American Hairless Terrier

I have had my boy for almost two years and wouldn't be without him, he is a shy, lovable pooch who has boundless energy but is also happy to sleep on a lap all day.

Origin

The American Hairless Terrier originates from the coated American Rat Terrier. In 1972 a single female completely hairless Rat Terrier was born in Louisiana. It wasn't until 10 years later in 1981 that the first hairless litter was born to the original hairless female.

Description

American Hairless Terriers are muscular, smooth, sleek and energetic they have a deep chest and strong shoulders, powerful legs and a strong neck. They have big bat like ears that are carried erect when the dog is alert and full length thin tails.

The hairless terrier is completely bald they do not have tufts of fur anywhere on their bodies; they do however have normal whiskers and eye brows. They come in a variety of colours which include; white, pink, black, brown, blue, tan and sable and can come in solid colours which can darken with sun exposure.

The American Hairless Terrier is a small to medium sized terrier that stands at approximately 7-17 inches at the shoulder and weighs 5-16 pounds.

The life expectancy of this breed is 14-16 years.

Temperament

American Hairless terriers make great companions as they are so loving. They originate from working dogs so they are energetic, intelligent and alert. Like all terrier breeds these dogs have a lively, feisty and fearless nature which makes them excellent watch dogs. As with all terriers these dogs need out door exercise and excel at agility.

These dogs are good with children especially if they are brought up with them.

Grooming

The biggest issue with this breed is preventing sun burn by using sun screen or wearing a light cotton T-shirt and keeping them warm in cold weather.

As they have no fur so there are no flea problems and no need to brush or clip these dogs but they do need to bathed, moisturised and their nails clipped regally.

Hypoallergenic

This breed is great for people who like me have allergies to dog fur, however if you have allergies to dander or dog saliva an allergy test is recommended before a dog is purchased.