Agile, smart and swift, the Peruvian Inca Orchid is an elegant sighthound that developed in Peru.

The breed can be hairless or coated, and comes in three sizes: small, medium and large.

Lively and alert, these dogs can be very good hunters and do well in lure coursing, rally and agility. In the hairless variety, the skin can be of any color. In the coated variety, all colors are accepted including black, brown, gray, pink, tan and white.

These affectionate companion dogs are essentially sighthounds (think Greyhounds and Whippets) and have the same elegant contours of their racy cousins. PIOs come in a range of sizes: the smallest might stand just short of 10 inches; the largest top out at nearly 26 inches. Their distinguishing feature is, of course, hairlessness. The delicate skin can be a solid color or spotted with unpigmented areas. Coated PIOs are in the minority, and the coated and hairless varieties can occur in the same littler.

Going by his general conformation, it is an elegant and slim dog, whose aspect expresses speed, strength and harmony without ever appearing coarse. Another particular feature is that the dentition in the hairless variety is nearly always incomplete, associated with the congenital alopecia.

Noble and affectionate at home with those close to him, he is at the same time lively and alert. He might be wary of strangers and is a good watch dog. The breed is loyal and protective of his family, but like all dogs, should be supervised around younger children. Caution should also be taken with small pets that may be seen as prey.