10 Most Adorable Terrier Breeds to own as Family-friendly Dogs

If you are acquainted with terrier breeds, probably the first thing that clicks your mind about describing terrier in one go is its feisty, tenacious, mischievous, and energetic nature. You’ll see terrier breeds in a variety of sizes, from miniature sizes to carry it in your lap to a mighty sturdy breed to prey animals. Thanks to their brave and sturdy personality and bred to hunt vermin and guard the family’s nature that appeals to humans to nurture them.

If you are the one with a terrier at your home or are planning to be in the future. In that case, this article contains all the information about the top ten terrier breeds, their temperament, grooming, and other most specific characteristics.

Top-ten Terrier Breeds:

1-Airedale Terrier

Airedale terrier is the longest breed among all the terrier breeds having a sturdy, muscular body covered with a tanto dense black topcoat and thin down coat.

terrier breeds

Airedale lives for about 10-14 years, weighs between 23-29Kg, is suitable for small families, and is well known for its high grooming requirement and as a most expensive terrier breed.

The breed is famous for hunting, and it’s sturdy, unflagging, loyal, intelligent, energetic, and stubborn nature but can be trained into a pretty obedient dog if it is trained from a very tender age accompanied by enticing treats. It’s playful and gets excited easily for no reason, so it’s better to keep it at a distance from the smaller kids. Mostly suitable as a police dog or guide dog and was used in world wars as a messenger or police dog and has achieved the “title of king of dogs.”

It’s prone to chasing birds, squirrels, rats, rabbits, or other small animals so that it can be easily distracted while training. You must have a high level of patience to be the proud owner of the Airedale terrier breed.

A lot of health issues are associated with this breed, including hypothyroidism.

2-Cairn Terrier

Cairn Terrier has got the title of the oldest terrier breed ever meant for a working dog on the Scottish island packed with a bundle of energy. Still, the small terrier prefers to stay inside in the company of its family members. It is counted among the curious and alert terrier breeds because of its nature to prey on small animals and dig the earth.

terrier breeds

Its coat is black, gray, red, brindle, and sand with a scruffy overcoat and a soft, comfy inner coat. Cairn Terrier weighs about 6-8kg with a life span of 13-14years. Its low to medium grooming requirements, Jolly nature, and small size make it fit for a family-friendly dog and a best little pal.

It’s a safe dog that is not much prone to health issues, but some common viral and bacterial infections are not rare.

3-Boston Terrier

Boston Terrier is a compact, sporty dog with a smooth black seal and brindle coat with white markings. It weighs about 5-11 kg and has a life span of about 13-15 years.

Boston terrier has got the nickname “American gentlemen” because of its tuxedo-like coat appearance. Boston is among the calmest, less energetic, and mellower terrier breeds. Once Boston was a bulkier, muscular fighting dog but now is a funny and affectionate companion dog.

terrier breeds

It’s among the intelligent and trainable terrier breeds because of its obedient nature. It can easily fit in small houses but needs proper exercise and playtime to live a happy life.

4-Bull Terrier

Its stout, muscular body and stubborn, independent though loyal nature is a unique combination of stubbornness, bounds of energy, and loyalty. Its coat mostly comes in two colors: white and the second one can be any other color.

The Bull terrier has a unique heritage and was used to join blood sports and vermin control, but it’s now preferred as a friendly, active companion dog. Its egg-shaped head makes it the most unique and easy to identify breed among other terrier breeds.

Although bulldog has violent nature in the past, it’s not dangerous at present, and it’s quite suitable for families with older children because of its big muscular body and high levels of energy. Thanks to its low maintenance that ensures it’s easy to nurture among the terrier breeds.

It weighs between 20-23 kg and has a lifespan of 10-13 years.

The breed is susceptible to genetic health issues like eye disorders and heart disorders. terrier breeds 

5-West Highland White Terrier

West highland white terrier breed is among the small terrier breeds, a smart, confident, and playful earth dog originally found in Scotland. West highland white terrier is compatible as both a toy-sized breed and a working dog in games because of its high level of courage and irresistibility. The white double coat of this terrier breed is hard to touch.

