Information courtesy of the Kennel Club Discover Dogs website.

Dogs originally bred and used for hunting vermin.  'Terrier' comes from the Latin word Terra, meaning earth.  This hardy collection of dogs were selectively bred to be extremely brave and tough, and to pursue fox, badger, rat and otter (to name but a few) above and below ground.  Dogs of terrier type have been known here since ancient times, and as early as the Middle Ages, these game little dogs were portrayed by writers, and painters.  It is commonly believed that the British Isles are the origin of most terriers.

Originally, these game canines were bred to best fit the purpose of which they were used, and looks did not particularly matter.  Nowadays however, thanks to the efforts of breeders over the decades, the terriers have become attractive, whilst still retaining jovial, comical and in some cases fiery temperaments.