American Hairless Terrier Breed Description

An Owner's American Hairless Terrier Description
Don't stare - but yes, he's as naked as a Jay Bird; in fact, that's what we named him--Jay Bird.

I have two of these wonderful dogs as pets. They are absolute delights.

Because of their 'nakedness', they do have limitations. They can't be exposed to harsh elements: too much sun and they'll sunburn and if left out in the cold, they can quickly freeze in the winter.

Although each has their own distinctive personality, both of mine are lovable and each loves to cuddle. As you can imagine, they love to feel the heat of my body against their skin. I've even heard tell that many people will keep these dogs in a nice, warm environment and then place them on their necks for warmth--a vice versa type thing.

Hairless doesn't change that these dogs are terriers, so they have an abundance of energy. They keep me laughing day in and day out. One of our favorite games is peek-a-boo hide-n-seek. The oldest, Jay Bird, will crawl under a blanket and not move until I've spent a considerable amount of time searching the room, carefully seeking but not finding him. Eventually, one paw will pull the blanket down as he reveals his hiding place to me with a perfect peek a boo!

Both love to travel and they do enjoy the outdoors. They've become really good camping buddies (in spring and fall and the temperate weeks during our summers). I keep them pretty close to home most of the time. There, sense of freedom they get is from playing in the back yard. Speaking of playing, they love when the grandkids visit--just means more people, more play! I think Jay Bird and Hattie are the real reason the grandkids love to visit this grandma so often.

Being intelligent, they are always ready to learn new tricks. It takes some creative thinking on my part to come up with new ideas and new activities for them.

And oh, by the way, I never have any dog hair to clean up. But you probably figured that out for yourself!

Introduction

The American Hairless Terrier is identical in build to the medium sized Rat Terrier. It is muscular with a deep chest, strong shoulders, a solid neck and powerful legs. Breeding hairless to hairless will always produce Hairless Terriers. They are very inquisitive, lively, affectionate and excellent companions for everyone. They are fairly territorial, stubborn, and for the most part friendly with strangers. The American Hairless weighs 5-16 lbs. and stands 7-16" at the shoulders. They like to romp outdoors and enjoy challenging games, but be careful of sunburn and cold.

History

Josephine was completely hairless, although the rest of the litter were normal coated Rat Terriers. In 1981, she produced two hairless pups. Owners Willie and Edwin Scott had fostered the idea of breeding their hairless wonder, and with two pups it was finally going to be possible. The Scotts worked with both a veterinarian and a geneticist and as they produced more dogs, they created Trout Creek Kennel, home to the American Hairless Terrier.

The Scotts discovered that the hairless gene in these dogs is a (simple) recessive, not the lethal dominant of the other hairless breeds that also carries with it skin problems, toothlessness and a host of other ills.

American Hairless Terriers are healthy dogs that happen to be hairless - and that has led to their acceptance and popularity.

Description

These small to medium sized dogs are muscular and possess a wedge-shaped head, button or erect ears and a long tail (some breeders dock, although that practice has been dropped in the EU). Available colors are black, brown, gray or red and parti-colored in any of those.

Temperament

While these are charming, fun dogs that train well and socialize easily, owners must bear in mind that as direct descendants of Rat Terriers, anything rodent-sized is going to be viewed as prey. That will include your son's hamster, so if you have small rodents as members of your family, this might not be the pet for you.

American Hairless Terriers are energetic and alert and have the tenacity for which all terriers are famous.

Health and Care

Hairless dogs of any variety need everything we do to brave the elements: sunscreen and moisturizer in the hot weather, sweaters in the cooler months, and a sturdy winter coat in northern climes. They need - and enjoy! - frequent baths, to remove the sunscreens and moisturizers and to keep their skin clean and healthy. Hairless dogs are indoor pets and cannot be yard animals.

As for humans, many allergy sufferers find they have little if any reaction to dogs without hair, as they neither shed nor create as much dander (dried saliva) than traditional coated dogs. While individual reactions can vary, many owners report they are symptom free living with an American Hairless.

Sources

The American Kennel Club, Wikipedia, The American Hairless Terrier Association

Colors

black, brown, gray or red and parti-colored

Living Area

The AHT will do ok in an apartment so long as they get at least 20-30 minutes of exercise a day.

Recognized By

UKC, NKC, AHTF, AHRTC, CKC, APRI, ACR, DRA

Pets4You offers listings of American Hairless Terrier breeders with puppies for sale.