American Naked Terrier: features, content and feeding

The American Hairless Terrier is a very interesting and distinctive dog. This breed appeared relatively recently, but very quickly gained a large number of fans around the world.

The story of the appearance of American hairless terriers originates on the islands of Britain, where their direct ancestors (rat-rat-terrier dogs) were used by peasants to protect the harvest from rats and foxes. Representatives of this breed came to America with British families who emigrated to the United States.

Here they performed the same duties as at home: they protected the harvest from uninvited guests. The population developed at a natural pace, either increasing its number or putting it literally on the brink of extinction, as happened, for example, during the industrial revolution in 1930.

The family in which the puppy was transferred quickly appreciated the benefits of keeping a naked dog and seriously took care of obtaining offspring from her pet. To do this, the head of the family, Edwin Scott, turned to geneticists who advised him to tie Josephine (the so-called puppy) with his father. Experts rightly assumed that the birth of bald puppies in the case of such a cross is very large and were not mistaken.

As a result of mating, 4 babies were born, one of whom was bald. The next two litters did not bring the desired result - all the puppies turned out to be quite ordinary, and only on December 30, 1981, Josephine gave birth to four babies, two of which turned out to be bald at once. This day was proclaimed the day of the appearance of the breed American Hairless Terrier.

Edwin was so inspired by the results that he began to actively study the new breed and devoted much time to identifying the genetic patterns that led to the appearance of naked individuals. Then he opened the Trout Creek Kennel breeding nursery and began in every way to promote and popularize the unique breed.

The first happy owners of bald dogs were pleased to find that the pet does not cause allergies and needs minimal care. The news of this amazing breed quickly flew around the world, and the "Americans" began to be in high demand among the population.

In 1998, the American Association of Rare Breeds, as well as the American Club of Rat Terriers, "Americans" were recognized as a separate breed of dogs. A year later, the United Dog Club also entered them in its register, but so far as a bald variety of rat terriers. And only in 2004, the "Americans" received official recognition and were registered with the UKC as an independent breed.

American Hairless Terriers are active and very agile dogs with well-developed muscles and a beautiful physique. The length of the body corresponds to the height at the withers as 10/9, which gives the body ideal proportions. The main characteristics of the breed are as follows.

• Animal head has a wedge-shaped shape and is characterized by a moderate transition between the forehead and the muzzle. The wide skull narrows slightly towards the muzzle and has a slightly convex structure.
• The muzzle has a narrowing in the bow and has powerful jaws with well-developed cheek muscles. Such a structure of the jaws was inherited by the “Americans” from the ancestors of the Pied Piper, whose mouth opened very wide and made it easy to catch rats.
• The nose is solid, more often black pigmentation, matching the color of the lips.
• The lips of the terriers are not saggy, fit tightly to the teeth.
• Animal teeth Present in full and differ in strength and whiteness. As for the bite, it is mainly scissor-shaped, although a straight line is also allowed by the standard.
• The ears of the "Americans" have a V-shape and can fully stand, stand still and hang on the cartilage. Moreover, their position before the age of one year is rather unstable and does not affect the exhibition rating.
• The eyes of bald terriers set obliquely, have a round shape and a slight bulge, and their color is completely dependent on the breed variety. So, in absolutely bald dogs their color can be any, while in the coated species it strictly matches the coat color. Often there are individuals with blue and even amber eyes, although most of them are still dark brown in color. The edges of the eyelids have the same pigmentation as the nose and lips.
• A neck gradually turning into the back has an average length and thickens closer to the shoulders, and a slight bend with moderate muscularity gives it some elegance and lightness.
• The front legs of the "Americans" distinguished by strong bone and almost vertical metacarpals. The rear ones are quite muscular, with a visual inspection they are parallel to each other. The paws are oval and compact in size. Middle fingers slightly longer than lateral, dewclaws to be removed.
• "American" has a harmoniously folded case, a straight strong back, a slightly convex muscular lower back and a slightly sloping croup.The terrier’s chest is deep, with the lower part located at the level of the elbows. A lateral examination reveals a small oval forbrust.
• A thick tail at its base tapers towards the end. If the animal is in an unexcited state, the tail is carried just below the line of the back, in the alert - along the ascending line with a slight curve, resembling a saber.
• The color of bald terriers can be any. Usually on the main shade of the skin there are contrasting spots that become larger over the years, and the skin itself darkens.
• The height of the "Americans" is 40-45 cm, weight - not more than 6 kg.
• These dogs move very easily and naturally, at the same time, the forelimbs are distinguished by good amplitude, and the hind limbs by a powerful push.

Considering the characteristics of the breed, it is impossible not to mention the varieties of the "American". There are two types of dogs in total.

• The first includes absolutely bald pets, which nevertheless are born in a light "coat". By eight weeks, the hair completely falls out with the exception of whiskers and eyebrows. The skin of these dogs is very soft and pleasant to the touch, capable of generating sweat in heat and stressful situations.
• The second type includes individuals with a slight coat, persisting in adulthood. Such dogs can have a single color, as well as a two- or three-color color with the obligatory presence of white.

But it is also worth mentioning the shortcomings, which can lead to a decrease in the mark at the exhibition, and in the presence of serious defects, it can lead to disqualification. So, pets can be "rejected" for too sharp stop, short muzzle, lack of teeth, malocclusion, lack of pigment and unpainted nose, as well as for the head, resembling an apple in shape, bulging or deep-set eyes, and for the mismatch of their color with the main color.

Inadequate ears, clubfoot, tail ringlet, too much growth and obesity are also considered disadvantages. Serious defects include wool longer than 1 mm on bald individuals after 6 months of age, cryptorchidism, behavior abnormalities, deafness, disproportionate length of legs in relation to the body, short tail from birth, and albinism. In the coated species, this is additionally merle and the absence of white in color.

