Terriers are a diverse group of dog breeds that come in various sizes, from the small Yorkshire Terrier to the large Airedale Terrier. They were mainly developed in the United Kingdom and are known for their spirited personalities. Terriers were originally bred to hunt and kill vermin, guard homes and barns, and were used in activities such as foxhunting, ratting, and dogfighting. The American Kennel Club (AKC) divides terriers into those for vermin control and those developed for dogfighting through crosses with bulldog breeds. Terriers are known as tenacious hunters and fearless fighters, sometimes quarrelsome with other dogs. They are active, vocal, and inclined to chase and confront. Most terriers are playful and affectionate, making them good companions for older children and active adults. However, their strong prey drive may make them too aggressive for very small children and other small pets.

What are some physical traits of terriers?

Terriers are a diverse group of dog breeds, varying in size from the small Yorkshire Terrier to the large Airedale Terrier . They typically have long heads, strong jaws, and deep-set eyes. Many terriers have short legs and a wiry coat, which protected them when hunting vermin. The fox terrier , for example, stands about 15 inches (38 cm) and weighs 16 to 18 pounds (7 to 8 kg). Their coats are predominantly white with black or black-and-tan markings. Some terriers have a strong tail that allowed hunters to pull them out of underground spaces.

What kind of personalities do terriers usually have?

Terriers are known for their spirited personalities. Most terriers are playful and affectionate, making them good companions for active adults and older children. Bred to hunt vermin, guard property, and for bloodsports, they are tenacious hunters and fearless fighters. However, they can be aggressive towards small children due to their strong prey drive and may be quarrelsome with other dogs or small pets. Terriers are intelligent but independent and stubborn, requiring supervision and training to prevent destructive digging or excessive barking. The Yorkshire Terrier , for example, is bold, brash, busy, and can be feisty towards strange dogs.

Why were terriers originally bred?

Terriers were originally bred mainly in the United Kingdom to control vermin and guard farms and homes. They were also used for foxhunting, ratting, and in bloodsports like bull- and bearbaiting, and dogfighting. Bred to face prey that often fought back, terriers are known as tenacious hunters and fearless fighters, and they are sometimes quarrelsome with other dogs. Smaller terriers were bred to fit in rodent burrows, so they often have short legs and a tough, wiry coat.

What are some common breeds of terriers?

Terriers are a diverse group of dog breeds, mostly from the United Kingdom, known for their spirited personalities. They come in various sizes, from the small Yorkshire Terrier to the larger Airedale Terrier . Common breeds include the Airedale , American Staffordshire , Bedlington , Border , Bull Terrier , Cairn , Fox Terrier , Jack Russell Terrier , Kerry Blue , Scottish Terrier , and West Highland White Terrier . Most terriers are named after the places they were developed, such as the Boston Terrier , Irish Terrier , and Yorkshire Terrier .

How do terriers differ from other types of dogs in their care and activities?

Terriers, developed mainly in the United Kingdom, are a diverse group known for their spirited personalities. Bred to hunt vermin, guard property, and for use in activities like foxhunting and dogfighting, terriers have a tenacious and fearless nature. Grooming needs vary; wire-coated terriers need daily brushing and occasional stripping (or clipping), while some may need regular teeth brushing. Bull Terriers need secure yards and lots of interaction through training and games. Terriers need an hour or more of exercise daily and can be destructive if not supervised. They are playful and affectionate, making them good companions for active adults and older children. However, they might be aggressive towards small pets or other dogs.

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A Norwich terrier with a wiry tan coat stands on green grass, looking forward with ears perked and tail curled over its back.

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Related Topics:: pit bull; Jack Russell Terrier; American Staffordshire Terrier; Yorkshire Terrier dog; miniature schnauzer

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The Scottie A Scottish Terrier, known for its beards and short legs.

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Top Questions

What is a terrier?
Terriers are a diverse group of dog breeds that come in various sizes, from the small Yorkshire Terrier to the large Airedale Terrier. They were mainly developed in the United Kingdom and are known for their spirited personalities.

Terriers were originally bred to hunt and kill vermin, guard homes and barns, and were used in activities such as foxhunting, ratting, and dogfighting. The American Kennel Club (AKC) divides terriers into those for vermin control and those developed for dogfighting through crosses with bulldog breeds. Terriers are known as tenacious hunters and fearless fighters, sometimes quarrelsome with other dogs. They are active, vocal, and inclined to chase and confront.

Most terriers are playful and affectionate, making them good companions for older children and active adults. However, their strong prey drive may make them too aggressive for very small children and other small pets.
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What are some physical traits of terriers?
Terriers are a diverse group of dog breeds, varying in size from the small Yorkshire Terrier to the large Airedale Terrier. They typically have long heads, strong jaws, and deep-set eyes.

Many terriers have short legs and a wiry coat, which protected them when hunting vermin. The fox terrier, for example, stands about 15 inches (38 cm) and weighs 16 to 18 pounds (7 to 8 kg). Their coats are predominantly white with black or black-and-tan markings. Some terriers have a strong tail that allowed hunters to pull them out of underground spaces.
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What kind of personalities do terriers usually have?
Terriers are known for their spirited personalities. Most terriers are playful and affectionate, making them good companions for active adults and older children. Bred to hunt vermin, guard property, and for bloodsports, they are tenacious hunters and fearless fighters.

