American Hairless Terrier

Origin & history

The American Hairless Terrier traces back to a single hairless puppy born in a litter of Rat Terriers in Louisiana in 1972. Breeders were taken with the dog and worked to establish the trait, building a new breed on Rat Terrier foundations. Unlike most hairless breeds, whose hairlessness comes with dental and other problems linked to the gene, the American Hairless carries a different recessive mutation that produces a healthy hairless dog with a full set of teeth. The breed comes in both a hairless variety and a coated variety, the latter carrying the gene without showing hairlessness. It was recognised as a separate breed rather than a variety of Rat Terrier in the early 21st century. It remains uncommon and is rare in Australia. The ANKC does not currently recognise it, so prospective buyers should research breeders and parentage carefully.

Temperament

The American Hairless Terrier is bright, affectionate and energetic, with the inquisitive, ready-for-anything attitude of a working terrier in a companion-sized package. It bonds closely with its family, enjoys being involved in everything and is playful and good-humoured at home. It is usually friendly with children and gets on well with other dogs and household pets when socialised young, though it keeps a terrier's alertness and will bark to announce visitors, making a capable little watchdog. Interestingly, having been bred away from hunting, many show less intense prey drive than typical terriers, but the instinct is not gone. It is intelligent and more eager to please than many terriers, so it responds well to positive, reward-based training and enjoys games and tricks. It can be sensitive and does not like being left out, so it wants company and inclusion rather than long stretches of solitude.

Appearance

A small terrier standing roughly 25 to 41 cm at the shoulder and weighing about 5 to 12 kg, with a compact, muscular, well-balanced build. The hairless variety has smooth, warm, soft skin that may be marked or spotted, often with a little fine down on the head, while the coated variety has a short, dense, shiny coat. Even hairless dogs keep their whiskers and eyebrows. The head is wedge-shaped with erect or tipped V-shaped ears, round expressive eyes and an alert look. Skin and coat come in many colours and patterns, usually a base of pink or pale skin with darker markings. The breed looks like the Rat Terrier it descends from, simply without the coat.

Suitability

This breed fits a wide range of homes, from apartments to houses, as long as it gets daily exercise, company and mental stimulation. It suits singles, couples and families with sensible children, and its trainability and modest size make it manageable for many first-time owners. It is a people-loving dog that dislikes being left alone for long and can become bored or anxious without enough attention. The skin drives much of its care in the Australian climate: a hairless dog burns quickly in the sun and should have shade, sunscreen on exposed areas and limited midday exposure in summer, while in cold or wet weather it needs a coat and a warm place indoors. It is very much an inside dog rather than one to be left out in the elements.

Health

American Hairless Terriers generally live around 14 to 16 years and are a fairly healthy breed, helped by their varied terrier background. The main considerations relate to the bare skin: sunburn, skin allergies, rashes and a need for protection from both sun and cold, since these dogs chill easily and can also overheat without a coat to insulate them. Patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps) is reported, as are some inherited eye conditions and, in some lines, heart concerns. Because the breed shares ancestry with the Rat Terrier, conditions seen in that breed can appear. Buy from breeders who patella check and cardiac check their stock, carry out eye testing, and are open about skin issues and any inherited problems in their lines. Day to day, sunscreen on exposed skin and a coat in cold weather are sensible.