2020 Submission to the Piney Woods Journal 

The Unique Appeal of Terriers

Dogs are great companions for many outdoor and wilderness excursions. I grew up reading wonderful articles written by Ted Trueblood and published in Field and Stream Magazine in which he described the almost human personalities and eccentricities of some of his favorite hunting dogs. At various stages of my life, I have had close bonds with five or six dogs of different breeds that have accompanied me on hunts, jogs, hikes, and rambles through the woods.

Having a dog or two is great encouragement for getting more exercise, even if it's only a daily walk around the block. The dogs obviously desire this or longer trips when they can use their well-developed olfactory senses and repeatedly "mark" their presence. Confinement in apartments and houses for long stretches of time certainly runs against the natural tendencies of many dog breeds, particularly certain types of very active terriers.

That’s really the case for one of our dogs, variously called Beebee, Trouble, or Scruff Bucket.  We rescued this small terrier from loitering and scrounging in the parking lot of a local convenience store. She was undernourished and had an injured paw.  The vet said that she weighed only seven pounds then and was between six and eight months old.   Through my wife’s choices of more expensive dog chow, her regular vet visits, and perhaps even my exercise regime for her, Beebee seems a well-adjusted and healthy three-year old now.   [Place Photo 1 about here]

 
Jack Russell Terriers receive attention and notoriety for their stubbornness, but many other small terrier breeds (Feists, Fox Terriers, and Rat Terriers) share similar characteristics. They are definitely feisty, lightning-quick, mischievous, entertaining, and eager to hunt for bugs, snakes, squirrels, mice, and most other small critters. Beebee has the head and body of a Rat or Fox Terrier, the scruffy fur of a Cairn Terrier, and looks most like a Norfolk Terrier.  

Rat terriers and several other small terriers date back centuries to European and English breeding. These dogs were bred for family and public service in catching and killing rats, mice, and other vermin. As more people left rural and farming lives and crowded into cities, lack of public sanitation and garbage accumulation resulted in dangerous levels of rat and mice infestations, as well as related diseases and plagues. A "ratter" was a valued city resident who bred these small, quick, long-nosed terriers and was paid according to the dogs' success in killing rats and other vermin.

President Teddy Roosevelt apparently had a particular fondness for these small terrier breeds. Wikipedia describes at least two terriers that the President and his family had. Jack was a Manchester Terrier and “absolutely a member of the family.” Scamp was described in another Roosevelt letter as a Fox Terrier who “is really an extraordinary ratter and kills a great many rats in the White House, in the cellars, and on the lower floor and among the machinery. He is really a very nice little dog.”

Almost all of our American Presidents proudly owned a particular dog breed. President Obama spent considerable time selecting Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog, in part due to the breed’s hypoallergenic trait and one of his daughter’s allergies. George W. Bush’s dog, Barney, was a Scottish Terrier. Bill Clinton had a Chocolate Lab, and George H. W. Bush owned a Springer Spaniel. President Lyndon Johnson had beagles and created a small controversy by holding one called "Him" by his ears and walking him on his back legs. Richard Nixon described a Cocker Spaniel, "Checkers," that a donor had given his children in one of his memorable speeches.  President Trump doesn’t seem to want or care much for dogs, which separates him from earlier presidents.

Small terriers, like Beebee, can demand more attention and watchfulness, in comparison to the mellow Labs and lap dogs that we’ve also owned through the years.   She is ever ready for adventures outdoor every time I head for the door, and she will accost dogs many times her size if given much provocation at all. A leash is definitely required for our outings.  A dog trainer long ago told me that certain terrier breeds can be the most stubborn and difficult dogs to train.  I took her word for this and decided that Beebee was small enough for us to control and restrain her natural tendencies.

 

Most dogs are eager for at least moderate to very intense outdoor activities.  Certain hunting dog breeds are fairly well known for particular challenges, particularly retrievers for duck and bird hunting and Catahoulas as “hog dogs” or our official Louisiana state dog since 1979.  The Uncle Earl's Hog Dog Trials is an annual event held in Winnfield involving various dog breeds and mixes such as the Catahoula and Blue Lacy.  Starting in 1994, the event was named for Louisiana governor "Uncle" Earl Long, an avid hunter who was born in Winnfield.  

Courtesy of  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coahoma_Arkansas_%22Logan%22.jpg ]

Dog ownership can be a carefully planned or very spontaneous experience.  Web sites such as Dogtime.com (https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/) can really help potential dog owners understand the many attributes of different dog breeds prior to purchase or commitment. With the rising costs of vet bills and related food and care expenses, having multiple dogs is a luxury and a responsibility that many can’t reasonably assume. The special bond or relationship that forms between humans and their dogs, though, can seem priceless.