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Our American Hairless Terrier Left, and our coated Carrier on the right.
Ch Horizons Shake Ur Bootie UFR USR GrCh Horizons You Ain't So Tough
Ch Horizons Shake Ur Bootie UFR USR GrCh Horizons You Ain't So Tough
The American Hairless Terrier is a smoothly muscled, active, small-to-medium terrier. The preferred ratio of length of body (prosternum to point of buttocks) to height (withers to ground) to is 10:9. The head is broad, slightly domed, wedge-shaped, and proportionate to the size of the body. Ears are V-shaped, set at the outside edges of the skull, and may be erect, tipped or button. Both varieties may have a natural tail carried in an upward curve, or the tail may be docked in dogs of the coated variety. The American Hairless Terrier comes in a number of skin colors and patterns (hairless variety) and coat colors and patterns (coated variety).
Our Daughter Shannon with 5 wk old pup
Disqualification: A short-legged dog whose proportions vary significantly from the 10:9 ratio lacks breed type and must be disqualified.
Characteristics
The American Hairless Terrier is an energetic, alert dog whose curiosity and intelligence make him easy to train. The ancestors of this breed were bred to hunt. The lack of coat makes the hairless variety unsuited for hunting, but both varieties still have a strong hunting instinct and the coated dogs are fearless, tenacious hunters with seemingly unlimited energy. The American Hairless Terrier is an exceptionally friendly companion, getting along well with children, other dogs, and even cats. American Hairless Terriers enjoy human companionship immensely and will enthusiastically share any activity with their owners. The hairless dogs require protection from the sun and winter cold weather. American Hairless Terriers should not be sparred during conformation judging.
Head
The head is proportionate to the size of the body. When viewed from the side, the skull and muzzle are of equal length and joined by a moderate stop. Viewed from the front and the side, the American Hairless Terrier's head forms a blunt wedge shape.
Fault: Abrupt stop.
SKULL | The skull is broad and slightly domed. It tapers slightly toward the muzzle. The jaws are powerful with well-muscled cheeks.
Serious fault: Apple head.
MUZZLE | The muzzle is well filled-out under the eyes, well-chiseled, and tapers slightly from the stop to the nose. Jaws are powerful and hinged well back allowing the dog to open his mouth wide enough to catch rats and other rodents. Lips are dry and tight with no flews. Lip pigment matches nose pigment.
Fault: Snipey muzzle.
TEETH | The American Hairless Terrier has a complete set of good-sized, evenly spaced, white teeth. A scissors bite is preferred but a level bite is acceptable.
Faults: Missing teeth; overshot or undershot bite.
NOSE | The nose is black or self-colored.
Faults: Dudley or butterfly nose.
EYES | Eyes are set obliquely and are round, moderate in size, and somewhat prominent. Eye rims match nose pigment.
Hairless Variety: Eyes may be any color found in the coated variety.
Coated Variety: Eye color ranges from dark brown to amber and corresponds with coat color. Hazel eyes are acceptable in dogs with lighter coat color. Blue or amber eyes are permitted in blue-colored dogs only, but a dark gray eye with gray eye rims is preferred.
Faults: Bulgy eyes; deep-set eyes; light-colored eyes in a dog with black coat color or black pigment; both eyes not of matching colors; eye with iris containing more than one color; wall or china eye.
EARS | Ears are V-shaped, set at the outside edges of the skull. Erect ears are preferred but tipped or button ears are acceptable. Matching ears are strongly preferred. Non-matching ear carriage should be penalized to the degree of the variation. Note: Ear carriage may not stabilize until a dog is mature. Dogs under one year of age should not be penalized for variations in ear carriage.
Faults: Erect ears with the sides curved inward forming a shape like a tulip petal; rose ears; flying ears; non-matching ear carriages.
Disqualification: Hanging ears.
Neck
The neck is clean, moderately long, smoothly muscled, slightly arched, and tapers slightly from the shoulders to the head. The neck blends smoothly into well laid back shoulders.
Forequarters
Shoulders are smoothly muscled. The shoulder blades are well laid back with the upper tips fairly close together at the withers. The upper arm appears to be equal in length to the shoulder blade and joins it at an apparent right angle. The elbows are close to the body. Viewed from any angle, the forelegs are straight, strong, and sturdy in bone. The pasterns are strong, short, and nearly vertical.