Thanks to most of the advertising campaigns that used the west highland white terrier as a mascot and helped it to be famous throughout the world.

It sheds very little and requires small grooming, and small exercises are enough to keep it fit.

Its weight is about 6-10kg and lives for about 10-16 years. Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca and patellar luxation are the most common health issues of this terrier breed.

terrier breeds

6-American Staffordshire Terrier

American Staffordshire Terrier is among the English terrier breeds and is known as English Staffy. Its coat is white, black, blue or red. Staffy is a tenacious, strong muscular, and loyal dog breed and shares its lineage with pit terrier. This Australian terrier breed is a trainable dog with a good temperament that suits as a single-family pet well, despite its aggressive nature. It is ranked as the 5th most favorable breed among the terrier breeds in the UK.

American Staffordshire terrier is well-known for a dog-on-dog aggressive nature, so you must avoid nurturing an American Staffordshire terrier if you have other pets in the dog. The breed is prone to behavioral issues if not well trained at a tender age. Although it’s not playful with other dogs, it’s known as a children’s nursemaid or a love machine for children.

It weighs between 7-13 kg and lives for about 10-14 years.

It suffers from elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, and skin allergies.

terrier breeds

7-Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier has a glossy, silky floor touching the longhaired steel blue to tan coat to beat the hearts of many feisty old terriers. This toy-sized dog breed among the terrier breeds was originally found in Yorkshire, northern England. A true Yorkshire terrier is defined by its feisty, bossy, independent, intelligent, and brave big dog attitude within a small mesmerizing body.

Its owners feel proud in its straight, shiny, and silky bossy look, and they prefer to keep it as; a companionship terrier.

Its long silky coat requires a medium to a high level of maintenance to maintain the original look of the coat.

It’s small, toy-sized with only a weight of 3kg with a life span of 12 to 15 years.

8-American Hairless Terrier

Its American companionship dog breed and was developed from hairless rat terriers that may be found in almost all colors. It is a smart, courageous, and inquisitive breed well suited for allergy sufferers.

Its Jaunty pep gives it a terrier attitude and is an active watchdog, and protect their owners. And are famous for their curious and intelligent nature.

It weighs from 3 to 6 with a life expectancy of 14 to 16 years.

Its hairless body is prone to hypothermia, sunburns, and cold.

9-Jack Russell Terrier

You may Know Jack Russell terrier as a small breed with a high spirit and a big attitude. It is a stubborn, brave, and tenacious terrier breed that was originally used for hunting foxes. Its hunting history warns you if you can’t provide your dog with a high exercise, you are not a suitable owner for Jack Russell.

terrier breeds

Their prey pursuing and aggressive nature towards other dogs is a sign that Jack can’t bear any other dog at home. They are notorious for chasing everything that passes by them, whether it’s a cat, dog, rat, rabbit, or a cycle. So, it is very distractive when being trained and you must show a high level of patience to train them, or it’s better to train the Jack in early life.

It weighs from 6 to 8 kg with a life expectancy of 13-16 years.

Their high coat shedding is the major issue that makes their grooming a tough job.

Patellar luxation, deafness, and glaucoma are the most common health issues.

10-Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier:

A soft-coated wheaten terrier is a medium-sized dog breed among the terrier breeds with a soft wavy beige to gold-colored coat. It comes mostly in four coat varieties that are English, Irish, American, and heavy Irish. The softest and silky coat is associated with the Irish variety among all four.

It’s a friendly and family devoted dog, but its stubborn nature and hard muscles remind you that you can’t forget it is a terrier.

Although they don’t shed, their coat keeps on growing, so they regularly require proper grooming and brushing.

Retinal atrophy and hip dysplasia are the most common health issues this breed faces among other terrier breeds.

Its weight is about 14-18 kg with a life expectancy of 12-15 years.

Bottom line:

The bottom line is terrier breeds have high stamina, sturdy, muscular bodies, and are bred for hunting and prey. They are courageous and the most stubborn among all other dog breeds. Their stubbornness and easy to distract nature make it difficult to train the terrier breeds. However, if you are training them from a very tender age with good patience, they can prove themselves as the most loyal and friendly breeds as companionship dogs.

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