Rare Dog Goes Viral Because People Think It’s A Statue

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a statue?…No, it’s a dog!

A picture of a rare dog breed has gone viral, subsequently causing the internet to get into a bit of a debate about it, with many convinced it was just a canine statue.

The dog’s owner, Sandra Pineda, found it hilarious so many people online had mistaken her one-year-old pooch Piper, for a sculpture, but revealed it happens all the time because of Piper’s ‘unique look’.

22-year-old Sandra, from Quezon City, Manila, in the Philippines, first brought black-coloured Piper home in March last year, when the pup was just two-months-old.

Piper is a Xoloitzcuintle – no idea how you pronounce that one – or Mexican Hairless Dog. Sometimes called a Xolo for short.

According to Dog Breed Info, the Xolo comes in three sizes: Toy, Miniature, Standard, and two varieties: coated and the hairless, with the hairless being the more sought after and popular variety.

Their description continues:

The Xolo comes in a variety of colors, from black to slate, gray, bronze, brindle, red, fawn, solid or spotted.

The coated variety should have a full coat of hair that is short, sleek and clean, like that of a Doberman; with regular brushing it sheds very little.

It has a loyal following to those who love the breed but prefer a coat of hair on their dog. In an average litter of five, four will be hairless and one will be coated.

This is a very robust and hardy breed, with a broad skull and a black or skin-colored nose. Almond-shaped eyes are dark or in keeping with the color of the dog.

Its most noticeable characteristic is its large, upright bat-like ears; it is very keen and can hear and alert you to danger or stranger. Xolos do change colors as they mature.

When Sandra, who’s a medical student, posted a ‘normal’ photo of Piper online on Thursday (January 10), she was stunned to discover it had garnered more than 10,000 likes and thousands of comments in less than an hour.

What can I tell you Sandra – people love dogs, and they love unusual looking dogs, clearly!

Piper’s breed are said to be very intelligent, loyal, alert, athletic, and extremely loving to their family – so Sandra’s probably got a great bond with her.

When it comes to Piper’s breed, Dog Breed Info state it’s important all family members play a role in leadership, rearing, training, and feeding, otherwise it’ll bond to the one person or people who do. It’s also naturally protective and aloof with strangers.

While all that may be true, dogs are just the best, regardless of breed and size etc.