GOOSEBERRY Hill has recently become home to a grand champion dog who is also the first ever intermediate sized coated version of its breed in Australia.

Pancho is a coated Xoloitzcuintle, formerly known as a Mexican hairless but they come in two coat types.

Pancho’s owner and retired nurse Annette Price said he was an Australian first and claiming his title as an Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) grand champion in the open category was no small feat.

“The breed is predominantly hairless, and usually when a coated goes against a hairless, the hairless wins,” she said.

“It’s really difficult for a coated to go anywhere against a hairless, so this is a significant victory in the showring.”

Ms Price had never competed in dog shows prior to Pancho’s showing and had found him through his brother online.

“We actually first saw Pancho’s brother and he just came up on Facebook,” she said.

“We thought, ‘Wow, what a unique breed’. So, we contacted the breeders.

“They screen you to see if you’re a suitable owner. We had a look at him, and she thought about it, and we ended up with his brother and mother, who is from Mexico.”

Ms Price said Pancho’s mother was the foundation dog for all miniature xolos in Australia.

“Pancho was meant to be a mini, but he grew a bit too big,” she said.

“His mummy and brother are hairless, but he has a coat, so we named him Pancho.”

Ms Price said Pancho is now happily resting at home after claiming his ANKC grand champion title but might enter into the showring once again as a neuter, in a few months, after it’s been decided whether Pancho will have puppies or not.