AHT IN THE CZ
Each one of you has, within the depth of their soul, some kind of a seemingly unreachable goal. Believe me, if you really want to, every dream can become a reality. Until year 2003, no Hairless Terrier has ever crossed
the borders of America, and that is why we could only read about this breed in Kynological literature, though very rarely and in very little reference. But watch out! History is changing and I am very glad that
it is I in particular who has the privilege to be the first to write about this unique breed. After a long time spent in searching and submitting of various documents and last but not least selecting the same type,
but totally non-related individuals, and above all, the never ending wait, our dream has come true, exceeding our expectations. On the 24th of March 2004 at 9:05, an aircraft from New York has landed at the Prague-Ruzyne
airport, and on board this aircraft, the first five American Hairless Terriers in the Czech Republic and the second in Europe. Three AHTs already had their family in Finland a few months before.
Please allow me to thank all those who have helped me to fulfill my dream. I am extremely grateful to them. THANKS Teri Murphy, Bonnie Turner, Melissa Kidd, Shelley Shuler, Martina Stavinohova, Šárka Štěpánkova
and to my husband, who had shown great patience towards my idea.
THE ORIGIN
The origin of this small breed, contrary to other hairless kinds, can be precisely dated. In the year 1972, a totally bare puppy was born to a Rat Terrier owned by Willie and Erwin Scott. The breeders named this puppy Josephine and because nobody wanted her, she stayed at home with the Scotts and became a big sweetheart of the whole family. In the following years, Josephine herself had a number of hairless puppies and went on to become the founder of a new breed. In the beginning, these naked Terriers were categorized in the same way as their hairless variants, always among the Rat Terriers, but after intensive effort and work, on the 1st of January 2004, this Terrier had been recognized as an individual breed called American HairlessTerriers. Same as in the case of the Chinese dogs, they are further divided into bare and hairy variety. Both variants are recognized at shows and are judged independently.
CHARACTER
AHT is an active, very playful dog and is placed among pleasant, small dogs. Thanks to their curiosity and intelligence, they are easily controlled and make a great companion. They love children and get along very well
with other dogs and even cats. AHT dogs have a strong affiliation for the company of humans and perform all activities with their masters with joy. They love Agility!!
FUR:HAIRLESS
Genetically, the strain for hairlessness is recessive, that means that crossing a Hairless Terrier with another Hairless Terrier always produces 100% naked puppies, whereas the crossing of a hairless and a hairy variant
or both hairy individuals, the ratio is approximately 50:50. The puppies are born with a soft fluff, which gradually begins to fall off after one week, beginning at the nose. Around 8 weeks of age, all hair disappears,
apart from their feel whiskers. In an adult dog, there may be a very soft under-fur of a maximum length of 1 mm. The skin in the hairless variety is warm to the touch, beautifully fine and velvet-like. A great advantage of this breed is that under no circumstances there is any need for shaving of their bodies and their hairlessness is completely natural. In the furry variety, the fur is short and dense and has a nice sheen. All colour varieties are acceptable, only if the individual is of a single colour, there must be at least one spot that contains white (only applies to the furry variety). The only disqualifying feature is the colour merle. Hairlessness in this breed does not cause a tooth deficiency and therefore it is no exception to come across a fully teethed individual. The opposite is more likely.
BODY BUILD
The American Hairless Terrier is a well muscled, energetic and a bright dog. The preferred body ratio length is 10:9. This means that the length of the body must always be greater. This dog moves around with an air
of joy, revealing its agility and speed. The style of walk is well balanced, without effort, with a long reach of the front limbs and without any signs of clumsiness. During the increase of walking speed, the limbs have a tendency to converge towards the centerline balance. The head is wide, gently arched, wedge-shaped and proportional to the body size. The ears have a shape of opposite V, are situated on the outer edges of the scull and may be erect, pointy, or rounded-off. In the hairy variety, it is quite normal to observe a tilted ear and is
accepted also in the hairless variety. A disqualifying defect though is an ear that hangs. The tail is strong at the root and tapers off in a direction towards the tip. It may be carried in any style and may even be turned upward.
