The Name Terrier

Written by gitterdun on January 12, 2010 – 9:20 pm -

The name terrier denotes that they go to ground and many breeds are named for the part of the country in which they were developed. Take for example, the Welsh, the Airedale, the Sealyham, the Skye, the border, the Irish, the Kerry blue, the Lakeland,the Norwich, the Manchester and the West Highland White.

The Cairn gets its name from the rocky cairns in its native land in which foxes and other varmints find refuge and from which the gutsy little terriers must rout or pull them out.

The Dandie Dinmot is supposed to have gotten its name from the breeder who used them to exterminate varmin.

The Fox Terrier, both the smooth and the wirehaired varieties, were carried by horseback huntsmen in baskets and brought to the den or burrow into which the fox hound pack had run the fox to ground.

terrier dogs

Two Terriers Looking Tense

Certain of the terrier breeds, with their courage and high pound for pound fighting ability, were used in fighting competition. The Bedlington and Kerry blue became well known for their successful competition in frowned upon exploits of those who bred dogs for their cruel “sport” as did the Staffordshire and bull terriers.

It doesn’t pay to sell a good terrier short. The willingness and courage to go to ground and meet the badger or fox in its own element can be transferred to hunting small game upon occasion -and the loyalty of a terrier as a companion is unsurpassed.

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Tags: Highland White Terrier, staffordshire, terrier
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