nothing else doing that job. They are sensitive and training should stay gentle and consistent. Supervision and early socialisation matter around children. New owners most often underestimate the skin care.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Peruvian Inca Orchid puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Missing or incomplete teeth, linked to the hairless gene and confirmed by a veterinary dental examination
• Sunburn and skin irritation on hairless dogs, caught by regular skin checks
• Patellar luxation, diagnosed by physical examination of the stifle
• Eye disorders, found by an ophthalmologist evaluation of breeding stock

Your Peruvian Inca Orchid puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Peruvian Inca Orchid.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 3.9 to 24.9 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 24.9 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Peruvian Inca Orchid

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Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Peruvian Inca Orchid breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/peruvian-inca-orchid/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.