Terriers belong to another group of dog breeds developed to assist hunters. However, this time their original prey was numerous kinds of rodents, and the bodies of these dog breeds are perfectly adapted for the mission. Some of the terrier dog breeds (Scottish Terriers) have short legs letting them follow small game like foxes, rabbits and rats into their burrows, while others (Irish Terriers) are rather long-legged and dig after the prey. Terriers' thick facial skin covered by hair protects them from bites and strong limbs make digging easier. The wide variety of Terrier dog breeds come in a great number of sizes and three types of coating, too; there are wire-haired (Fox Terriers), soft-haired (Kerry Blue Terriers sometimes called Irish Blue) and smooth-haired (the Bull Terrier) dogs. Naturally, this characteristic influences grooming requirements, but on the whole Terriers are considered safe dog breeds for people with allergies as they are low-shedders.
Independent and energetic nature of the Terrier Dog Breeds makes them interesting companions, but these traits can also become a barrier during training.
A popular terrier dog breed is Miniature Schnauzer. Minis are robust and inquisitive. They like a lot of walking and will probably try to help you around the house as this dog breed likes to be a full family member. There are not going to be many problems with training and grooming; the only thing: do not forget to clean the the dog's beard and moustache every day.
Scottish Terriers or Scotties are witty and playful. However, their strong personalities may show in stubbornness, that's why it is advisable that you should start training and socializing your pet from an yearly age. Reward-based training will do best here.
Bull Terriers have a notorious reputation of aggressive fighting dogs. However, the dog breed has been improved through years and is now much more peaceful. Yet you'd better keep it on-leash during walks as Bullies, especially males are pretty battlesome. A good piece of news: Bull Terriers are excellent watchdogs.
White Fox Terriers come in two varieties, they can be Wire-haired and Smooth-haired. And this is where the difference stops. This cute dog breed is curious, witty, and really devoted to its owner.
The other six recognized Dog Breed Groups are described in the appropriate articles of our site: Sporting Dog Breeds, Working Dog Breeds, Toy Dog Breeds, Hound Dog Breeds and Non-Sporting Dog Breeds. Enjoy!
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