American Hairless Terrier vs Xoloitzcuintli

An American Hairless Terrier
Photo: Sergey Akishev
A Xoloitzcuintli
Photo: Canarian

Side by side

American Hairless Terrier
Xoloitzcuintli
Adult weight
5.4–13 kg (12–28 lb) (breed club figure)1
4.5–25 kg (10–55 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 30.5–40.6 cm; females 30.5–40.6 cm3
Males 25–62 cm; females 25–62 cm4
Lifespan
10–12 years5
No sourced figure
Fully grown
10 months, both sexes6
Group
Terrier (AKC)
Spitz & primitive4
Coat
No sourced figure
Hairless variety or short coat4
Exercise
No sourced figure
A moderate amount
Class
Companion
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The Xoloitzcuintli comes in a wide range of sizes, 4.5–25 kg (10–55 lb) as an adult, against 5.4–13 kg (12–28 lb) for the American Hairless Terrier.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (American Hairless Terrier: a lap or leaning dog; Xoloitzcuintli: affectionate on its own terms) and on loyalty (American Hairless Terrier: bonded to its family; Xoloitzcuintli: sticks close to its people).
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

American Hairless Terrier
Terrier · Small

In temperament the breed is lively, inquisitive and quick to notice anything new. It is playful and affectionate with its household and keen to chase small animals.

Xoloitzcuintli
Spitz & primitive · Medium

The Xolo is calm, alert and loyal. It forms close bonds with its family and is reserved with strangers, which makes it a watchful guard.

The American Hairless Terrier page →The Xoloitzcuintli page →

Breed traits

Day to day
American Hairless Terrier
Xoloitzcuintli
Activity
A good daily walk and play
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
American Hairless Terrier
Xoloitzcuintli
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
American Hairless Terrier
Xoloitzcuintli
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Likely to chase small pets
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour7. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home8,9.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Xoloitzcuintli grows to the heavier adult, about 15 kg against the American Hairless Terrier's 9.1 kg.
American Hairless Terrier
Xoloitzcuintli
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More comparisons

Compare the American Hairless Terrier with
Peruvian Inca Orchid vs XoloitzcuintliChinese Crested vs XoloitzcuintliChihuahua vs XoloitzcuintliPharaoh Hound vs XoloitzcuintliAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·