Terrier () is a type of dog originally bred to hunt

vermin Vermin (colloquially varmint(s) or varmit(s)) are pests or nuisance animals that spread diseases and destroy crops, livestock, and property. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included vary by regi ...

. A terrier is a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

of any one of many

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

s or

landrace A landrace is a Domestication, domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural Environment (biophysical), environment of agric ...

s of the terrier

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

, which are typically small, wiry,

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

, and fearless. There are five different groups of terrier, with each group having different shapes and sizes.

History

Most terrier breeds were refined from the older purpose-bred dogs. The

gameness Game or gameness is a trait most often attributed to List of dog fighting breeds, fighting dogs, Working terrier, working terriers, and Cockfight, fighting cocks that are Selective breeding, selectively bred, referring to their ability to persev ...

of the early hunting terriers was exploited by using them in sporting contests. Initially, terriers competed in events such as clearing a pit of rats. The dog that was the fastest in killing all the rats won. In the eighteenth century some terriers were crossed with

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...

s to improve their hunting, and some with fighting dog breeds to "intensify tenacity and increase courage". Some of the crosses with fighting dogs,

bull and terrier Bull and terrier was a common name for crossbreeds between Old English Bulldog, bulldogs and terriers in the early 1800s. Other names included half-and-halfs and half-breds. It was a time in history when, for thousands of years, dogs were clas ...

crosses, were used in the

blood sport A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities charact ...

of dog-fighting. Modern pet breeds such as the Miniature Bull Terrier are listed by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The (; FCI; ) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs and purebred registries. The FCI is based in Thuin, Belgium and has 98 members and contract partners (one from each country). History The FCI was founded in 1911 un ...

(FCI) under Bull type terriers. Today, most terriers are kept as companion dogs and family pets. They are generally loyal and affectionate to their owners.

Terrier Types and Groups

In the 18th century in Britain, only two

types Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

of terriers were recognized, long-legged and short-legged. Today, terriers are often informally categorized by size or by function. Hunting-types are still used to find, track, or trail quarry, especially underground, and sometimes to bolt the quarry. Modern examples include the Jack Russell Terrier, the Jagdterrier, the

Rat Terrier The Rat Terrier is an American dog breed with a background as a farm dog and hunting companion. They share much ancestry with the small hunting dogs known as feists. Common throughout family farms in the 1920s and 1930s, they are now recognize ...

, and the Patterdale Terrier. There are also the short-legged terriers such as the Cairn Terrier, the

Scottish Terrier The Scottish Terrier (; also known as the Aberdeen Terrier), popularly called the Scottie, is a dog breed, breed of dog. Initially one of the highland breeds of terrier that were grouped under the name of ''Skye Terrier'', it is one of five br ...

, and the

West Highland White Terrier The West Highland White Terrier (commonly shortened to Westie) is a dog breed, breed of dog from Scotland with a distinctive white harsh coat and somewhat soft white undercoat. It is a medium-sized terrier, though with longer legs than other ...

, which were also used to kill small vermin. The original hunting terriers include the

Fell Terrier Fell terrier refers to a regional type of long-legged working terrier, not a specific breed of dog. Description and purpose Fell terriers are types of small working terriers developed in the fell country of Northern England and used as hu ...

(developed in northern England to assist in the killing of foxes) and the Hunt Terrier (developed in southern England to locate, kill or bolt foxes during a traditional mounted fox hunt). The various combinations of

bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

and terrier that were used for

bull-baiting Bull-baiting (or bullbaiting) is a blood sport involving pitting a bull against dogs with the aim of attacking and subduing the bull by biting and holding onto its nose or neck, which often resulted in the death of the bull. History England ...

and dog-fighting in the late 19th century were later refined into separate breeds that combined both terrier and bulldog qualities. Except for the

Boston Terrier The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. This "American Gentleman" was accepted in 1893 by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. Boston Terriers are small and compact with a short tail and ere ...

, they are generally included in kennel clubs' Terrier Group. Breeders have bred modern bull-type terrier breeds, such as the Bull Terrier and

Staffordshire Bull Terrier The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it ...

, into suitable family dogs and show terriers.

Toy terrier Toy terriers are a group of Toy dog, toy breeds of dog. Breeds within this group include: *English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) *Japanese Terrier *Miniature Bull Terrier *Miniature Fox Terrier *Rat Terrier *Russkiy Toy, Russian Toy *Australian Silky ...

s have been bred from larger terriers and are shown in the Toy or Companion group. Included among these breeds are the

English Toy Terrier The English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) is a small Dog breed, breed of terrier in the toy dog group. Appearance According to the Kennel Club (UK), the English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) should be in height and in weight. The only permitted colo ...

and the

Yorkshire Terrier The Yorkshire Terrier, also known as a Yorkie, is a British breed of toy dog of terrier type. It is among the smallest of the terriers and indeed of all dog breeds, with a weight of no more than . It originated in the nineteenth century in the ...

. While small, they retain true terrier character and are not submissive "

lap dog A lap dog or lapdog is a dog that is both small enough to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on a person's lap and temperamentally predisposed to doing so. ''Lapdog'' is not a specific breed, but a generic term for a type of dog that is sm ...

s". Other descendants of the

types, such as the Asian Gull Terrier, are among the dogs still raised for dog-fighting.

Appearance

Terriers range greatly in appearance from very small, light bodied, smooth coated dogs such as the English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan), which weighs as little as , to the very large rough-coated

Airedale Terrier The Airedale Terrier (often shortened to "Airedale"), also called Bingley Terrier and Waterside Terrier, is a dog breed of the terrier type that originated in the valley (''dale'') of the River Aire, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It ...

s, which can be up to or more. As of 2004, the United Kennel Club recognized a new hairless breed of terrier derived from the

called the American Hairless Terrier.

Kennel club classification

When competing in

conformation show A dog show is an animal show; it is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a '' breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs ...

s, most kennel clubs including the

group pedigree terrier breeds together in their own terrier group. The

grouped Terriers in Group 3.FCI breeds nomenclature
FCI

References

External links