However, they can be aggressive towards small children due to their strong prey drive and may be quarrelsome with other dogs or small pets. Terriers are intelligent but independent and stubborn, requiring supervision and training to prevent destructive digging or excessive barking. The Yorkshire Terrier, for example, is bold, brash, busy, and can be feisty towards strange dogs.
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Why were terriers originally bred?
Terriers were originally bred mainly in the United Kingdom to control vermin and guard farms and homes. They were also used for foxhunting, ratting, and in bloodsports like bull- and bearbaiting, and dogfighting.

Bred to face prey that often fought back, terriers are known as tenacious hunters and fearless fighters, and they are sometimes quarrelsome with other dogs. Smaller terriers were bred to fit in rodent burrows, so they often have short legs and a tough, wiry coat.
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What are some common breeds of terriers?
Terriers are a diverse group of dog breeds, mostly from the United Kingdom, known for their spirited personalities. They come in various sizes, from the small Yorkshire Terrier to the larger Airedale Terrier.

Common breeds include the Airedale, American Staffordshire, Bedlington, Border, Bull Terrier, Cairn, Fox Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, Kerry Blue, Scottish Terrier, and West Highland White Terrier. Most terriers are named after the places they were developed, such as the Boston Terrier, Irish Terrier, and Yorkshire Terrier.
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How do terriers differ from other types of dogs in their care and activities?
Terriers, developed mainly in the United Kingdom, are a diverse group known for their spirited personalities. Bred to hunt vermin, guard property, and for use in activities like foxhunting and dogfighting, terriers have a tenacious and fearless nature.

Grooming needs vary; wire-coated terriers need daily brushing and occasional stripping (or clipping), while some may need regular teeth brushing. Bull Terriers need secure yards and lots of interaction through training and games.

Terriers need an hour or more of exercise daily and can be destructive if not supervised. They are playful and affectionate, making them good companions for active adults and older children. However, they might be aggressive towards small pets or other dogs.
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terrier, any of a diverse group of dog breeds of various sizes—from the diminutive Yorkshire Terrier to the large Airedale Terrier—developed mostly in the United Kingdom. Noted for their spirited personalities, terriers were bred to find and kill vermin, to guard homes and barns, and to be used in foxhunting, ratting, bull- and bearbaiting, and dogfighting. The American Kennel Club (AKC) terrier group is roughly divided into those developed for vermin control and those developed, through crosses with bulldog breeds, for dogfighting. The vermin-control terriers are further divided into long-legged and short-legged breeds.

Bred to confront prey that often fought back, terriers are known as tenacious hunters and fearless fighters, and they are sometimes quarrelsome with other dogs. Because smaller terriers were bred to fit in rodent burrows, they often have short legs and a tough, wiry coat. They have a long head, strong jaw, and deep-set eyes, and descendants of those that worked underground usually have a strong tail that enabled the hunter to pull them out by the tail. All terriers are vocal and inclined to chase and confront.

Most terriers are named for the place where they were developed—for instance, the Airedale Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Boston Terrier, Irish Terrier, Scottish Terrier, and Yorkshire Terrier. Other major breeds are the Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier (not recognized by the AKC as a distinct breed), Dandie Dinmont Terrier, and Fox Terrier.

Various retriever dog breeds sitting in a row. L-R: curly coated retriever, golden retriever, Labrador retriever, duck tolling retriever, flat coated retriever. hunting sporting dogs

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Care and upkeep

Most terriers have wire coats that seldom tangle or mat but can resemble tumbleweeds if not groomed. Proper grooming involves daily brushing and, as needed, pulling out the dead hair by hand, a process called plucking or stripping. This leaves the coat looking sleek and trim while retaining its hard texture. Many terrier owners, however, opt instead for clipping the coat, which is easier than stripping but softens the coat’s texture. Some terriers may develop problems with their teeth, which should be brushed regularly, and others, such as Cairn Terriers, can develop glaucoma.

Group Data

Other names: See individual breeds.
Area of origin: Mostly United Kingdom.
Breed group: Terrier (some miniaturized breeds are in the Toy group).
Height at withers: Varies from small terriers such as the Toy Fox Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier—at about 7–11 inches (18–28 cm)—to the Airedale Terrier at about 23 inches (58 cm).
Weight: Varies from small terriers such as the Toy Fox Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier—at about 4–9 pounds (2–4 kg)—to the American Staffordshire Terrier at up to 70 pounds (32 kg).
Lifespan: Varies by breed and size, but terriers are generally considered long-lived; the “bully breeds” (terriers originally bred for fighting and baiting) are not generally as long-lived as other terriers.
Did you know? The name terrier derives from the Old French chien terrier, meaning “earth dog,” and refers to the early dogs’ inclination to hunt underground. Not all terriers actually hunt underground, and some dogs labeled terriers are not terriers at all. These include the Tibetan Terrier, Black Russian Terrier, and Toy Russian Terrier.

Terriers are energetic and require an hour or more of daily exercise.

Temperament

Most terriers are playful and affectionate and make good companions for older children and active adults. Given their strong prey drive, they may be too aggressive for very small children. They may also be quarrelsome with other dogs or small pets; a few, such as the Border Terrier, were bred to be amiable with other dogs, so quarrelsomeness can be a breed-by-breed trait. Terriers learn quickly but are independent and often stubborn, and they can be destructive diggers if not supervised and trained. Some can also be excessive barkers.

These are well established and widely accepted generalizations about the breed. Individual dogs may differ in behavior and temperament.

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