American Hairless Terrier

The American Hairless Terrier (officially known as the American Hairless Terrier) is a small-to-medium-sized, generally muscular, and active terrier. The ancestors of this species were used to prey on rats and other pests. The American Hairless Terrier has no fur and is therefore not suitable for most hunting activities. However, they retain a strong hunting instinct. This kind of dog undergoes early socialization and training, making them a companion dog, showing friendliness to the owner and family, and being able to get along with humans.

American Hairless Terrier

They are a natural variant of the rat terrier, and this completely hairless dog (some may have eyebrows and beards) is usually the answer for those with allergies. ·

This breed causes fewer allergic reactions in humans. Combined with their intelligence and easy-to-care characteristics, they are more suitable for companion dogs. At the same time, this dog maintains mobility and can achieve better results in competition performance.

Dog breed introduction

What is a terrier

This type of dog breed is good at digging crypts and hunting small animals such as badgers, foxes, and hares that live in the soil or burrows. They are generally small in size, which is also in line with this demand. Most terriers originated in England.

Many modern terriers have been crossed with other dog breeds due to certain needs. Formed a lot of playful terriers. Although modern people have very little demand for the original hunting purpose of terriers, to show respect and remembrance for the contribution of terriers in human history, people want to keep some of the traditional primitive and pure terriers. The predecessor of the Hairless Terrier, the Rat Terrier, is one of the traditional terriers.

Terriers have a unique mental temperament, even if they know that they can’t win under objective conditions. But the fearless spirit that can still move forward bravely. This temperament touched most of the lovers who love this breed of dog. Known as the “terrier spirit”

But terriers are not bloody spokespersons. Instead, most purebred terriers have great restraint. In the Middle Ages, complete fox skins were very popular among the nobles. Therefore, terriers are strictly required to be regulated in the process of being domesticated. A good terrier would rather be attacked or even lose its life than hurt the skin of a fox or accidentally injure humans. This gene of subconscious existence has been deliberately retained to this day.

American Hairless Terrier

Hairless Terrier breed history

The American Hairless Terrier (officially known as the American Hairless Terrier) is the only hairless dog breed produced in the United States. It is a natural variant of the rat terrier.

The large rat terriers have been around since the beginning of the 18th century. Over time they were bred into one of many small dog breeds in the UK to eliminate the rats that spread diseases and eat the national food. Originally called First (translated as puppy) as proof of their lively temperament. These rat terriers are amazing rat hunters. They were taken to the farm and said that they had caught 2500 rats in a day in a barn flooded with rats) and a famous rodent infestation. People will place bets on their favorite rat terriers, guessing how many mice they can kill.

At the end of the 18th century, the First was brought to the American countryside by British miners. Here, they seek a new life. It was here that Fest became a new breed after crossing with the Fox Terrier. It is said that President Roosevelt loved his hybrid version of Fest called “Jump” very much, and he coined the name Rat Terrier.

Time flies by 70 years, from the time of Roosevelt to 1972. At this time, in Trout Town, Louisiana, a strange thing happened. A hairless rat terrier pup was born in a litter of medium-sized rat terriers that usually have hair. (But it’s worth noting that hairless pups are born with lanugo, and they don’t gradually shed their lanugo until they are a few weeks old. A couple named Edwin and Willie got hairless rat terriers And named Josephine. She was carefully nurtured and gave birth to a hairless girl named “Gypsy.” Eight years later, Josephine gave birth to several pups with fur and a pair of Hairless siblings, Jemima (mother) and Snoopy (male). In 1983, Snoopy was used to mate with his sisters and bred several hairless offspring. Since then, one new breed, the American Hairless Terrier, was born.

Edwin Scott continued their breeding program, kept careful records, and established the first club specifically for their new breed. The AKC Kennel Club (American Hairless Terrier Club) of this breed was established in 2009. This variety was fully recognized by AKC in 2016.

Some common sense problems with hairless terriers

1. Appropriate skincare is optional. Although American hairless skin is very tender, it is not fragile. Just like humans, before facing prolonged sun exposure, you can apply some sunscreen to prevent sunburn.

