Breeds / Medium
Peruvian Inca Orchid puppies
Affectionate and lively with its own family, reserved with strangers, an alert sighthound that is sensitive to handling and quick to bond with one household.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin Peru
- Adult weight 3.9 to 24.9 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 9 to 55 lb
- Adult height 25 to 65 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth and hairless
- Typical lifespan 12 to 14 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
Where these come from:
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. It comes 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 it does 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 it will need a job to do long before it needs 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 it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its 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
From Peruvian Inca Orchid breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/peruvian-inca-orchid/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
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.
Other medium breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.