Dog breed profile

American Hairless Terrier

American Hairless Terriers rate 5 of 5 for affection with family, 5 with young children and 3 for energy on the AKC breed scale. Shedding is very low and trainability is very high.

KidsEnergySheddingTrainability

Is it right for me? Compare with another breed

American Hairless Terrier

Temperament and care ratings

The American Kennel Club rates every breed from 1 to 5 on the traits below. They describe how the breed tends to be, not a promise about one dog.

Affection with family5/5Independent to Lovey-Dovey
Good with young children5/5Not Recommended to Good With Children
Good with other dogs3/5Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs
Openness to strangers3/5Reserved to Everyone Is My Best Friend
Playfulness3/5Only When You Want To Play to Non-Stop
Energy level3/5Couch Potato to High Energy
Trainability5/5Self-Willed to Eager to Please
Mental stimulation needs3/5Happy to Lounge to Needs a Job or Activity
Adaptability5/5Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable
Watchdog / protective3/5What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant
Barking3/5Only To Alert to Very Vocal
Shedding1/5No Shedding to Hair Everywhere
Coat grooming1/5Monthly to Daily
Drooling1/5Less Likely to Drool to Always Have a Towel

Coat: Hairless coat, short.

A American Hairless Terrier suits

  • A family with young children (rated 5 of 5 with kids)
  • A home that changes often, or apartment life (adaptability 5 of 5)
  • A first-time owner who wants an eager learner (trainability 5 of 5)
  • People who hate dog hair on the sofa (shedding 1 of 5)

What the ratings mean day to day

An energy score of 3 and mental stimulation needs of 3 mean a good daily walk and some play. With barking at 3 of 5 and a watchdog score of 3, expect some barking at the door. Grooming at 1 of 5 means an occasional brush.

Popularity

In 2020 it ranked 129.

Breeds with a similar profile

Closest matches across all 14 trait ratings:

Compare: American Hairless Terrier vs Curly-Coated Retriever · American Hairless Terrier vs Löwchen · American Hairless Terrier vs Border Terrier

Frequently asked questions

Are American Hairless Terriers good with kids?

The AKC rates the American Hairless Terrier 5 out of 5 for being good with young children. That is the top score.

Do American Hairless Terriers shed a lot?

Shedding is rated 1 out of 5 (very low), and coat grooming 1 out of 5.

Are American Hairless Terriers easy to train?

Trainability is rated 5 out of 5 and mental stimulation needs 3 out of 5.

How much energy does a American Hairless Terrier have?

Energy is rated 3 out of 5 and playfulness 3 out of 5.

Ratings: American Kennel Club breed pages, compiled February 2022 (AKC American Hairless Terrier page). 2025 ranking: AKC, published August 2026. How we check.

Tips from owners

Own a American Hairless Terrier? Share one tip for a new owner. The first good one goes right here.

Share a tip

We read every tip before it goes live. No links, please, and nothing personal about other people.

Questions from dog owners

Got a question about American Hairless Terrier? Ask it here. We answer the useful ones on this page.

Ask a question

We can’t reply privately. Useful questions get answered here on the page.

Newsletter

One useful dog email a week

Food safety, feeding and breed answers, checked against vet sources. Plus seasonal warnings, like holiday foods to keep away from dogs.

Free. Unsubscribe any time. We never share your email. Privacy.