Body
A properly proportioned American Hairless Terrier is slightly longer (measured from prosternum to point of buttocks) than tall (measured from the withers to the ground), and length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) should approximately equal one-half of the dog's height. Whether the dog is standing or moving, the line of the back is strong and level. The loin is moderately short, slightly arched, and muscular, with moderate tuck-up. The croup is slightly sloping. The ribs extend well back and are well sprung out from the spine, forming a broad, strong back, then curving down and inward to form a deep body. The brisket extends to or just below the elbow. Viewed from the front, the chest between the forelegs is well filled and of moderate width. Viewed from the side, the forechest extends in a shallow oval shape in front of the forelegs.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters are muscular with the length of the upper and lower thighs being approximately equal. The angulation of the hindquarters is in balance with the angulation of the forequarters. The stifles are well-bent, and the hocks are well let down. When the dog is standing, the short, strong rear pasterns are perpendicular to the ground and, viewed from the rear, parallel to one another.
Feet
The feet are compact and slightly oval in shape. The two middle toes are slightly longer than the other toes. Toes may be well split up but not flat or splayed. Front dewclaws may be removed. Rear dewclaws must be removed.
Faults: Flat feet; splayed feet; rear dewclaws present.
Tail
The tail is set on at the end of the croup. The natural tail is thick at the base and tapers toward the tip. When the dog is alert, the tail is carried in an upward curve. When relaxed, the tail may be carried straight out behind the dog. The tails of the coated variety dogs may be docked. If so, docking should be between the second and third joint of the tail.
Faults (both Varieties): Bent tail; ring tail.
Disqualification (both Varieties): Natural bobtail.
Coat
Hairless Variety: Puppies are born with a soft, vestigial down that generally covers the body. This "down" gradually diminishes until age 6 to 8 weeks, by which time the pup should be completely hairless. A mature American Hairless Terrier, Hairless variety, is free from hair except for whiskers and guard hairs on the muzzle, and eyebrows. Short, very fine (vellus) hair may be present on the body of a mature dog. The skin is smooth and warm to the touch. The hairless variety may sweat when overheated or stressed, but this is not to be faulted in the ring.
Coated Variety: The coat is short, dense, and smooth, with a sheen. Whiskers are not removed.
Serious faults (Hairless variety): Vellus hair longer than 1mm on a dog over six months of age.
Disqualifications (both varieties): Wire or broken coat; long coat.
Color
Hairless Variety: Any skin color is acceptable. The skin is usually parti-colored with an underlying skin color and freckles or spots of contrasting color. Freckles enlarge with age, and skin color will darken when exposed to the sun.
Coated Variety: The coated American Hairless Terrier may be solid white, bi-color, tri-color, sable or brindle, but must always have some white, which may be of any size and located anywhere on the dog. The white area may be ticked as long as white predominates. The remaining accepted colors are: black, tan (ranging from dark tan to very light tan and from intense dark mahogany red to light red with black nose and eyerims), chocolate (ranging from dark liver to light chocolate with self-colored nose and eyerims), blue and blue fawn (with self-colored nose and eyerims), apricot (ranging from orange to faded yellow with black nose and eyerims), and lemon (ranging from orange to faded yellow with self-colored nose and eyerims).
Faults (Coated variety): Fawn (pale yellowish tan with self-colored nose), cream (pale yellow to off-white), fallow with black mask (very light yellowish tan with black mask), and silver (the extreme dilution of blue).
Disqualifications (Coated variety): Merle; absence of white; any solid color other than white.
Disqualification (both Varieties): Albinism.
Height and Weight
The American Hairless Terrier ranges in height from 10 to 16 inches tall.
Faults: Height under or over allowed range; obesity.
Gait
The American Hairless Terrier moves with a jaunty air that suggests agility, speed, and power. American Hairless Terrier gait is smooth and effortless, with good reach of forequarters without any trace of hackney gait. Rear quarters have strong driving power, with hocks fully extending. Viewed from any position, legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge toward center line of balance.
Disqualifications
Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Unilateral or bilateral deafness. A short-legged dog whose proportions vary significantly from the 10:9 rat io. Hanging ears. Natural bobtail. Wire or broken coat. Long coat. Albinism. Merle.
Our Daughter Collette with hairless pup
Hypoallergenic |is the characteristic of producing little or no allergic reaction.
Hypersensitive | abnormally or excessively sensitive in character.
Histamine | a body substance formed from histidine that stimulates gastric secretions and dilates blood vessels; released by the human immune system during allergic reactions
Antihistamine | a medicine used to treat allergies and hypersensitive reactions and colds; works by counteracting the effects of histamine.
