Terrier Group Dogs

The term "terrier" derives from the Latin word "terra," meaning earth, and has been given to breeds that go into the ground to dig out small prey. Terriers are hunting dogs.

While bird hunting dogs are in the sporting group and hunters of large prey are in the hound group, the terrier group, with the exception of some, consists of hunting dogs that hunt small prey.

The terrier character combines a superior sense of smell, agility, scrappy fighting spirit, sturdiness, and cleverness. An individual terrier's value is determined by how many of these attributes are present in the dog.

This group can be divided into long-and short-legged breeds: Airedale, Irish, Bedlington, and Lakeland terriers in the first category; and Dandie Dinmont, Sealyham, and Scottish terriers in the second.

Alternatively, they can be classified as short-, long-, or rough-haired terriers. Smooth fox terriers fit in the first; Skye, terriers in the second; and cairn and West Highland white terriers in the last.

In order to scramble around hillsides, they have strong limbs supporting tight torso musculature, which, along with a usually wedge-shaped head, makes this group of scrappy breeds especially well suited for digging underground for burrowing animals.

Further, the skin on the head is quite tight and the mouth is surrounded by hard hairs, all to prevent this digger from being bitten by the small animal it is pursuing.

Nowadays, the terrier is appreciated for its attractive looks, agility, and smartness, rather than for its hunting abilities, and is popular as a family dog or a show dog.