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
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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]