A History of the Terrier Dog...
While the Terrier dog has been around for centuries...
...perhaps since the Celts, the modern Terrier dog probably does not look like many of his forbears. From the beginning of the dog/man partnership dogs have changed to the needs of the men who needed them. Early man found that when he hunted in packs he could be more successful than alone.
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Dogs naturally hunt in packs. We can speculate about the first dog and man getting together for a common purpose. The dog becoming partner to the man and sharing in the bounty of the hunt. From there the man learning that the dog was protective of his territory thus becoming a guard.
Relationships developed. In the history of men is the history of dogs. As man became a farmer and rancher dogs were used to guard his herds and flocks. As men diversified he developed dog breeds to help him in his pursuits. Dogs to herd. Dogs to protect livestock and family.
The Terrier Dog was bred for a purpose...
The Terrier dog was chiefly bred in England. Large land owner used Beagles and Spaniels mainly for hunting larger game. The common man usually had dogs for different purposes, at the least for hunting different animals. While the gentry used his dogs for sport, the farmer and mine worker had different needs. Terrier dogs were bred for ridding the land of vermin. Varmints were hunted out of holes in the ground or killed in their burrows.
While some may consider this as inhumane, it was ecologically sound. The Terrier kept the population of varmints down to a reasonable level. If the farmer instead had used wholesale poisoning there was a possibility of mass extermination. And poisons are not discriminating. Other useful animals could have been affected. In a way it was using nature as a control.
Border Terrier
In the 1800's the larger land holders began to reform English society. Rather than small holdings they eventually began moving people into the factories and mines. This left vast tracts of lands that lent themselves to such pursuits as fox hunting.
The common man still had moderate lands in the more barren parts of the Isles and needed dogs who could work alongside them and earn their keep.
A New Fashion...
In the late 19th and early 20th century there arose the fashion of the Dog Show. It can be assumed that these may first have been meets where a person could find a new type of dog that fit his purposes. As with many such trends this gave rise to both con men and dreamers who wanted to make money with new breeds developed for the shows. Many Terrier breeds were invented and touted as the next best thing. Some of these were "one-off" and never seen again. This is one reason some of the origins of the breeds are a bit murky.
While retaining the basics of the Terrier termperament, breeders began to develop their own distinctive looks. They started to look more like the ones we know and love today. Someone who needs a dog for work does not care all that much how it looks but how it does it's job. With the advent of shows came breed standards. We have them to thank for the uniqueness of each breed.
Some breeds have been around for years while others have a short history. Even today new breeds are being developed and introduced. Some were developed to be miniatures of larger breeds.
Smooth coat or wiry coat. Guard hair and undercoat or silky hair. Each Terrier may have a slightly different look but most have a similar disposition. Intelligence and stick-to-itiveness are both hallmarks of the Terrier, along with a tendency to dig. In fact some have said "You can have a yard or a Terrier, but not both."
A young Airedale Terrier