2. They should live in a house. Instead of spending the night in the yard.

3. The American Hairless Terrier (officially known as the American Hairless Terrier) has no hair insulation throughout the body, and prefers to stay in warm areas. The minimum acceptable temperature varies from dog to dog. Under normal circumstances, the long-term living environment should be controlled above 15 degrees Celsius. When the indoor temperature is lower than 17 degrees Celsius, there will generally be a reluctance to exercise and increased food intake. But for a period of time to go out, they can accept lower temperatures.

The highest temperature that the American Hairless Terrier (officially known as the American Hairless Terrier) can accept is the same as that of other dog breeds. Under normal circumstances, dehydration is the greatest hazard to it caused by high-temperature environments.

4. As long as children are taught the correct way to get along with animals, American Hairless Terriers are willing to accompany their children. But any dog ​​breed that is hurt or injured will growl so angry.

5. As long as it has received proper socialization training, it can coexist peacefully with other animals.

6. Dogs of all breeds will have the problem of biting things when they are young, which requires correct guidance to change their habits. Under normal circumstances, American hairless terriers will stabilize and no longer be impatient in adulthood. But it is still relatively lively.

7. This breed is the only hairless dog breed that can have intact teeth among the existing dog breeds worldwide. However, missing teeth in small dogs are also normal. Therefore, there are still some AHT dogs with missing teeth.

8. AHT is the first hairless dog breed that originated in the United States.

9. They will not infect and shed fleas and other parasites, but they will shed dander.

10. When they are healthy, they must have the function of melanin precipitation, so they cannot remain pure white after hair removal.

11. The hairless version of the dog can also have short and fine hair on the adult dog, just like some humans have heavier hair. This does not affect the characteristics of the entire population is called hairless. However, these short and thin hairs have a completely different concept and a degree from fur.

American Hairless Terrier

AKC competition dog breed standard

Official standards for overall appearance:
The American Hairless Terrier (officially known as the American Hairless Terrier) is a small to medium-sized terrier that is muscular and very active.

The American Hairless Terrier (officially known as the American Hairless Terrier) has 2 variants. There is a hairy version and a hairless version.

The hairless version is completely hairless, except for possible eyebrows and beards. The covered version has a short shiny fur. The hairless version is often the answer for those with hair allergies.

Energetic and alert, its curiosity and intelligence make it easy to train. Its ancestors were bred to hunt rats and other pests. The American Hairless Terrier is completely hairless, so it is not suitable for most hunting activities. However, they retain a strong hunting instinct, especially the overgrown version is fearless, tenacious hunters, and has unlimited energy. Due to the socialization and training in the early stages of nurturing, they perform well as companion dogs, show love to their owners and family, and are friendly companion dogs that get along well with children, other dogs, and even cats. The American Hairless Terrier really enjoys the company of humans and will enthusiastically share any activities with its owner.

Size, proportion, density:

Size-It has only one size body mark, the ideal height is 12 to 16 inches.

The proportion-The body is rectangular, the length is slightly longer than the height, and the ratio from the sternum to the hips to the shoulder blades to the ground is 10:9.

Compactness-This dog has a medium skeleton, and the dog’s body is a mixture of medium to strong looking and small to moderate looking.

The overall appearance is strong but moderate, with strong, smooth, and flat muscles. Although the correct size is very important, its weight should not exceed the type standard. Overweight or underweight bones and obesity are all faults.

expression

Alert, curious, and clever. Viewed from the front or side, the head forms a blunt wedge, proportional to the size of the body. The skull is wide, slightly arched, and tapered toward the muzzle. The length of the skull and the muzzle are equal, with moderate pauses.

Tone:

The muzzle fills the lower part of the eyes, and it is slightly thinner from the stop to the tip of the nose, and the outline is clear. The cheeks are muscular and powerful. The lips are tight, dry, without sagging. The color of the lips matches that of the nose.

nose:

The nose is a solid color. Sudden rupture, congestion, and incomplete nose color are all disqualifications.

Serious disqualification-apple head.

eye:

The eyes are crystal clear, slanted, round, and a little protruding, but they are medium in size.

The colors are consistent. Eye color changes with the body color, from the darkest brown to amber and hazel. If the eyes are brown, dark brown is best. Blue dogs are allowed to have amber eyes. Blue eyes can only appear on blue or blue fawn dogs, but gray is the color of choice for this type of dog. The pigmentation of the eye circles matches the color of the nose. Only when the color of the skin or fur around the eyes is white, incomplete eye circle pigmentation is allowed.

