What makes the American Hairless Terrier Unique?
Developed during the 1970s by breeder Edwin Scott, the American Hairless Terrier descended by chance from purebred, coated Rat Terriers. With the awareness of allergy sufferers to this unique breed they become popular in the United States and such countries as England, Finland, and Canada. American Hairless Terrier’s are the first Hairless breed to have originated in the United States.
Breed Groups
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| Size: | Males – 18 to 41 cm ( 7 to 16 inches) Females – 18 to 41 cm ( 7 to 16 inches) |
| Weight: | Males – 2.5 to 7 kg ( 5 to 16 pounds ) Females – 2.5 to 7 kg ( 5 to 16 pounds ) |
| Origin: | USA |
| Life Span: | 14 – 16 years |
| Colour: | White (to varying degrees) with a variety of colors including black, blue, pink, brown, tan, and sable. Skin color darkens with sun |
| Litter Size: | 3 to 5 puppies |
Is the American Hairless Terrier Right For You?
In 5 Words
- Alert
- Energetic
- Loving
- Responsive
- Intelligent
Characteristics
Learn About the American Hairless Terrier
Description
In build, the American Hairless Terrier (AHT) is identical to the medium-sized Rat Terrier, from which he is directly descended. The American Hairless is a well-muscled dog with a deep chest, strong shoulders, solid neck and powerful legs. The ears are carried erect when the dog is alert and are called bat, similar to the Rat Terrier’s. Tails must be full length. Bobs, either natural or docked are a disqualification. The skin is pink with gray, black, golden or red spots. Hairless-to-hairless breeding always produces completely hairless puppies. Hairless-to-coated mating produces variable results, depending on chance and whether the coated dog is a carrier of the hairless trait. Hairless pups are born with a bit of sparse, fuzzy hair all over their body. The pup will shed this fuzz, starting with the head, proceeding backwards, becoming entirely and eternally hairless by the age of six weeks. They do not have tufts of hair on the head, feet and end of tail, as do the Chinese Crested. They do however, have normal eyebrows and whiskers.
Short History of the American Hairless Terrier
American Hairless Terrier began in 1972, when Edwin Scott’s neighbour gave him a little hairless female. The Scotts named their new pup Josephine, and she quickly stole the hearts of the entire family. The Scotts treasured Josephine and became interested in breeding her and producing more hairless puppies. They had owned dogs in the past, but were not familiar with breeding. That wasn’t going to stop them, though. With her clean nature, alert and loving personality, Josephine was the perfect housedog and they couldn’t imagine owning any other kind of dog. The Scotts with their Josephine started the history of AHTs.
Temperament
The American Hairless Terrier makes a wonderful family companion due to its affectionate and loving nature. They do well with small children, especially when they have been raised with the children. They are relatively territorial, however, they will easily warm up to strangers. As stated previously, the American Hairless Terrier is very high energy and requires an owner with plenty of time to play.
Caring for Your American Hairless Terrier
General Health
American Hairless Terriers are not susceptible to a number of the health difficulties that affect other hairless breeds. The breed is prone to skin rashes. Their skin needs protection from the sun and cold. Allergies are common in this breed.
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Grooming & Bathing
The only special care required is preventing sunburn and keeping them warm in cold weather. They should be bathed one to three times a week; owner’s preference. Their nails should be trimmed weekly. If their skin becomes dry, lotion (without lanolin) can be applied. This breed obviously does not shed and they do not get fleas, but they do shed skin cells about every 20 days, therefore there is some dander but it is very minimal. AHTs forget they do not have any hair and romp around outside. Scratches and cuts do happen and they need to be attended to with hydrogen peroxide or any other antiseptic agent.
This breed is very good for allergy sufferers. Many AHT breeders have experiences doing hands-on and remote allergy tests with people who have allergic responses to dogs and more often than not, individuals who cannot tolerate even those breeds that are known to be ‘hypoallergenic’ can tolerate an AHT. Studies have found them to be the best breed of dog for people with dog allergies. Many breeders can recount stories of grown men crying at the prospect of owning a dog for the first time in their lives. For those individuals and families who have never owned a dog before either due to their own allergies or a family member’s, holding a dog for the first time without a reaction is a rather powerful feeling for them!
Exercise & Training
The American Hairless Terrier breed is curious, intelligent and fairly easy to train. Like many small breeds, they can become destructive in the home if proper dominance is not established. The American Hairless Terrier requires a consistent and firm pack leader. .
American Hairless Terrier Picture Gallery
