What do you think of when you think of a terrier? Probably a small, stout dog with perky ears and a round belly, right? Perhaps a friendly dog, a family dog comes to mind when you think of a terrier. However you may picture them, members of the terrier dog breed can look any way.
The category of terrier dogs can fulfill any of a variety of descriptions; terriers are a diverse and interesting breed of dog that fit’s many a niche in the world today.
Miniature Schnauzer, American Pit Bull, and Scottie–surely these are dog breeds that sound familiar to you. These dogs are terrier dogs; they fall into the same category as Yorkshire Terriers (Yorkies), Jack Russell Terriers, Welsh Terriers, and Australian Terriers. While these dogs all have a very different appearance and style, they all fall under the category of the terrier dog breed.
How is that, you ask? Terriers get their name from Terre, or earth-related.
Their specialty is rooting through the earth and killing rats and other vermin; that is what people have had them for historically. They were mainly born and bred in Britain, taken in as pets and used to kill mice, rats, and other unwanted rodents and vermin.
Some of the big terriers have even been known to be used on hunting trips, for their strength and tenacity but killing rodents is what Terrier dogs are born to do. From here is where the similarities end when it come to these lively, energetic dogs.
What Does a Terrier Look Like?
At this point, a person who doesn’t know much about terriers is probably asking what a terrier looks like. This question is more complicated than the asker could ever know; asking what a terrier looks like is like asking what a person looks like! Terriers come in all shapes and sizes, from toy-sized little guys to massive Bull Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers built for toughness.
Bull Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers are what most people would call pit bulls.
They are built for fighting and beating rough elements and treatment, but they have thinner coats than some of the other terrier dogs. Jack Russell Terriers are also popular; they are little dogs with big personalities and a medium coat. These are great family dogs and they are often used in television commercials and movies because they’re very smart and easily trained.
Yorkshire Terriers are popular terrier dogs as well. They are small and adorable, perfect for people who are looking for a cute pet. They are popular with older people and they have a stylish element in their smallness that makes them a hit with fashionable girls these days.
Terriers are an amazing and diverse group of dog. They make some of the best family dogs out there, even the large pit bull terriers that get a very bad name are some of the most loyal and family oriented dogs on the planet.
Trainable and loving. Terriers make great pets and are immensely popular in American society.
