Dogs In Review Magazine October 2016 | Page 103

This alert, curious and intelligent breed can have a docked tail only if it is coated. The hairless must have a full tail. AMERICAN HAIRLESS TERRIER, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 96 VII. Coat The breed is hairless but has a coated counterpart. Coated: The coated variety is covered with a short, smooth and dense coat that has a sheen. Whiskers are not removed. Hairless: Hairless puppies are born with a soft, vestigial “down” known as the “birth coat.” This generally covers the body but diminishes over time, and puppies should be completely hairless by approximately 8-10 weeks of age. A mature, hairless dog should be free of hair with the exception of whiskers and guard hairs on the eyebrows and muzzle. Short, very fine (vellus) hair may be present on the body of a mature dog. The skin is smooth and warm to the touch. Disqualification: A wire, broken or long coat. VIII. Color Any color or combination of colors is allowed with the exception of albino or merle. Disqualification: Merle, albinism. IX. Gait Movement is smooth and effortless, showing good reach and drive. The forequarters move without any hint of being hackney, and the rear drives with power and with the hocks fully extending. This breed moves smoothly but with a jaunty attitude that suggests a dog of agility, power and speed. The legs do not turn in or out, and the feet do not cross or interfere 100 DOGSinREVIEW.com with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge toward centerline but do not cross. X. Temperament The breed is energetic, alert, curious and intelligent. Aggressiveness or extreme shyness is to be faulted. Disqualifications: Hanging ears, docked tail on the hairless variety, bobtail, a wire, broken or long coat, merle color and albinism. DIR For More Information For more information about the breed or the breed’s AKC parent club, please visit the American Hairless Terrier Club of America website at ahtca.info or contact one of the following: Lynn K. Poston, AHTCA Secretary & Registrar (California) [email protected], 909-829-4744 Teri Murphy, AHTCA President & Judges Ed Coordinator (North Carolina) [email protected]