When the dog is in an alert state, the American Hairless Terrier reaches a height of 25 to 41 centimeters and its weight reaches around 4 - 7 kilograms.
WHAT TO ADD
AHT is a faultless companion and is especially ideal for allergy sufferers. For those who have a place in their heart for a new friend, you will find this exceptional breed will completely fill it. 12 years ago, I myself have received my very first Dalmatian girl Alba, and have begun with the breeding of this species. Within a few years, I have traveled all of Europe with my Dalmatians and attended uncountable shows, and came into contact with the most varied breeds. Most breeders claim that when they have one breed, they stay with it all their lives. But truthfully, when I place my hand on my heart, The American Hairless Terrier is the very gem that had anchored it. I very much love my three older Dalmatian ladies and I am grateful to them that they have initiated me into the dog kingdom with all that belongs to it, but I already know that in my next life, it will be American Hairless Terriers who will be fulfilling our family.
CARE ABOUT AHT
CARE
AHT certainly gives a new meaning to the term "wash and dry"!! I use the following products and I found out that my dogs take well to these. For washing, I use any kind of childrens liquid soap. Because you will be washing skin, not hair, it is important to keep it clean and if possible, not apply any additives to it. I have discovered that childrens soap is ideal due to its effects, it moisturizes the skin and leaves it soft and supple like the skin of a child. It really doesnt need anything else. The rule "less is more" applies here. After a bath, I
apply moisturizing cream to my naked doggie children. After a long observation which cream works best and is most suitable for their skin, I have come to the conclusion that the most ideal is a Marigold Cream called Indulona. I have been buying many other products, many times more expensive, but truthfully, Indulona is most ideal. There is no need to apply any special type of care for AHT that would not apply to other dogs. On the contrary, I think that the care is far more practical!
CLAWS
AHT pups grow at a very fast rate, so there is a need to cut the claws EVERY week, so that they would always be of a reasonable length. Certainly do not let them overgrow, otherwise the paw will loose its nice appearance.
Excessively long claws can negatively affect the movement ability of the dog. Short claws are very important. Too long claws may even grow into the soft inner flesh of the bottom side of the paw. I use the classic
dog claw clippers and after cutting them, I file them down with a file. Above all, you must pay close attention so that you dont cut the claws too much. This can be very painful for the dog. The claw can bleed a lot and the dog never forgets this negative experience. If your dog misbehaves during this procedure, never praise it in an effort to calm it down, because it may interpret this action as a reward for its bad behavior. Simply ignore it and reward it only when it behaves well. The dog should become well used to the cutting of claws.
FILING OF CLAWS
For the filing of claws, use a manicure file. I always hold the dog in my lap and do the filing. It goes along quite fast and I do not risk the chance of bleeding. Another advantage is that you can file off all unevenness and sharp edges and the claw is smooth and neat afterwards.
SKIN PROTECTION
Because the AHTs has no fur, we must take into account how much of the suns rays fall onto its bare skin. I personally use cotton T-shirts. For winter, I buy some fleece clothes. I do not dress my dogs in T-shirts or fleece clothes every time, it all depends on the weather and on how suntanned they are at the time. AHTs have a tendency to become sunburnt especially in spring, when they loose their previous suntan throughout winter. But when the trees have developed a full coverage of leaves and therefore provide adequate shade, the dogs usually dont need any further protection. Some even seek out the direct sunlight! These individuals must be closely watched and possibly protected by using a sunscreen cream. I would never use such products as a water resistant SPF 45 sunscreen, I have heard different horror stories of allergic reactions in other hairless breeds and therefore I do not recommend them. I personally do not use a sunscreen 99% of the time and I have
never had the experience that my doggie children got sunburnt.
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