Portraits of popular breeds at home and abroad: American Hairless Terrier

As the name of this breed suggests, you can’t expect much hair on an American hairless terrier. This small or medium size muscled dog has hair only on its muzzle and eyebrows. But the interesting thing is that puppies are born with an undercoat which falls out only around week 8. But there is also a version of an American hairless terrier with hair. These dogs have short, soft and non-shedding hair approximately 3 mm long. Both versions, with and without hair, have very soft and warm skin without wrinkles.

As the name of this breed suggests, you can’t expect much hair on an American hairless terrier. This small or medium size muscled dog has hair only on its muzzle and eyebrows. But the interesting thing is that puppies are born with an undercoat which falls out only around week 8. But there is also a version of an American hairless terrier with hair. These dogs have short, soft and non-shedding hair approximately 3 mm long. Both versions, with and without hair, have very soft and warm skin without wrinkles.

American hairless terrier is extraordinarily friendly. If you have children (these dogs usually love them), you will also like its playful and energetic nature it usually uses to entertain them and both dogs and children get tired. The result is a sleeping child and a happy tired dog. These dogs are also very curious, so they will accompany children when exploring the world. But they can also be calm and cuddly dogs with a strong bond with their masters. They will happily warm their masters’ feet at night as they love sleeping together.

But you have to look out outdoors where its hunting instinct awakens. After all, it is a terrier and you can’t do anything about that. These dogs struggle to control themselves not to dig holes and hunt mice. This quality inherited from ancestors can be useful if you live in the countryside or even on a farm. An American hairless terrier can compete with any cat when it comes to getting rid of damage-causing animals.

It can also be a good companion for sports people and long walk lovers. It loves running and is fine with a more demanding physical activity. It will also be good in agility, once you throw a ball, it will definitely fall in love with fetching and you will have hard time trying to attract its attention by something else than a tennis ball.

But if you’re looking for a dog coach potato, look for another breed. Such life is not suitable for this one. An American hairless terrier is the happiest with many activities and movement and when something is happening all the time. Thanks to its sharpness, balance and intelligence, this breed is suitable for training even though you have to consider certain amount of stubbornness typical to terriers. It will also be a good watchdog as it is fearless and one of its favourite activities is barking.

For the owners of American hairless terriers, it is essential to choose a puppy with which they will create a good bond from the very beginning. Because the individuals from this breed are quite different in nature from each other. You can find cuddly ones as well as headstrong individualists. It is necessary to start with consistent upbringing early on and practice discipline every day.

Even if this breed is not so popular in the Czech Republic, there are a few breeding stations focusing on it. Do you have an American hairless terrier in your surroundings or even at home? Is it really so fun as it is said to be?

 

Related articles

Diarrhoea in a dog

Every one of us has for sure encountered diarrhoea in our fuzzy friend. Usually, there’s nothing to fuss about, the body reacts to food that it isn’t capable to digest or that didn’t do it good. However, it is good to know, when we are capable of...

Dog history I: cosmonaut Laika

I have been sharing with you my experience with dogs and other animals for quite some time now and it occurred to me to wander a little bit into history as well, but into an interesting one! I’d like to introduce you to several well-known dog...

Even dog can have an allergy

Allergy is a disproportionate reaction of the immunity system to common stimuli. It cannot be cured, but we can suppress its manifestations. In the last years, allergies in pets and dogs especially are on the rise. Currently, about 10% of house-dogs...

FIP, the cat killer

Today, we are going to take a look at the Feline Infectious Peritonitis - FIP, an utterly exceptional virus illness that always has a fatal end. Most of the cats get into contact with the viruses that cause FIP in their lifetime, even though the...

Dog in bed

We can divide dog owners into two groups. The ones that allow the dog in bed and those that feel that this is no option. Let’s take a look at what such bed sharing with a dog actually entails.

Geocaching with a dog

If you like going on treks with your fuzzy friends, geocaching is something precisely for you. This way, you will liven up your trips and maybe you even discover places that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. I and my pack can’t get enough of it.

Moving with a cat

Contrary to dogs, cats have a strong bond with the place where they live. That’s why moving is very stressful for them and this stress may cause a number of diseases. It’s a good idea to plan everything well, so that you could make the situation of a...

Dog Instincts

Even though the dogs went through long years of domestication, they still retain fundamental instincts as we do. They might not be as strong as in wild dogs, but they still play a very significant role in the life of a dog and in their behaviour. So if...

Dog rescuers

It is no news that the dog isn’t only a pet and that it can also help saving human lives in various catastrophes. But have you ever thought about what it means for dogs to become rescuers? You haven’t? Well, then it’s the right time to set off together...

What to do when your dog queen is pregnant?

The usual pregnancy period in female dogs is indicated at about 58 – 65 days, the average is 63 days. In case of the nutrition of a pregnant female, possible changes in diet can be likened to the changes in diet of pregnant women. Pregnant female dogs...