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 Dogs - American Hairless Terrier Breed
(AHT)
The first American Hairless Terrier was
born in 1972 in a litter of mid-sized Rat Terriers. The AHT's are loving,
playful, lively, alert and intelligent dogs. They are completely hairless
except for eyebrows and whiskers. Their skin is usually pink with black,
gray, brown or red spots of various sizes. It is warm and very soft to the
touch. This soft skin makes them especially suitable for allergy
sufferers. The AHT's have a full set of teeth and typically have no skin
problems related to the hairlessness. They make loving and delightful
companions!
Background
In the autumn of 1972, a small female puppy was born into a litter of
midsize Rat Terriers. She had silky, pink skin with large black spots. Not
knowing exactly what to do with this different puppy, the owners decided
to give her to their friends, Willie and Edwin Scott. Little did they know
at the time that this unusual little pup would be the beginning of a new
and unique breed.
The Scotts named their new pup Josephine,
and she quickly caught the hearts of the entire family. She proved to be
the perfect pet with her intelligent, lively and loyal manner. Being
hairless also meant there were no fleas and no dog hair to vacuum up or
brush off. This was a definite plus for the new family addition. They did
find out that Josephine's smooth and silky skin would need protection from
the hot Louisiana sun. She turned out to be a very bright little dog that
loved to travel and make new friends wherever she went.The Scotts
treasured Josephine and became interested in breeding her and producing
more hairless puppies. They had owned dogs in the past, but were not
familiar with breeding. That wasn't going to stop them, though. With her
clean nature, alert and loving personality, Josephine was the perfect
house dog and they couldn't imagine owning any other kind of dog.
 They
began to talk about their plans to
anyone who would listen, including university scientists. They received
the same answer each and every time: "You'll just be wasting your time, it
can't be done..." They were told that Josephine was simply a freak of
nature and that there was no way that she would reproduce the hairless
trait. But Willie and Edwin couldn't take no for an answer and went ahead
with their plans to breed her.
At the age of one year, Josephine was
bred to her sire and she produced a litter of four puppies. Three of the
pups were coated, and one was a hairless female named Gypsy. In the years
that followed, Josephine had several litters, but none with any hairless
puppies.
On December 30, 1981, when Josephine was
nine years old and still in good health, she had her final litter after
being bred to her son. She whelped a hairless male, a hairless female, and
two coated female puppies. This successful litter produced Snoopy, Jemima,
Petunia, and Queenie. The Scotts' dreams were becoming a reality, and on
that day they witnessed the birth of the American Hairless Terrier breed.
The Scotts were now ready to embark on a
full scale breeding program with help from veterinarians. Snoopy was bred
to all of his littermates once they
reached one year of age. Jemima produced a litter of all hairless pups and
the Scotts were overjoyed when Petunia's and Queenie's litters produced
both hairless and coated. They kept all of the pups and the house was
quickly becoming crowded. They had no choice but to build the kennel that
adjoins their house. The Scotts were now on their way and named their
kennel "Trout Creek Kennel". Interestingly, the American Hairless Terriers
are actually born with hair.
 The
puppies' sparse hair is short, fuzzy, and noticeably different from the
hair on a coated Rat Terrier. Shortly after birth they begin to lose this
hair, starting at the head and working its way toward the back. By the
time the puppies are 6 to 8 weeks old, they are totally hairless with
soft, smooth, and silky skin. Their pink skin is warm and usually covered
with freckles or small spots. These spots will enlarge with age and darken
in the sun. The delicate pink skin does need to be protected from long
periods of sun exposure. The American Hairless Terrier is a small,
well-balanced, muscular dog. They are alert, intelligent, and loving dogs.
Their high energy makes them good playmates for children, and their
intelligent and loving nature makes them loyal family members.
Top resource sites about the American Hairless Terrier
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American Hairless Terrier Association - AHTA
The American Hairless Terrier Association, AHTA, was formed by a group of dedicated owners and enthusiasts of the American Hairless Terrier (AHT).
American Hairless Terrier, Dog Breed Info Center®, American...
American Hairless Terrier, Dog Breed Info Center
Brucin's
American Hairless Terrier AHT
American Hairless Terrier Rescue Groups
American Hairless Terrier Rescue Groups NATIONAL BREED RESCUE
Kickapoo Kennel
UKC bred American Hairless terriers (AHT) and Rat Terriers. A small family
breeder located in Trenton, TX, just Northeast of Dallas.
American Hairless Terrier, AHT, Rat Terrier Hairless Variety,...
The American Hairless Terrier (AHT) is a hairless version of the Rat Terrier.
Many allergy sufferers find them to be the only dogs they can own, this
site explains.
American Hairless Terriers
AHT · American Hairless Terrier- This is the place to talk about one of the rarest breeds of dogs.. a truly American
made dog.
American Hairless Terrier
Sweet Lucy's web site devoted to the American Hairless Terrier and other hairless dog breeds. Also info about human pet allergies.
Valley American Terriers
Canada's American Terrier breeders.
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