Understanding the Terrier Nature
Depending on what type of terrier you own or are interested in learning about, you might enjoy checking out these Books on Terriers
Terrier dogs are first and foremost hunters. They were developed specifically to go down holes after game and fight it out with them. Terriers are basically reckless little scrappers. Hard-core terrier enthusiasts even go so far as to say that Pit Bulls, Staffordshires and the other larger breeds aren’t really terriers because they are too big to work underground. If that’s true then the only real Terriers are the smaller breeds like Cairns, Westies and Jack Russells, to name a few.
Anyone who welcomes one of the terrier breeds into their home should know what they are getting into. Unfortunately, that is usually not the case. Dogs are purchased based on their looks more than anything else in the modern world. We buy a West Highland Terrier because its good looking, white and because we’ve seen it on the Caesar commercials and it looked cute. Then when it acts like a terrier we think we have a problem! Terriers are not lap dogs at heart, and all the treats in the world won’t make it so.
The very least you have to do is provide a sound foundation of leash training. Get a good book. Go to some classes. Get the right gear. For goodness sake don’t deck your new Terrier out with a harness and flexi-leash. That is the worst possible combination of gear for dog training.
Dogs like the West Highland Terrier or the Cairn Terrier are very strong willed and you have to be very clear in your own mind what you are trying to accomplish and then stay on top of them until you get what you want.
Once you accomplish basic leash training and establish boundaries in the house you will probably have done enough, if all you want is a companion. Higher expectations require more intense work and knowledge, obviously. No matter what your goals with your dog are, understanding his basic nature is the first step. Then find ways to use the unique nature of the dog you have selected to get to where you want to be. Small terrier breeds are cute, but it still takes a lot of work to get them to develop their full potential.
Category: dog training, General Dog Information