Dander | is not the hair or fur of the animal, but is old skin scales which are constantly shed. Animal dander is extremely light weight and can stay airborne for hours.Animal dander is not the hair or fur of the animal, but is old skin scales which are constantly shed. Animal dander is extremely light weight and can stay airborne for hours.
Allergen | any substance that can cause an allergy
Pretty in Pink, our American Hairless Terrier
The American Hairless Terrier is unique in the dog world; what began as a chance miracle of nature has turned into the genetic basis for an entire breed.
Hairless Dogs
It is the only truly hairless dog. . .totally hair free. No other breed can make such a claim. Only during it's first weeks of life does it have hair. By 6 weeks old it has all gone.
Hairless Litters
The reason these dogs are hairless is due to a recessive hairless gene; a litter of puppies from dogs who both possess the gene will contain only hairless puppies. Again this is unique. Other breeds that exhibit varying degrees of hairlessness possess a different gene: a dominant hairless gene. Chinese Crested and Mexican Hairless are such examples; hairless parents from these breeds will produce a mixture of coated and hairless puppies.
How The Breed Evolved
Obviously a breed cannot evolve overnight. It took the Scotts around 25 years to develop the breed. A knowledge of genetics was the key; they conferred with geneticists to evaluate the possibility of stabilising and fixing the hairless trait into the breed. With time and patience they were successful.
Litter Predictions
To understand the likelihood of producing a hairless puppy we must first understand what building blocks we have.
25%
Hairless pups can be produced if both parents are coated carriers. Maybe 25% of the litter will be hairless.
Josephine the first American Hairless Terrier would have been the result of this type of breeding.
50%
If one parent is hairless and the other is a coated carrier then the percentage of hairless puppies goes up to 50%.
When Josephine was bred with her son they produced 2 hairless (Snoopy & Jemima) and 2 coated puppies.
100%
The 100% hairless litter comes when 2 hairless dogs are bred together.
When Snoopy & Jemima bred they produced an all hairless litter.
Most people can't be in the same room as coated dogs for too long before they get breathing problems, rashes, sneezing fits and swollen itchy eyes.
Gr Ch Wudnshu (Coffee Break)
. 25% of all allergies and 50% of all asthmatic diseases are directly traceable to dust mites .
Along with dander, the proteins from saliva, urine and other body secretions are major sources of dog allergens. If these are left to dry and become airborne they will cause further problems.
No dog breed can be hypoallergenic, you may have some kind of reaction, so just keep that in mind, it's just how bad your allergic reactions are, and whether or not you can put up with the effects on your health.
Think carefully before you decide to get a dog, It's best you try some allergy trials beforehand if you can.
American Hairless Terriers produce the same amount of lubricating skin oil as coated dogs, but with no coat to disperse the oil, it serves another import purpose for those with allergies. Between baths, the oil the dog produces stays on the surface of the skin, and traps the dander that all skin produces. This keeps the dander out of the environment, and making it less of a source of allergen.
If you are an allergy sufferer, and are thinking about getting an American Hairless Terrier, then you may need to take the following precautions to reduce the amount of allergen build up in your home, and reduce your allergic reactions.
You may need to do all of these jobs at least one a week. Your allergies could be more of a problem if you don't keep up with the regular routines.
Regularly vacuum your floors, at least every few days, every day is best. Wipe solid floors over with a damp sponge or cloth and be careful with which detergent you use as some cleaning products can burn your dog's feet. I've even found some cleaning products will make your dog want to wee on the floor. Carpets are not a good idea as they hold grease and dander even after vacuuming. Wooden or ceramic floorings are best; if you have wooden flooring make sure the gaps are filled so the dead skin cells can't fall between the boards to build up and cause problems. With wooden flooring I would say that it does really need to be protected well, if your dog pees on the floor it could soak into it and cause you a reaction.
Keep soft furnishings to a bare minimum: pillows, curtains, blankets will hold dander. If possible, freeze them in a freezer for 10mins to kill of some of the allergens, also wash them every few days. Leather furniture is best as there is less dander build up.
We spend around a third of our life in the bedroom. So it is even more important that we make this a dander free zone. Experts say that if you can breathe "pure" air for 8 to 10 hours each night, you can probably tolerate more exposure to allergenic substances during the day. Keep your bedroom as free of allergen catchers as possible: the furniture clean and simple; pictures or hanging decorations at a bare minimum; no magazines or newspapers. Nothing under under the bed. No clutter. No bulky drapes. No carpeting, especially deep pile or loop. The more washable surfaces, the better. Because dead skin sticks to clothes, you should undress outside the bedroom. It is also useful to take a shower and either wash or thoroughly brush your hair before going to bed. Under no circumstances are dogs to go into bedrooms. Keep the bedroom doors closed, or put baby gates up, to stop them getting in.