American Naked Terriers are very friendly and sociable, for which they can be safely attributed to the best companion dogs. Animals surprise their owners with their mental abilities and high intelligence. Besides, they are active, curious and very energetic. This makes them an ideal breed for families where there are young children, whom the terrier will always keep company with for a walk and will gladly take part in any children's games and pranks.

The dog quickly and firmly becomes attached to his family and very difficult to endure separation from households. Left alone at home, the bored terrier begins to bark loudly and non-stop, which can cause fair reproaches of the neighbors.

"Americans" get along well with almost all domestic animals and enjoy spending time with them. The only exceptions are decorative rodents and birds, which are absolutely undesirable to leave alone with a dog.

This is due to the fact that the “parents” of the hairless dog (rat-terriers) are “professional” rat-catchers and hunters, and therefore it is better not to risk the lives of unfortunate hamsters and canaries and take care of their safety in advance. To strangers who first came to the house, naked terriers are quite loyal, provided that the owner is in a good mood and is glad of their visit.

The American Hairless Terrier is a fairly young breed, so there is no long-term research on the subject of its genetic diseases.It is only known that the mutation, as a result of which the breed appeared, did not entail any serious physical anomalies or deviations in development.

However, like any other breed, terriers still have weaknesses. And first of all, of course, skin that often suffers from bright sun and severe frosts, because of which it needs additional protection. So, in the summer, before going out to the street, you should smear your pet with sunscreen, which should be wiped off with a damp cloth when you return home.

In winter, animals should always wear warm overalls and shoes. In addition, dogs sometimes get sick gastritis, enteritis and adenovirus. Hepatitis and staphylococcus are less common. In order to avoid many viral diseases, pets need to be vaccinated in a timely manner.

In general, naked terriers are distinguished by good health, high immunity, and calmly live to 15, and sometimes to 17 years.

Puppies of the American Naked Terrier should be acquired either in pedigree nurseries or from trusted breedershaving a good reputation. In addition, before buying, you need to know what a purebred newborn naked puppy looks like.

The fact is that babies are not born completely bald, but are covered with very soft and short hair. After 7-8 weeks, the birth hair falls out and the animal becomes naked. Acne forms on the spot of hair loss, which is completely normal and does not require any intervention.

You should also see how the baby has ears - if they are turned inward, it is better to refuse to buy such a puppy. Teeth also need to be carefully examined: they should be white and strong. In addition, you need to familiarize yourself with the history of the illnesses of the parents and check for the presence of age-related vaccinations in the baby.

American Hairless Terriers are exclusively domestic dogs and need thermal comfort. Both apartment and country house are equally suitable for them. At the same time, it is very important to provide the pet with a soft and comfortable stove bench, located away from drafts and heating devices. Terriers are naturally very active and living creatures.and therefore need long walks in the fresh air with the ability to run without a leash.

As for the care of the dog, it includes a number of mandatory procedures.

• Skin integument are the most vulnerable spot of naked terriers and need regular cleaning of sweat and dirt. To do this, use wet wipes or a soft cloth dipped in warm water. You can bathe the animal once a week with the help of special shampoos for hairless dogs.
• Terriers brush their teeth once a week, using for this dog toothpastes and brush nozzles on the finger.
• Wiping your eyes once a week with a wet swab dipped in strong tea or chamomile broth.
• Ears of naked terriers regularly inspect and, if necessary, wipe with cotton swabs dipped in oil.
• Claws to pet cut every 3 months with a clipper or special scissors.

"Americans" are picky about feeding and can eat both adapted feeds and natural foods. If you decide to feed your puppy with regular food, you should know that 50% of the total should be lean meat or offal. The remaining 50% should fall on cereals (buckwheat, rice or pearl barley) and vegetables, which are given both raw and boiled.

Twice a week, the dog can be given eggs and boiled sea fishpreviously cleared of large bones. From fermented milk products, terriers can be fed with cottage cheese and sour cream of low fat content.

If it is planned to feed the puppy with ready-made feeds, then it is better to choose compositions of holistic or premium class, in which the substances necessary for the pet are not only found in the required quantities, but also are optimally combined with each other. Ideal for pet foods with delicate skin, such as the Dermacomfort range from the Royal Canin brand.

However, if the dog is completely healthy and not prone to allergic reactions, then you can feed him more budget formulations, for example, Pro Plan, Eagle Pack, Hill's or Acana. The main thing is to choose the right food in accordance with the age and complexion of the pet.

Mineral and vitamin supplements in this case do not need to be given, while dogs eating natural products are additionally offered fish oil, bone meal and preparations containing a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. Good results are obtained using Beaphar, CanVit, Excel 8 in 1 and Unitabs Daily Complex. However, one cannot prescribe this or that vitamin-mineral complex on a pet’s own basis.

Before buying, you should consult a veterinarian who, after passing a general blood test or biochemistry, will tell you exactly what elements the dog lacks and recommend the right drug. The adult pet should be fed twice a day, and the serving size should be calculated based on the level of activity and appetite of the dog.

American hairless terriers lend themselves perfectly to training and are well suited for the role of the first pet. A distinctive feature of dogs of this breed is their desire to please their owner at all costs. This helps newcomers to believe in themselves and raise an obedient and contact family dog.

The dog will also perceive the rest of the household very well, however, it will not experience such attachment as to the “main” owner. The training of naked terriers is carried out according to the traditional scheme using the methods of encouragement / punishment, using as a last resort a strict shout or look, but in no case beating. Particular attention should be paid to the problem of causeless loud barking, which is often sinned by representatives of this breed and from puppy age it is decided to stop this.

The following video will tell about the features of the breed.