Terrier Group is the name of a breed Group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds. In general, a Terrier Group includes one particular type of dog, the Terrier, although other types may be included in a kennel club's Terrier Group. Most major English-language kennel clubs include a Terrier Group although different kennel clubs may not include the same breeds in their Terrier Group. The international kennel club association, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, includes Terriers in Group 3 Terrier, which is then further broken down into four Sections based on the type of terrier and breed history.
Contents
Terrier dogs
Terriers were originally kept to hunt vermin, especially mice, rats, rabbits, otters, stoats and weasels. Some Terriers were designed to go down the holes of the European fox and other agricultural pest animals in order to chase them out for the hunter, and the name terrier is from the Latin terra, meaning earth, in reference to the dogs going underground. Today, the majority of modern breeds developed from the old terrier types are pets and companions. A few are still used as working terriers, and some terriers are large enough to be kept as guard dogs.
Terrier Group breeds
Kennel clubs assign breeds traditionally identified as terriers to their Terrier Group. Some kennel clubs prefer to use another category such as the Toy Group, Companion Group, Utility Group or Non-Sporting Group for certain terriers or terrier-like breeds, but most terriers are placed in the Terrier Group.
The United Kennel Club (US) is unusual in that it recognises Pinschers and Feists in its Terrier Group, along with other US breeds not recognised elsewhere. The United Kennel Club also lists the Hollandse Smoushond with the Terriers, which it resembles, but is elsewhere considered a Schnauzer-type breed. Another Schnauzer, the miniature Schnauzer (or Zwergschnauzer), is sometimes placed in a kennel club's Terrier Group. The Boston Terrier is usually listed by kennel clubs in the Companion Group or the Non-Sporting Group.
The American Kennel Club does recognize the Russell Terrier, although currently the breed is listed within the Foundation Stock Service (FSS) which is not categorized into the Terrier group. Additionally, the United Kennel Club (UKC)changed the classifications of the different types of Russells starting in 2009. The Jack Russell Terrier prior to this time was really a Parson Russell Terrier (by AKC's standards) with an over 12" and under 12" breed types offered. The traditional Parson Russell Terriers were classified within the over 12" category while the traditional Jack Russell Terriers were classified within the under 12" category. The Russell Terrier, prior to 2009, included the shorter legged and longer backed variations of the breed. When the classifications were changed, the dogs within the Jack Russell Terrier breed that were over 12" tall at the withers were moved into the Parson Russell Terrier breed. Any dog in the Jack Russell Terrier breed at this time (within the UKC) may not be over 12" tall. The Russell Terrier breed has been blended into the Jack Russell Terrier breed within the UKC.
Terriers by Fédération Cynologique Internationale Sections
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale breaks down their Terrier and Companion Group (Group 3) into Sections by general dog type; within the sections the dogs are listed by their country or area of origin. Also included in the Sections are variants and colours that have to do with how they are organised during dog shows.
Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognised Terrier breeds are sorted into four sections, shown below (with their identification number.)
Photographs of other terriers, not Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognised, provisionally recognised, or recognised in some Fédération Cynologique Internationale Group other than Terrier are shown below:
Other clubs
Most kennel clubs in non-English speaking countries include a Terrier Group.
Terriers are also included in the listings of the enormous and ever-expanding number of specialty registries, minor kennel clubs, dog sports clubs, breed clubs, rare dog registries, and internet based dog clubs and businesses. Each will have its own definition of what breeds belong in their own Terrier Group.
Terriers, especially the smaller breeds, have been used for crossbreeding to create what are called designer dogs, bred either accidentally or to enhance the marketability of puppies, often with cute portmanteau names created from syllables of each breed name. Although there are clubs willing to "register" such designer dogs, they are not breeds of dog. Breeders may call designer dogs terriers but they are not part of the Terrier Group of any major kennel club.
The Jack Russell Terrier is notable in that its primary breed club, the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America, specifically regulates inbreeding and linebreeding to a 16% coefficient of relationship. However, it is still a modern purebred dog breed, descended from known ancestors, and crossbred (with another breed of dog) dogs are not registerable.