American Hairless Terrier
Descended from a single hairless rat terrier born in Louisiana in 1972. It has terrier drive without the terrier coat, and it sunburns like anyone else.
Photo by Igor.hm.13, CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
The American Hairless Terrier began with a single hairless puppy in a Rat Terrier litter in Louisiana in 1972. The mutation is recessive, and the breed now exists in both a hairless and a coated variety, which is unusual: most hairless breeds cannot breed true.
Underneath it is a Rat Terrier, which means a compact, muscular, energetic small dog that was bred to kill vermin and still wants to.
Temperament
Lively, curious and affectionate. They are terriers, so they are busy and they are alert, and they bond strongly to their people.
They are generally good with children and with other dogs, and they are more biddable than many terriers. The prey drive towards small animals is real. They are also notably good at digging.
Care and grooming
No coat, and therefore real skin care. Weekly bathing, sun protection because they burn badly, and a coat in cold weather, because there is nothing between the dog and the air.
Some develop skin allergies and blackheads. The upside is genuine: no shedding, no dander from hair, and less trouble for allergic households, though no dog is truly hypoallergenic. They are also one of the longer lived breeds at fourteen to sixteen years.
Living and exercise
Forty five minutes a day plus play, and they enjoy earthdog and agility.
They are indoor dogs by necessity rather than preference. Heat, cold and sun all reach them directly, so the garden is supervised and short rather than a place to be left.
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