When and where has this breed started?

The first AHT, Josephine, was born to a normal Rat Terrier, on August 2,1972, in Trout, Louisiana. She had three beautiful littermates with hair, but Josephine was the most beautiful of them all. When the owners said they would give her to us you would think we had won the lottery. It was love at first sight and will last for the rest of our lives. Josephine's first litter produced a hairless female pup, we named Gypsy. After eight years of breeding and no more hairless dogs, I decided to breed Josephine with her son, Sambo (a coated dog). This resulted in a litter of two hairless and two coated dogs. I then bred one of the hairless pups back to Josephine and this litter resulted in all hairless pups. All breedings with hairless to hairless dogs since then has produced all hairless dogs.

What about recognition of the breed by the AKC, UKC and other kennel clubs?

The AHT are registered by the American Hairless Terrier Association, ARF registry, UKCI and in January 1999 will be recognized by the UKC. Hopefully one day we will gain recognition from the AKC.

How do AHT's get along with other pets?

AHT's get along well with other pets. They are very friendly with other dogs, but have to be watched around bigger dogs as they tend to think they are the same size and could get hurt. They usually get along well with cats once they realize the cat is the boss. At least that has been our experience. Ours tries to play with the cat and after she slapped at him a few times they get along well. They even share food!

What about their lifestyle, can they live comfortably in a flat?

AHT's do live in flats and apartments, but do have a terrier personality and are active dogs. Given toys they will get a lot of exercise on their own. When young are probably best crated or shut in a room when left alone until they get out of the chewing stage. All puppies go through this.

Are they suitable for people with allergies?

We have found that people with allergies seem to have less problems with our dogs than with coated dogs. This may be due to the fact that the dander isn't trapped in the hair and doesn't cause as much of a problem. My stepdaughter had severe asthma and was treated for years by an allergist. One of the things she was allergic to was animal dander. She could not tolerate coated dogs, but didn't have that problem with these dogs. We have several people with allergies who own dogs and have no problems. I can't say they are non-allergenic, but maybe less of a problem than coated dogs.

Do they need special care because of the lack of hair; are they subject to dermatitis or other problems related to the lack of hair?

AHT's need sunscreen if they are to be in the sun for any length of time. They generally need a bath once or twice a week. They do have a tendency to break out when exposed to wet grass or freshly mown lawns-this clears up when they're taken away from it. They are allergic to ant, bee or wasp stings, but benadryl and a cool bath take care of this. Most people use a good body lotion on their skin to keep it soft and smooth.

Do they suffer cold and hot? If so, how can we protect them?

They tolerate cold and heat well in the climate we are in. They love the sun and will lay in it all day, so sunscreen is really a necessity. We have dogs in the northern states where the cold is more extreme and they do go outdoors, but people have them wear clothes and booties. They don't mind the cold but would probably not do well for a long period outside.

This breed started in the States, but is there any kennel in Europe? Is there any AHT in Italy?

There are no kennels in Europe. There are no AHT's in Italy. The only one that is outside the US is in Canada.

Who would you suggest the AHT to?

I would suggest the AHT to anyone who loves dogs. They are very lovable dogs suited for most anyone. Plus you have several bonuses--no hair on furniture or carpets, no ticks and fleas, and one of rarest dogs in the world!!!

Many thanks to my cyberfriends who helped me with pictures, advices, suggestions and information: you are all so kind!