Terriers breeds come is all different sizes, coat types, and color. Terriers were originally bred to guard and trained to hunt foxes, badges rats and moles.
Terriers in general are energetic and spirited in temperament, they need a lot of activity and regular exercise, they love to be given a job.
Terriers make wonderful pets but are known to be focused, stubborn, independent, and determined. Terrier breeds are all very intelligent and are easy to train but as we said, they can also be stubborn. Not all terrier breeds are good with children. No matter what breed of Terrier you decide to get, It’s important to work with a responsible breeder so you get a well-bred healthy dog bred for temperament.
Terrier breeds have all types of coat types. Smooth, long, short, wire haired and hairless. In general, they are moderate shedders.
There are over 30 Terrier breeds.
Including the short-legged terriers such as the West Highland Terrier otherwise known as a “Westie,” the Cairn Terrier, and the Scottish Terrier, also known as the “Scottie,” were also bred to kill vermin.
The Miniature Schnauzer is included in the Terrier group as well as Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie), Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Bull Terrier, Airedale Terrier, Irish Terrier, Boston Terrier, Kerry Blue, Norwich, Welsh Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, Tibetan Terrier, the Fox Terrier, the American Hairless Terrier, Skye Terriers and Rat Terriers are the most popular of the Terrier Breeds.
While Terriers make great family pets, it’s their popularity and high prices that make them an attractive business model for unscrupulous dog breeders. They are sold online by USDA commercial dog breeders, online puppy broker websites, and backyard breeders otherwise known as puppy mills.
It is for this reason that our Puppy Mill Watchdog monitors and reports on Terrier breeders and other online puppy sellers as well as puppy broker websites.
Please do your research before you buy any Terrier puppy. If you can’t meet the mother dog and see where she and all of the breeders dogs live, find a new breeder. Video chats, videos and photos do not take the place of seeing in person
About the Breed: Terriers
Terriers range greatly in appearance and size from very small, light bodied, Yorkshire Terriers to the very large rough and wire coated Airedale Terriers which can weigh 56 lbs. or more.
Training: It is suggested to start socializing and positive training your Terrier at an early age.
Vet Care: Regular vet care is essential for the health and well-being of your Terrier.
Types of Terriers
FAQ’s About Buying Terrier Puppies Online
When buying a Terrier puppy, you want to make sure it was born in a loving clean environment. The puppy should have an overall healthy look to him. Make sure his eyes are bright, he is clean and happy. Look at his body language make sure his tail is up and wagging. Is his posture good? Does he hold his head up, is he curious? Does he run up to you or is he afraid to approach you?
Buying a puppy from a picture is risky, always meet your new puppy in person before you buy him. These are all clues to his overall health and mental state. You want a happy well adjusted puppy and unless you meet them in person, you have no way of knowing.
There are many risks to buying a Terrier puppies online. Just because two purebred dogs are crossed does not mean they best traits of both parents are seen in the offspring. Since your Terrier will live for 12-15 years it is important to see firsthand where it was born. Make sure your breeder is not a puppy mill. Never have the puppy shipped to you.
Always pick your Terrier puppy up in person, meet the mother dog, see her mental and physical condition. She should be clean, happy and well adjusted. If the breeder won’t let you meet the mother and see where she lives we recommend finding another breeder. No excuses. Reputable breeders have nothing to hide. Video chats, videos and photos do not take the place of seeing in person.
It is not safe to buy any puppy online. It is not safe to have a Terrier puppy shipped to you by plane, delivered by nanny and never meet the breeder halfway or in a parking lot. If you are not able to pick up the puppy in person, meet the mother dog and where she and all of the breeder’s dogs live, you might be supporting a puppy mill.
Over 1 million puppy mill puppies are sold online each year and it is in your best interest to make sure your new puppy is not coming from one of these bad breeders. It is in your best interest to get a healthy, happy well bred puppy and to not support cruelty of any kind.
It takes time to find a new puppy and that is ok. The pup will be a part of your family for 12 plus years so it’s important to find a healthy well-bred puppy. It’s ok to do your research online but never take a breeder’s word for it. Since Terrier are purebreds, go to the specific Terrier breeds Club and find a breeder that is a member of their clubs. If it’s a Yorkshire Terrier go to the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America or if you are looking at a West Highland Terrier visit the West Highland Terrier Club of America to find a breeder. These breeders breed by a code of ethics. They breed to improve the breed.
Always meet the mother dog, see her mental and physical condition and where she lives before you buy a puppy. See where and how she and all the breeding dogs live. Photos videos and video chats do not take the place of seeing in person.
If they have excuses why you can’t come…walk away!
A puppy mill is any dog breeder who puts profit over the health and well-being of the breeding dogs and puppies produced. These bad breeders come is all sizes, Some could have ten to twenty dogs, while larger breeders could have hundreds of breeding dogs. Puppy mills are legal too!
The cruelty is tremendous. Puppy mills keep the mother and father dogs pregnant and sell the puppies. The breeding dogs never leave, they are forced to breed twice a year or at every heat cycle and they are usually kept in wire cages, many times stacked in dark pole barns. Yes, this is legal and how most USDA dog breeders keep their breeding dogs.
The breeding dogs are not groomed, they are not given opportunity to exercise nor do they know the touch of a loving hand. They are not given veterinary care and most are living and breeding with painful health and mental conditions. Imagine living with urinary tract infections, ear infections, rotten teeth, infected eyes, tumors, infected mammary glands and sore feet from standing on wire cage floors — that never get addressed.
It is important to know that any breeder can be a puppy mill. It’s hard to imagine the breeder you are talking or texting with could be a puppy mill. If the breeder has excuses why they won’t let you come to see where and how the breeding dogs live, if you are not able to meet the mother dog in person, we suggest you find another breeder. Video chats, videos and photos do not take the place of seeing in person.