22/07/2025
๐พThe Recognition of the Peruvian Hairless Dog โ and the Man Who Made It Possible ๐ต๐ช
As someone who has been passionate about history since childhood ๐งก, I couldnโt ignore the story of our breed. We often talk about ancient times, archaeology ๐บ, and the way these dogs were depicted on pottery and in tombs. But today, I want to tell you about modern history. About how the Peruvian Hairless Dog became officially recognized โ and about the man without whom this might never have happened.
๐The Road to Recognition
In 1981, the Peruvian Hairless Dog was first presented at a meeting of the Fรฉdรฉration Cynologique Internationale (FCI) held in Germany ๐ฉ๐ช. At that time, it was registered under a provisional standard by a German association specializing in exotic breeds, under the unusual name Peruanischen Inca Orchid Moonflowers, Behaarte Varietรคt โ ๐โPeruvian Inca Orchid Moonflowers, and hairy variety.โ๐บ๐
When the first official standard was prepared and extensive research began to prove that it was indeed an indigenous Peruvian breed, the final name Perro sin pelo del Perรบ โ Peruvian Hairless Dog โ was supported by the Peruvian Kennel Club. ๐ต๐ช
In 1984, the first formal presentation of the breed was made at an extraordinary FCI General Assembly in Acapulco, Mexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ โ but the application was rejected. ๐ซ
However, history changed the following year. ๐๏ธOn June 12th, 1985, during the regular FCI General Assembly in Amsterdam, the Peruvian Hairless Dog was officially recognized as a new breed native to Peru. ๐A detailed standard and full documentation were presented. The name Peruvian Hairless Dog was also officially approved.
Voting results from 31 countries:
โ๏ธ 25 votes in favor
โ 1 vote against
โ 5 abstentions
๐ With this majority decision, the Peruvian Hairless Dog was accepted as an official breed and was assigned FCI standard number 310.
Later, during the General Assembly in Jerusalem ๐ฎ๐ฑ on June 24th, 1987, a revision of the nomenclature and a redesign of the standard were approved, with a completion deadline set for 1991.
โธป
๐ค The Man Who Made It Happen
Ermanno Maniero โ born in Italy ๐ฎ๐น, raised in Peru ๐ต๐ช โ was an FCI all-breed international judge since 1980. He judged in exhibitions across five continents, including top-level international shows, and was among the final judges of the Champion of Champions event during the FCI Centenary๐.
๐๐It was Maniero who created the first official standard of the Peruvian Hairless Dog and personally presented the breed at the historic FCI assembly in Amsterdam on June 12th, 1985 โ the very moment it gained official international recognition.
His contribution, however, goes far beyond the show ring.
๐บIn 1991, commissioned by Peruโs National Museum, he reconstructed the 3,300-year-old skeleton of a dog from the SalinarโCupisnique pre-Inca culture. The animal was officially named Canis familiaris maniero puemapensis in his honor. The discovery was published in FCI magazine no. 7 (1993).
๐๏ธIn 2006, he led the study of 27 mummified dog remains from Peruโs pre-Columbian era, discovered by archaeologist Sonia Guillรฉn. These so-called โChiribaya Shepherd Dogsโ were estimated to be between 700 and 1,000 years old. The project was carried out for the Mallqui Center and the Leymebamba Museum.
He also took part in anthropological research involving canine remains from Chachapoya burial caves. In collaboration with Rodolfo Salas of the San Marcos Museum of Natural History in Lima, he studied the skeleton MUSM 21349.
๐Maniero served as President of the Peruvian Kennel Club twice (1983โ1995 and 2005โ2007), led the Stud Book, and from 2000 onward chaired the Judgesโ Council. He was President of the Americas and Caribbean Section of the FCI (1987โ1995) and a member of the FCI General Committee (1995โ1999). He also initiated and organized the 1988 World Dog Show in Peru ๐
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His work earned numerous awards, including the FCI Gold Medal and the Medal of the Americas and Caribbean Section.
Since 1984, he taught a course titled Cynology in Peru and lectured widely. In 2009, he was named an Honorary Member of the FCI at the General Assembly in Bratislava.
โผ๏ธHe was the author of many scientific articles and interviews, both in Peru and internationally. In 2015, he published the groundbreaking monograph โEl Perro Sin Pelo del Perรบ. Una herencia milenariaโ (The Peruvian Hairless Dog: A Millennia-Old Heritage) โ the first book fully dedicated to the breed, its history, standard, and cultural significance.โฃ๏ธ
๐ Sadly, Ermanno Maniero passed away in 2018. His memory lives on in the hearts of dog lovers and researchers around the world. Through his lifeโs work, he did what centuries could not: he returned the Peruvian Hairless Dog not only to its homeland, but to the shared heritage of the world.
