Hairless Khala

The Argentine Pila dog (similar to the Bolivian Khala or Hairless Khala) is a hairless breed characteristically found in the north-western provinces of Argentina. It is a companion dog, ranging in size from approximately 25 cm (10 inches) at the shoulder to 45 cm (18 inches).

The Argentine Pila Dog is a South American hairless breed very similar to the Chinese Crested Dog, Mexican Hairless Dog, and Peruvian Hairless Dog, from which last it is believed to be descended. Opinions vary on the origin of these pre-Columbian dogs (with the exception of the Chinese crested, apparently first bred from Peruvian Hairless by Ida Garrett and Debra Woods in the first half of the 20th Century in the USA), but there is evidence of their existence in Central and South America as far back as 3,000 years ago. Differences between varieties – and there are well-founded reasons for referring to them as varieties, rather than breeds – probably stem from local isolation.

There appears to be no record of these dogs’ presence in Argentina prior to the early 15th Century Inca colonization. The Inca empire spread north along the Andes from what is today Perú and Bolivia to Ecuador and southern Colombia, and south to the mountainous regions of central Chile and Argentina. It is supposed that the royal emissaries brought their ‘khalas’ (the Quechua word for naked or bald) as exchange offerings to strengthen ties with the distant colonies.

Following the Spanish conquest less than a century after Inca colonization, trade between Argentina and Perú continued mostly through the northwestern provinces of Salta and Jujuy; but the influx of dogs from the defeated civilization ceased. Spain was not interested in these hairless creatures except as a curiosity which was occasionally presented in Europe. Likewise, any pre-Hispanic trade there might have been between Central and South America ceased in favour of exporting valuables to Spain – and the dogs were not considered valuable.

Thus, due to isolation, several varieties of hairless dogs evolved over the following centuries. These varieties include the Féderation Cynologique Internationale-approved Mexican and Peruvian breeds mentioned above, and several other variants throughout Latin America, including the Argentine Pila. In this article we will describe the long-legged, "Chaqueño" Argentine Pila Dog; but in all these countries there are also descendants of a short-legged, barrel-bodied variety that probably evolved in the higher mountainous regions, with a body structure better adapted to cold and reduced atmospheric oxygen, which in Argentina is referred to as an "Andino".

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Wikipedia