Posts Tagged ‘terrier’
Terriers are a very loving and energetic breed that demand a great deal of attention from their family members. They love to make noise and most enjoy being a typical “lap dog.” Terrier training can be a bit difficult if you aren’t persistent, therefore you’ll need to be prepared to be firm and corrective with your terrier pup. If your interest is in breeding terriers, you should do plenty of research and speak to a vet to ensure that you are prepared for the responsibility. This article lists a few of the responsibilities you can expect when raising a terrier.
Understanding your dog’s needs is the first step to becoming a good pet owner. The behavior, as well as the grooming requirements of a terrier varies depending upon which type you get, as some may have more exercise requirements, thicker coats, etc. For instance, Yorkshire terrier training may be more difficult than other terriers as they are notoriously hard to housebreak. Doing a bit of research on the personality and physical requirements of different terrier breeds is the best way to help you decide which is right for you.
The type of food you feed your terrier is very important. If you’re able to, find out from the dog’s previous owner what type of food they were feeding him. If you can help it, try to keep the dog on the same brand of food, as this can prevent a possible upset stomach, diarrhea, etc. If you can’t find out what food the dog was previously eating, just do your bed to sort through various brands, taking care to read the nutrition label.
Owning a terrier is a large responsibility and when you get him as a puppy, you will need to make sure he gets all of the required vaccinations. The shots are to help protect your pet against certain dog health problems. The pet needs to have their check up throughout the year in order to be healthy and be the dog you want.
Caring for a terrier will be like any other dog, but they will be a bit more energetic and need play time. Playing with them everyday will help them grow on you and listen a lot better, resulting in a calm pet you need. There are many places in which you can obtain your terrier, including pet shops, breeders, and even the classified ads section of your newspaper. You can also do an Internet search, such as “Westie puppies for sale” which will display the sites of many breeders or rescue organizations in which you can contact.
If you don’t have the space for a large dog, there are many smaller breeds that are suited to apartments or smaller backyards. Yet while lap dogs are very popular these days, there are also those that prefer the temperament of larger dogs. For these people, who like the temperament of larger dogs but cannot have one, small terrier dogs may be the answer. These little dogs look just like smaller versions of their cousins, yet they are not submissive like a lap dog.
Small terriers are, in fact, quite the opposite of submissive. You’ll discover them to be outgoing, fearless, confident, and willful. Consequently they need strong leadership from their owners, so they always know their place in the ‘pack’. This is not the dog to get if you can’t be firm and assertive when it’s necessary. And you can’t allow a situation to develop, even in play, when your terrier gets to win, even for a moment. Most terriers will challenge their owner some time anyway, even if you do keep the structure of the pack. But if you don’t, you set up some potentially unruly behaviour in your terrier.
Terriers are lovely dogs. They are affectionate and happy. If they’re socialized properly the household cat should be okay, although all other cats will be prey. Terriers have a high prey drive, a leftover from the ratting days, so if you have small kids and you have or want a terrier, they should always be supervised when together.
You can see the many small breed terriers below
- Welsh Terrier
- Irish Terrier
- Scottish Terrier
- Smooth Fox Terrier
- Border Terrier
- Cairn Terrier
- West Highland White Terrier
- Norwich Terrier and Norfolk Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Australian Terrier
- Toy Manchester Terrier
- Manchester Terrier
- Miniature Bull Terrier
- Sealyham Terrier
Kerry Blue Terrier - Boston Terrier
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Of course, even though terriers share the above characteristics in common, the various breeds have their own unique traits. These range from the obvious, like coat type and color, to temperament. Some breeds do need more grooming compared to others, even within the terrier group. That might also be something to think about when choosing a dog.