The American Hairless Terrier is a fairly recent breed that it was only establish as an independent breed - apart from the Rat Terrier, from whom they descent – in 1988 as far the AHTA/AHTC is concerned. But it was only in 2004 that the U.K.C. recognized it´s standard.

It all started in 1972, in a litter of mid-sized Rat Terriers, a completely hairless female was born. She was named Josephine and became the first of a new breed – the American Hairless Terrier. Her owners, Edwin and Willie Scott, from Louisiana, United States, started to breed her with others Rat Terriers, in hope that she would have hairless puppies. After failed attempts, at the age of nine, tow puppies – one mail and one female – were born without any hair in a litter of four. From that point on, the American Hairless Terrier began to develop and it is now a firmly established dog, specially indicated for people with allergies that want a companion dog.

The gene for hairlessness is recessive in this breed, which means that two hairless dogs always produce a hairless puppy.

The trait most recognizable of this small-to-medium terrier is its absence of hair. Known by their smooth skin, these dogs actually are born with hair but they loose it all before they reach eight weeks of age.

The skin is usually pinkish with freckles or spots of contrasting color. Freckles enlarge with age, and skin color will darken when exposed to the sun.

The head is broad, slightly domed and proportionate to the size of the body. They have a deep chest, strong shoulders, solid neck, and long and straight forelegs, which gives them a compact, yet elegant, appearance.

There are two varieties of the American Hairless Dog: the toy and the miniature. The first one has 19 to 28 cm and weights 2 to 4 kg. The miniature one is slightly taller with 29 to 48 and weights 4 to 7 Kg. 

The American Hairless Terrier is an energetic, alert dog that still maintains his instinct to hunt, although the lack of hair makes him unsuited for the activity.

It needs a good socialization, because they were originally tenacious ratters. They are very independent. Nonetheless, they are exceptionally friendly companions that get along well with children and other dogs.

The American Hairless Terrier is very curious and intelligent, which make him easy to train.

They love to dig, and the ideal solution is that they have a yard to explore, but they can be kept in an apartment as long they have daily exercise. 

The main concern about these dog´s health is the possibility of skin laceration and sunburns, due to their absence of hair. So, they need permanently protection from the sun and in the wintertime it´s not unusual to see them in clothes.

They need regular bath, more then once a week, but the grooming is minimal. 

This breed is advisable to all the people who want a dog but that can´t have them because of allergies. The absence of hair makes them the perfect dog companion.