The appearance of a Chinese Crested dog is what many consider to be an acquired taste, and any owner could be enthralled with the breeds unique appearance and dive wholeheartedly into buying one without considering all the facts. While the dog may have an almost hairless appearance, there are certain requirements for grooming that should be fully understood before someone should consider buying or adopting one.

Along with regular brushing, grooming a powder puff Chinese Crested has much more to do with what the owners find aesthetically pleasing. While most owners prefer to shave the dog's snout, there are some who like to let the facial hair grow out to its full length, which can make the dog resemble a terrier somewhat.

A powder puff Chinese Crested variety is covered from head to toe in hair and requires daily brushing in order to maintain a tight, soft coat and to prevent any matting of the fur. The breed's fur will not grow continuously, but it can still grow to a long length. Because of this reason some owners prefer to have the face and body hair trimmed quite short while leaving the tail, crest and feathering at longer lengths. If an owner chooses to have the dog get a pony cut, it should still be kept in mind that the dog still requires brushing at least every other day.

A less commonly seen version of the Chinese Crested is the "hairy hairless" variety. This is not because of selective breeding, between a hairless and a powder puff. If a hairless is not groomed, the hair can grow to lengths which can make it look like a powder puff variety Chinese Crested. A Hairless has the same grooming requirements as the powder puff variety, though may require more trimming so the coat stays at a relatively short length.

A person might think the hairless has less grooming requirements, but the demands are about the same as with the powder puff variety. The dog should be bathed at least twice weekly and this is in addition to the daily brushing requirement. Some owners decide to bathe the dog when they take their shower which saves time and effort, and can be done in lieu of giving a tub bath or spraying down with a garden hose. Neglecting to take proper care of the dog can result in painful skin conditions which will look all the worse on a hairless dog. A person should exercise common sense and remember that this type of dog is just as likely to suffer from scrapes, dryness and sunburns much like a naked person would. Using sunscreen and moisturizing lotion are both highly recommended to protect the dog's delicate skin.

Something to bear in mind is that no matter which variety of Chinese Crested is chosen, the dog has very long toes which mean the quick of the nail is deeper than in other dog breeds. Be extremely careful when clipping or trimming the nails to avoid causing pain or cutting the dog accidentally.