Bite:

The teeth are white, and the scissor bite allows them to develop healthily. But the horizontal bite is also acceptable. The absence of premolars is not a fault. Overshot bites or undershot bites are missing.

ear:

The ears are located on the outer edge of the skull and are V-shaped. Pricked ears are ideal, but slanted or buttoned ears are also acceptable. Both ears should be the same. Rose ears, curled ears, straight and parallel ears, inwardly curved sides to form a tulip petal shape, and inconsistent ears are faults.

Neck, body, backline:

The neck is clean, of medium length, with smooth muscles, slightly arched, tapering from shoulder to head, smoothly blending into the soothing shoulders.

body:

Body length is slightly longer than height. The length of the front legs (the distance from the elbow to the ground) is about half the height of the dog. The waist is slightly short, slightly arched, muscular, moderately tucked in, and hips slightly inclined. The ribs stretch back and stretch out well from the spine to form a broad, strong back, and then bend downward and inward to form a deeper chest cavity. The chest extends to or below the elbow. The chest between the forelegs is well developed and the width is moderate when viewed from the front. Viewed from the side, the front chest extends in a shallow oval shape in front of the front legs.

Backline:

When the dog is standing or moving, the backline is strong and level. The tail protrudes from the end of the buttocks, almost reaching the hock, the heel is thicker, and tapers toward the tip of the tail. When the dog is alert, the tail is lifted. When the dog is in motion, the tail can be behind the dog or bend slightly upwards. The tails of hairless breeds should not be trimmed. Tail docking of the covered version is allowed and optional. Curvy tails, ringtails, or curly tails are all faults.

Disqualification: Hairless short tail or docking.

Forequarters:

The scapula stretched back, very close to the upper part of the shoulder. The upper arm is the same length as the scapula and is connected at a distinct right angle. The shoulders are well muscled and the elbows are close to the body. From any angle, the front legs are straight, strong, and strong bones. The pasterns are strong, short, and almost vertical.

foot:

The shape of the feet is slightly oval and compact. The two middle toes are slightly longer than the other toes. The toes can be separated well, but the feet are not flat or splayed. The removal of the front valgus claw is optional, but the rear valgus claw must be removed. Flat feet, splayed feet, or valgus claws are faults.

Hindquarters:

The hindquarters are muscular. The upper and lower thighs are approximately the same length. The angles of the hindquarters and forequarters are balanced with each other. The knee joint is well flexed and the hock sags well. The short, sturdy hind palms are perpendicular to the ground, and they are parallel when viewed from behind.

Coat:

The breed is hairless, but there is a furry version.

Coated version: The coated version is covered with a layer of short, smooth, dense, and shiny hair with a beard. The fur-covered version of the dog is a serious flaw if it does not have a complete coat.

Hairless version: Hairless puppies will have soft, degradable down hair at birth, which is called “born hair”. This hair usually covers the whole body, but will gradually decrease over time, and the puppies should be completely hairless by about 8 to 10 weeks. A mature, hairless version of a dog should be hairless except for the guard hair on the beard and eyebrows, and muzzle. But short and very fine body hair can appear on the body of an adult dog. Its skin should be smooth and warm to the touch.

Disqualification-Steel hair, incomplete hair, or particularly long fur in the fur-covered version.

color:

Except for albino (pure white) or merle, any color or combination of multiple colors is allowed.

This is a breed of dog whose skin color is dominated by variegation. Most dogs have irregular variegation on their bodies, which is caused by a normal phenomenon of melanin precipitation. A small number of individual dogs can also have a solid color skin with color attributes, called deer color.

Disqualification: albinism and merle

gait:

The movements are smooth and relaxed, with good stretching and driving force. When the forequarters move, there is no trace of incoordination, and the hindquarters are driven with full power, and the hock joints are fully extended. The movement of this dog is very stable, but the attitude is very lively, showing the dog’s agility, strength, and speed characteristics. The legs cannot bend in or out, and the feet cannot cross or interfere with each other. When the speed increases, the feet tend to converge toward the centerline but do not cross-interference.

temperament:

This kind of dog is physically strong, alert, curious, and high IQ.

But being aggressive or extremely timid is disqualified.

Comments are closed.