Bathe your dog 2-3 times a week or when necessary. The American Hairless Terrier appears to be more tolerant, to being bathed regularly, but keep an eye on their skin and make sure that it does not dry out from to much bathing.
Train your dog to keep off the furniture.
Wash your dog's bedding at least once a week, more is better.
Keep all rooms well ventilated and try air filters in the room's you spend most time in. Air filters help remove the smallest of airborne particles including pollen, dust, animal hairs, mites, smoke and odours. The HEPA filter is one such filter, originally developed for use in clinical applications and is a breath of fresh air for allergy sufferers. It filters out 99.97% of particles >0.3 micrometres. This air purifier uses a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter in association with an active carbon filter to remove the smallest of airborne particles including pollen, dust, animal hairs, mites, smoke and odors. Check out one of the web-sites for this product. www.airandwatercentre.com or www.4air.co.uk
If your dog wears a coat throughtout the day, it's a must to have a fresh one daily.
For yourself you can take some anti-histamine, or some medication from your doctor to reduce your allergies, but keep in mind they don't always work too well.
Train your dog not to lick you as, it could cause a reaction. Dried saliva can also be a problem for you as it can become airborne, so wash your dogs toys and keep them clean.
The American Hairless Terrier is a variety of Rat Terrier, which is a result of a mixture of crosses by early immigrants to the USA.
Bellow picture,Our American Hairless Terrier
1800's
Up until about the 1800’s, all small dogs that went to ground were ‘terriers.’
Any small bulldogs that went to ground were terriers, any small hounds that went to ground were terriers, anything that went to ground was a terrier – and terrier quite literally means ‘earth dog’. Common Terrier breeds like the Manchester Terrier, Bull Terrier and now extinct Old English White Terrier, would have formed the initial gene pool for the breed. Beagles, Smooth Fox Terrier, Toy Fox Terriers, Whippets, Italian Greyhounds and other hunting breeds were then included.
Early 1900's
Although it has been around in similar form since the early 1900s, it has remained more of a type than a breed. Although often mistaken for a Jack Russell Terrier, it has a very different temperament. It is less aggressive and comparatively calm (although it is still a terrier). They are normally cheerful dogs, but there are occasional dogs who are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment or to unexpected noises, people, or activity.
1972
In the Autumn of 1972, Edwin and Willie Scott were given the first Hairless Rat Terrier; the new puppy's name became Josephine and she quickly melted the hearts of everyone in the Scott's family. The Scott's found Josephine to be such a special dog and excellent pet that they decided to attempt breeding her in hopes of getting more "hairless" pups. The fact that they had never bred dogs before was not going to stop them from this endeavor. They talked about their plans to many people, including several scientists, but they got the same answer everywhere they went. "It just can't be done." or "You're just wasting your time." seemed to be the repeating reply they would receive. "She's a freak of nature and will never reproduce the same....the hairless trait." But statements like this did not stop the Scott's. They decided to go ahead with their plans and bred her.
1973
At the age of one year, they bred Josey to a Rat Terrier. She produced a litter of four puppies and amazing enough, one of the pups was a hairless female which they named Gypsy. Unfortunately, Gypsy was too small to breed so they kept their hopes on Josephine. Over the years Josey gave the Scott's several litters, but not the hairless pups they were so hoping for
1981
On 30th December 1981, a miracle happened.....Josephine became the proud mother of four beautiful puppies: a hairless male they named Snoopy, a hairless female they named Jemima and two female coated pups named Queenie and Petunia. This became the foundation of the Scott's dream and brought their hopes back to reality. This was a new beginning for their family. They bred Snoopy to all of his littermates once they reached a year old. Jemima produced an all hairless litter and to the Scott's surprise, Petunia and Queenie produced litters of hairless and coated. Their house was becoming filled with these loving bundles of joy and the Scott's found they needed to make that decision to build a kennel; "Trout Creek Kennel" became the home of the American Hairless Terrier.
. . Trout Creek Kennel is the origin of the American Hairless Terrier . . 
2004
As of 1st January, the American Hairless Terrier is recognised as a separate breed by the United Kennel Club in the USA.
Bellow picture of our American Hairless Terrier, Ch. Horizons Shake Ur Bootie(Fanny)
and my Husband
