The craggy, beautiful Isle of Skye, off the northwest coast of Scotland, gave rise more than 400 years ago to the rugged yet elegant terrier that bears its name. With a form that has remained essentially unchanged over the centuries, the Skye Terrier today is still the good-natured, loyal, fearless companion that ferreted vermin out […]

There is, carved into a Scottish Highlands farm wall, the image of a short-legged, longheaded, prick-eared, cobbily built dog barking on a wheelbarrow. The image appears to date from around A.D. 200, and is about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, small enough that the viewer cannot make out if the dog is double-coated or […]

There’s an old Czech saying, “Like dog, like master,” and this applies to no one better than Frantisek Horak, the creator of the Cesky Terrier. Horak persevered through World War II and a communist revolution with terrier-like determination to create his vision of a new hunting breed, the Cesky Terrier— perhaps the only breed with […]

When shipwrecks have fantastical endings, they’re usually works of fiction. Think of Gilligan and friends, or the Swiss Family Robinson. But in our canine world, a centuries-old shipwreck is believed to have helped create a real-life dog breed – and one of the most eye-catching of the terriers, to boot. Now, full disclosure: This creation […]

Great Britain has given us a large and boisterous family of dogs called the terriers. Latin buffs know “terrier” derives from “terra,” which means earth. And this scrappy bunch is born and bred to go to ground to battle critters that defend themselves tooth and nail – literally. Today, many terriers have left badger holes […]

One of the most famous dogs in movie history is little Toto, following Dorothy along the yellow brick road to see the wizard of Oz. Toto was played by a Cairn Terrier named Terry. You might think every little wire-haired terrier you see is a Cairn, but in fact there is a similar breed called […]

English novelists of centuries past gave us timeless characters who hopscotched from the printed page into our cultural consciousness, from Daniel DeFoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” And in the dog world, there is one exceedingly rare terrier that owes its name – and arguably its continued existence – to a peripheral character in […]

Though we often don’t think about them in this way, dogs are really about people — those long-ago (or, sometimes, not so long-ago) figures who developed particular breeds for particular tasks. Some breeds — like the Doberman Pinscher, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier, and Cesky Terrier — owe their existence to just one visionary person. Other breeds were brought into being […]

With a true terrier temperament, Welsh Terriers are friendly and feisty, and can have a knack for trouble. Learn more about this black and tan breed.

Barbara Miller of Glen Head, New York, is synonymous with Norfolk Terriers. And not just those from her top-winning Max-Well Kennel. The 2007 AKC Breeder of the Year (and 2002 AKC Terrier Breeder of the Year), Miller was the president of the parent club when her breed amicably split in 1979, creating the drop-eared Norfolk Terrier and the prick-eared Norwich Terrier. However, her earliest years in […]

Leaping over a broad jump, hopping through a hoop, and digging furiously underground to find rats. Add in a sniff-out session, some snappy switchbacks around poles, and a 100-yard dash in tizzy time and it looks like a dog in supersonic shenanigans. If this sounds like a flashy, popular breed who always stands in the […]

Does your terrier or Dachshund love to dig in the dirt? Maybe he squirms his way into animal tunnels and comes out with a surprise in his mouth. What is he thinking? Well, there's a reason Dachshunds and small terriers are classified as earthdogs. Rather than trying to stop this “bad” behavior, channel the go-to-ground […]

Among the marvels of human ingenuity is the way various breeds of dog were developed, mentally and physically, to tackle specific jobs. Consider the farmer’s eternal war against rodents and other burrowing mammals that devastate grain stores, raid henhouses, tear up fields, dig away riverbanks, and carry disease. As their number-one weapon in subterranean warfare, […]

If you're a musician, there's the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. If you're an actor, there are the Oscars. And if you're a dog breeder, the maraschino cherry atop a lifetime of hard work is to be named an American Kennel Club Breeder of the Year. After all, anyone can have a one-hit wonder, […]

Upbeat, lively, inquisitive, and friendly, the jaunty Russell Terrier was developed by England's "Sporting Parson" for use in foxhunts. The adorable Russell Terrier looks like a plush toy come to life but is an eager, tireless working terrier.

The Parson Russell Terrier is a bold and clever terrier, swift enough to run with horses and fearless enough to dig in and flush a fox from his lair. Independent problem solvers, PRTs can have their own ideas on how to go about things.

A bold, zesty “big dog in a small package,” the Lakeland Terrier, named for the Lake District of his native England, was once a farmer’s dog bred to work in packs on sheep-stealing foxes. The Lakeland's coat is hard, wiry, and low-shedding.

Cairn Terriers are happy, busy little earthdogs originally bred to fearlessly root out foxes and other small, furred prey in the rocky Scottish countryside. Curious and alert, Cairns like having a place where they can explore and dig.

The Lakeland Terrier is known for his curiosity and problem-solving ability. This intelligent breed loves a physical or mental challenge and is well suited for an active lifestyle. Here are more interesting facts about the Lakeland Terrier: 1. They Were Named for Their Birthplace The Lakeland Terrier is named for the Lake District of England, […]

The short-legged but muscular Cesky Terrier is relatively rare in the United States, with less than 600 dogs to be found in the country. These fairly small terriers are sensitive and full of energy, but are not quite as excitable as some other terrier breeds. Cesky is pronounced "chess-key" after the breed’s country of origin, […]