TERRIER (OF. terrier, from ML. terrarius, relating to the earth, from Lat. terra, earth, land, so from its habit of scratching the ground in pursuit of its prey). A small active domestic dog, used in pursuit of vermin. Sixteen distinct breeds of this dog are officially recognized, sev eral of which have two sub-varieties, i.e. rough haired and smooth. The earliest authentic men tion of the terrier is by Dr. Caius, who wrote a Latin treatise on the dog before 1572. Ile enu merates among the British dogs 'the terrare,' which he described as used to hunt the fox and badger by following them underground. Strutt describes good terriers in the time of James 1. (1603-25). This breed was what is now called a fox-terrier, but at that time was black and tan, or pied with white or yellow, of which a large and a small variety were bred. The larger variety became a rough-haired, strong animal, the foundation stock of the English white ter rier. This breed, crossed with the bulldog, pro duced the bull-terrier, a dog of infinite courage, out of which, however, all other bulldog char acteristics have been eliminated. The fox-ter rier was gradually degraded into a fighting dog, and so lost caste that it became nearly extinct, but was revived about 1865, and became the most popular of all terriers as a pet in the house as well as a useful servant about the stable. While in one direction all the color was being bred out of the original terrier to produce the `white' dog, so in another direction all the white was being eliminated to produce the pure black and-tan, until that race was perfected. From the smaller specimens of this breed came, by selec tion, the toy black-and-tan weighing as little as three pounds. The Welsh terrier is a large wire haired black-and-tan; and the Irish terrier is a wire-haired yellow variety, claimed to be in digenous and of the highest antiquity. The Bedlington is a wire-haired variety supposed to he a cross between the wire-haired Dandie Dinmont and the otter-hound, hut it much more strikingly resembles the Irish water dog. The Airedale is a cross of the rough-haired English terrier with the otter-hound; and the Boston terrier is a cross of a smooth-coated ter rier with the bulldog.
In contrast to the above group of long-legged, short-bodied, up-standing dogs, with either rough or smooth coats, are the long-bodied, short-legged dogs, with a long and silky covering. This latter group were originally developed in Northern Scot land. They are the Scotch, a rough wire-haired variety: the Dandie Dinmont with a woodier coat; and the Skyes and Clydesdales with long silky coats. The Yorkshire is the only English specimen of the low-bodied, silky-haired terrier.
Japan boasts the shantung, which is almost in distinguishable from the Skye; and the Maltese terrier, named from the island, has a coat as long and silky as a Blenheim spaniel.
The characteristics of standard varieties aro as follows: Fox-lc/Tiers. Generally gay, lively, and of active appearance, with bone and strength in a small compass, capable of speed and endur ance, and weighing about 20 pounds. The head must be broad between the ears and decreasing in width to the eyes: nose tapering and black; ears V-shaped and drooping forward close to the cheek; jaws strong and muscular: legs straight and strong. The coat of the smooth variety is flat and abundant ; of the wire-haired variety it is hard, wiry, and broken. The tail, which is usually docked, is set on high and carried gaily, but not over the back. The bull terrier is a short-haired terrier, weighing from 15 to 50 pounds, of perfect symmetry, the embodiment of agility, grace, and determination. An all-white
coat is most approved, but the American stand ard permits markings. The tail is left un cropped ; in America cropping of the ears is permitted by the standard, but in England. The black-and-tan is judged in three classes not exceeding 7 pounds, 16 pounds, and 20 pounds respectively. He is a typical terrier, jet black, marked with rich mahogany tan as follows: On the head the muzzle must be tanned to the nose, which is black; a bright spot of tan on each cheek, and above each eye; elfin, throat, and in side of the ears, and the fore legs up to the knees are tan-color, with black lines up each toe, and a black 'thumb mark' above the foot inside the hind legs. The Welsh terrier I, a wire-haired variety, black or grizzle and tan in color. The dogs are 15 inches high at the shoulder and 20 pounds in weight. The Irish terrier- is a wire haired variety, whole-colored, bright red or wheat ten yellow, weighing 24 pounds, active, lively, and lithe—a. gamy dog, hut with the kindest di.; position. The Bedlington is a rough-looking, loosely built dog, with the least general expres sion of the true terrier. He is 15 to 16 inches high and weighs 24 pounds. His coat is shaggy and usually dark blue. The Airedale, the latest and largest variety of the family, weighing 40 to 45 pounds, is a wire-haired dog, with the crown, back, and sides black, and the face, throat, and limbs tan; the tail is docked, and the aspect square, trim, and powerful. The Boston terrier is purely a pet dog of recent creation, which is as much bulldog as terrier, but has lost the wrinkled face and bowed legs of the former, while retaining its brindled markings and screw tail. It weighs 15 to 30 pounds, and is judged in two elas.ses, large and small. The Srottish terrier is a long-barreled, bow-legged, rough-haired dog, weighing from 18 to 20 pounds, with prick ears, and tail carried straight up. This dog has a very sharp, bright. and active expression. His coat is intensely hard and wiry, dense all over his body, and icon-gray, grizzly, or black in color. though sometimes sandy. His feet are large, with strong claws, and he is most capable in unearthing vermin. The Dandle Dinmont is from S to 11 inches high, weighs from 14 to 24 pounds, and has a mixed coat of hard and soft hair, and a salt-and-pepper color. His ears are long and pendulous. The Skye terrier, a good vermin dog, and built low and long (from to 10 inches high and inches long), has two coats, the under one short. close, soft, and woolly, the top inches long, hard, straight, flat, and free from crisp or curl. The ears and tail are feath ered with lung soft hair and the tail is never car ried higher than the line of the back. In color it is usually a light blue, gray, or The Clydes dale, or Paisley, is practically a little Skye with smaller ears, set high and perfectly erect. It is covered with long silky hair, hanging in a fringe down the side of the head. The Yorkshire is also practieally a smaller Skye, with a more silky coat. lie is judged in two classes, one un der five pounds and another from 5 to 12 pounds. The illalltse was the lap-dog of the Greeks and Romans of the classic period. ITe is a small, short-le-gged dog, not exceeding six pounds in weight, with pure white, rather transparent wavy hair, not less than seven inches long. It is called `terrier' by its devotees, but it might as reason ably he called a spaniel or toy dog. It has almost if not entirely disappeared from Malta.
C'onsult autho•itie.s cited under Doc; and see Plates accompanying that article.