Is one of the newest dog breeds out there. They originated from a litter of Rat Terriers in 1972 by a couple of American breeders the ‘Scotts’ from Louisiana, America. This first hairless rat terrier gave subsequent birth to two other pups and so on, Hence the general body shape and behavior are very similar to the medium-sized Rat Terriers, but of course sans hair. American Hairless Terriers have pink skin with spots in a variety of colors

These dogs are known to be smart, playful and affectionate dogs. This behaviour extends to the whole family including children. The unique thing about the American hairless terrier is that it is one of the few dogs that actually sweat when scared or over heated. Their origin also means that they can fall into guarding characteristics which is great as a watch dog, but not so good around food and toys, if not trained correctly.

Good watchdogs, bad swimmers (ie can drown if not supervised). Being originally a ratter, their nature is alert and persistent, particularly when hunting. However due to the lack of hair, this breed can sustain injuries more than other dogs.

American Hairless Terrier size: This courageous dog is only 18-41 cm tall and 2.5 to 7 kg in weight.

It should be noted that the regular protection afforded to all hairless dogs should be used. That is sunscreen, or dog coats (in summer and winter) to stop either exposure to the sun and cold.

American Hairless Terrier Grooming: The lack of hair of course makes these dogs very good for people with allergies, however there is the chance that the terriers will have rashes or cuts from playing.

One unusual grooming requirement is that they should be bathed two to three times a week. While dogs with good coats are often bathed infrequently so as not to strip oils from their hair, these dogs sweat and need to keep their skin clean to stop rashes or infections. Cuts should be attended to immediately with hydrogen peroxide or antiseptic liquid. They also have fast growing nails (common to the rat terriers) than unless the dogs are walked very regularly on abrasive material, while need nail clipping every week or fortnight.

While they do not have hair, they do drop skin cells every three weeks or so, which means a small amount of dander to contend with.

So for allergy suffers, this may appear as the ideal dog. And as long as you are able to protect their skin you will have a small, happy courageous family dog.