Peruvian Inca Orchid History

Inca Indians valued the hairless hounds more then the coated born in the same litters. Examples of 2,000 year old Mochica pottery show these dogs dressed in clothing, a testament to the high esteem in which they were held. These hairless treasures were kept by Pre-Inca Cultures in their houses as pets and bed warmers and were not allowed to mix with the coated dogs that lived with the indigenous Indians. At sundown, coated dogs were locked up, and the hairless dogs were said to be taken out and allowed to exercise. This was because a fair skinned hairless hound would sunburn in the daytime due to the lack of melanin and a protective coat. It also prevented unwanted breeding between the hairless and coated dogs. Which resulted in a small gene pool of hairless dogs and most likely is responsible for the incomplete dentition in Peruvian Hairless Dogs, which is linked to the Hairless gene.

When the Spanish conquered the Desert/Coastal areas of Peru, they discovered hairless hounds living in the houses of the Inca among beautiful night blooming orchid blossoms and romantically named the dogs "Perros Flora," which translates to "Flower dog." From there the name changed to Moonflower Dog and today is called the Peruvian Inca Orchid, in the United States and parts of Europe. It is believed that there may have been early crosses of native species and small greyhounds brought in from Europe by the conquistadors, which reinforced the sighthound characteristics of the Peruvian Hairless Dogs.