The American Hairless Terrier

Over the years people who have been suffering from allergies caused by pets and mores specifically dogs, have had to go through life without the joy and fulfillment of owning a dog. Never knowing what it is like to raise a puppy and have a friend that will be there for you right up until the end. It is kind of sad when you think about it, because there are so many people out there who do have dogs and they love it. Well, for all the allergy sufferers out there, there is still hope for you.

Dogs like the Chinese Crested and the Peruvian hairless, are gaining popularity as good, allergy free dogs, but the one the passes them all, is the American Hairless Terrier. There are so many wonderful dog breeds out there but so few to choose from if you suffer from allergies well, the wait is over, the American Hairless Terrier has arrived and he is here to stay.

The Hairless Terrier is probably the newest breed we have in our world, it all started in 1972 when a little hairless female was born in a litter of medium sized rat terriers; she soon became the beloved pet of Willie and Edwin Scot, they lived in Louisiana and they named their new puppy, Josephine, even though they were fist time dog owners and even though they had never bred or raised puppies before they decided to try and reproduce the hairless dog. All scientist told them that it was not possible and that it would be silly to even try because everything would just end in failure.

This did not stop the Scot family however, and they went ahead and bred Josephine. In her very first litter they struck gold, a little female hairless terrier was born but she was to small to be bred…over the next several years Josephine was bred many more times never giving birth to another hairless pup, until 1981 when a little hairless female and a little hairless male were born…the Edwin bred these two to all their litter mates when they had reached a year old and that was the foundation stock for the wonderful little breed, named the American Hairless Terrier.

The hairless dog is a dog that loves to play and to dig, just because they do not have any hair does not mean that they do not have the energy of their furry cousins! Because of the hairlessness, they do need to be protected in hot and in cold weather, in cold weather there are all kinds of little jackets and such that you can buy for your little companion to keep him comfortable, in hot weather it is recommended that you put sunscreen on the little dog to prevent sunburn, it is also recommended that you use lotion on the American Hairless Terrier to keep his skin soft and in perfect condition. Bathing is really up to the owner but once to three times a week is what is recommended.

These are active little dogs so daily walks are a must, they are playful and affectionate, they do best with children when raised with them from puppyhood, they should not be used in hunting because of the fact that they do not have any protective hair. When they are outside they have the tendency to get into things and get themselves scratched and such, these should be treated with a little bit of peroxide or another antiseptic cream or agent, to prevent infection and to improve the healing process.

These dogs are easily trained and they are perfect for people who have allergy problems. It is indeed something for an allergic person to hold a dog for the first time in his life and not have a terrible allergic reaction to it! Always try to get a puppy form a breeder that has a good reputation in his area, try not to order over the internet unless you have had the opportunity to see the puppy yourself, be very careful when choosing a puppy because there are a lot of people out there that are in it only for the money.

These are dogs that have very little health problems and they will bring laughter and joy into the homes of the people who want to try out a different type of dog.