Alaskan Klee Kai vs American Hairless Terrier - Breed Comparison

Derived from the Rat Terrier, the American Hairless Terrier was born in a litter of Rat Terriers in 1972.

The evolution of this breed is very different from other hairless breeds. The American Hairless Terrier was independently developed when a hairless pup was produced in a litter of normal Rat Terriers. The owners of this pup, Edwin and Willie Scott attempted to breed her to other Rat terriers but were not successful in having another hairless pup until years later. Then they had a litter with one male and one female hairless puppy.

From that point on they worked with a veterinarian and a geneticist to develop the breed until it was accepted as a separate breed from the Rat Terrier in 2004 and accepted into the AKC in 2016.

The breed is very rare and with hairless dogs breeding only produces about two thirds of the litter as hairless and one third as coated. If a hairless is bred to a coated terrier, the chances of getting hairless puppies are 50% hairless and 50% coated. It is very rare to get a hairless when breed two coated terriers. The difference between the American Hairless Terrier and other hairless breeds is that the hairless gene in most breed is a lethal dominant gene, but in the AHT it is a recessive gene.

Alaskan Klee Kai breed is created in Alaska by Linda S Spurlin with help of her family. When she saw a smaller type of Siberian Husky, she immediately wanted to create a smaller type of Husky that will be a great companion dog. She did not create this breed with dogs that suffer from dwarfism as if it’s the case with most other breeders. She breeds Alaskan Husky with smaller dog breeds that looked a like a husky. Breeds like Alaskan Eskimo Dog or Schipperke. They are still not recognized by some Kennel clubs, but their popularity is constantly on the rise.

The American Hairless Terrier is similar to it’s breed of origin, the Rat Terrier, and the coated AHT looks very much like a Rat Terrier. They are small to medium in size, very muscular and have more refined features than the Rat Terrier. Their round eyes can be a variety of colors including amber, brown, grey, turquoise and blue. The tail is not docked but rather long and thin.

The AHT might have eyebrows and whiskers or they might only have whiskers. Their head is broad, and wedge shaped with upright ears. They are an energetic, social and intelligent dog.

Weight of the Alaskan Klee Klei variates from dog to dog, but average male size is between 33-44cm. While females size is 28-40cm. The weight of the average male, an adult dog is 13 to 15kg. As you may see Klee Klei can be very small dogs, and that depends on every dog.

A lifespan of Klee Klei is 12-16 years.

Litter Size of the breed again depends on every dog but normal size for this breed is between 4-8 puppies.

Other Name for Alaskan Klee Klei is just a Klee Klei.

This is a curious, intelligent, little dog. They are terrific family dogs with a note to say they are better with older children than with younger. If they are raised with small children, then they are terrific with them. They are territorial, and the children become part of their territory. They will guard and protect them.

They need to play, and this is the biggest requirement for owners. Be sure you have time for them. This is not a couch potato dog. They have a lot of energy and can be destructive and “barky” if that energy is not dissipated. They are terriers through and through and love to “go to ground” whether going in holes they find or digging the holes themselves. They will go after small rodents like chipmunks. They need to be protected in these activities since their skin is vulnerable to scratches and cuts from brush. Their prey drive is strong, so it is important to protect them from themselves in this respect.

They are curious and feisty and every inch the terrier. Affectionate, friendly, and social it is also important to remember they can be scared easily, hurt if play is too rough, and this will trigger barking. They make very good watch dogs.

Klee Klei is very intelligent breed with a lot of energy. They love spending time with the family, especially in the outdoor activities. Klee Klei is very friendly towards children and new people, but they will also be excellent watchdogs too. Due to their intelligence, they are very easy to train. You should practice a positive way of awarding for them. They love pleasing and they love food, so it is a match made in heaven for training the Klee Klei. They will enjoy playing with other animals because they love to run and spend time with them, but you must socialize them from the early age. It is very important to socialize them with other animals and you will not have anything to worry about. They have a high prey drive so you will have to keep them on the leash while walking because if they notice something they will run towards it immediately. So for your, and your pet's safety, it is the best to keep the leash on. They do not bark a lot, but they will express when they are not pleasured because they can be very sensitive

There are not many health problems bothering this sturdy little dog.

The American Hairless Terrier has limited breeding stock and it is still a rare breed. Its health problems are mostly related to its hairless state. The breed is highly susceptible to sunburn, rashes, pimples, and allergies. They often need clothing in all seasons to protect them from the heat of the sun or from the cold. The skin must be cleaned regularly often daily with soap and water. This is especially true if sunscreen is used as they are open to skin infections.

Hip dysplasia is also a common issue for this small breed.

As most of the small breed dogs that are mixed with various breeds, this is one of the healthiest breeds. They do not have a lot of health issues, and usually, they tend to live a lot. Of course, you must be careful where are you buying your dog, and it is very important to choose the right owners that are taking care of the dogs and puppies. Some of the issues that this breed might have are luxation patella, thyroid disease, heart conditions, liver shunts, factor VII deficiency, and cataracts.

The American Hairless Terrier has some food needs that might be different from other breeds. They should not be given food that contains soy, wheat or corn. They need to be fed at least 3-4 times a day in small amounts as puppies and twice a day as adult. Be sure to avoid overeating and obesity. Puppies need about 400 calories a day whether you feed four times or two times. The adult American Hairless Terrier needs about 500-600 calories per day. This might be half a cup to a cup per day.

Health issues

As previously mentioned the American Hairless Terrier has skin health issues and is also prone to hip dysplasia.

Exercise and games

This is a great breed for games if you make them small to match his size. He is energetic, athletic and playful. He loves agility, lure chasing and barn hunt activities. They need a good half hour of vigorous exercise per day.

Feeding Klee Klei

Since they are highly energetic dogs they will need a lot of fuel for playing and spending time outside. Feeding of your dog depends on daily activity, but overall you should consult with dog nutritionist for a better understanding of your dog needs.

Feeding puppy

Puppies need more food divided into 3-5 meals per day. They would eat everything you have for them. 3-5 high-quality dry food would be enough with additional vitamins and minerals.

Grooming Alaskan Klee Klei

Normally, Klee Klei groom themselves, so you won’t have to do it too often. Again, you will have to take care of your dog with occasional baths and brushing. You will know when is the time to take care of your lovely Klee Klei, but they will do most of the work.