Brazilian terrier dog breed
- Last updated: February 7. 2022
- Categories: Dog breeds, Medium dogs, Short hair, Terrier dogs
- Post views: 799
The Brazilian Terrier is a highly intelligent and trainable medium-sized dog breed, with a short smooth coat that needs little grooming. Eager to please the owner and learn new skills and tricks, typically friendly towards people and other dogs as they are pack animals. It’s important to spend time socializing your dog from an early age in order to build confidence and ensure that he or she will not become overly defensive around unfamiliar people and animals. With proper training and socialization, the Brazilian Terriers will make excellent companions for you and the whole family that will bring lots of joy to your lives
M: 35 - 40 cm / 14 - 16 in
F: 33 - 38 cm / 13 - 15 in
M: 6.5 - 10 kg / 14 - 22 lbs
F: 6.5 - 10 kg / 14 - 22 lbs
Healthy dogs of this breed lives
average between 12 to 14 years
Terrier: Feisty and energetic
dogs bred to protect and hunt
Brazilian Terrier general info
The Brazilian Terrier is originally from Brazil, as you might have guessed already. It is one of the two native breeds to the country, and it was developed in Brazil in the 1830s. The breed was created out of Jack Russell Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, and Fox Terriers that were imported to Brazil in the 1800s or earlier. There are other theories saying that this breed came from Spanish breeds such as Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz or Ratonero Valenciano brought during the Iberian Union period which occurred between 1580-1640. Other Spaniards thought that this dog could be useful for hunting rats on plantations or urban areas because these dogs have strong jaws and teeth that can kill any type of rodent with ease. Due to its small prey hunting nature, the dog should not be left unsupervised around rodents and birds
Brazilian Terrier appearance
The Brazilian Terrier is considered to be a medium-sized dog in general, but compared to other terrier breeds, it’s quite big with its height ranging up to 40 cm / 16 inches from the ground and up to the top of the back. Weightwise the average dog will weigh around 10 kg / 22 lbs when fully grown. The coat is short and smooth, keeping the grooming needs minimal. Although they are medium shedders, brushing the coat a couple of times a week is enough to keep the dog’s shedding to a moderate level. The Brazilian Terriers are tri-colored and should be white, with secondary colors being brown, black, or blue. They should also have tan marks, or “eyebrows”, above their round eyes
Brazilian Terrier temperament
The Brazilian Terrier is a highly intelligent and energetic dog that is friendly towards people and other dogs, but they should be socialized from an early age to avoid getting wary of strangers and other dogs. No matter what kind of dog breed you have, you should always work on their socialization skills. The Brazilian Terrier is friendly towards children as well, as long as they are friendly back. This makes the breed a great choice for an active family, as the dog will require lots of mental and physical stimulation. Since they are bred to hunt vermin on farms, they should not be left around rodents unsupervised, like hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits. The good news is that if you do have a vermin problem you need taken care of, this dog will get the job done
Brazilian Terrier breed health
The Brazilian Terrier is considered a healthy dog thanks to little in-breeding and having been spared the worst commercial breeding practices, but they are prone to developing certain common diseases like any other breeds do. This can include eye problems, skin allergies, orthopedic problems, and ear infections. Regular wellness checkups at the vet should be done at least once a year to track the dog’s development and catch any potential health issues early on, which improves the chances of successful treatment. If you suspect that your dog is having issues, or have changed its behavior radically, you must contact your local vet and schedule an appointment as soon as possible
Breed Shedding and grooming
Brazilian Terriers are considered to be medium shedders, they have a short smooth coat that needs very little grooming. With this breed, you don’t need to spend money on a professional dog groomer. As mentioned earlier in the appearance section, brushing the coat a couple of times a week is enough to keep the shedding low. Keeping the dog on meat-rich dog foods also helps reduce the shedding amount and prevents dry skin. Meat is digested and absorbed quickly, promoting better overall health in your furry little buddy. If your dog is subject to excessive shedding, contact your local veterinarian and ask for guidance and hear with them if the dog should come in for a checkup
Brazilian Terrier barking level
Brazilian Terriers are considered to be moderate barkers. They are fearless and excellent guard dogs. If there is something they think you should know of, they will let you know and leave the rest up to you and stop barking. Common reasons for dogs barking are protection, alerting, being bored, fear, seeking attention, separation anxiety, or just saying hello. You can read more about barking at this guide from WebMD Pets: Understanding why dogs bark. All dog breeds can be trained to reduce barking, another thing that should be focused on learning from an early age. You can find lots of great guides online that you can find by searching for how to reduce barking on Google, or at YouTube if you prefer watching videos with demonstrations
Brazilian Terrier dog training
Brazilian Terriers are above-average highly intelligent dogs that can be easy to train for an experienced dog owner. It can however be challenging for first-time owners as they can be stubborn and want to do things their way. Training the Brazilian Terrier should be done in a firm and consistent way from an early age to learn the dog who is the pack leader. Failure to establish dominance over dogs may result in stubbornness and bad behavior. Attending a puppy course is the first step on your road to training the Brazilian Terrier. There are also lots of online courses and dog training videos that address obedience training, as well as books that you can read before bringing the dog home
Breed exercise requirements
Brazilian Terriers require a lot of exercises as they are very energetic dogs. These dogs were bred to work hard at the farms, often all day long. Due to their high energy levels, they require hourly daily walks to burn off their energy. Restless dogs may become bored and destructive. If you live an active lifestyle with lots of outdoor activities, like hiking, running, golfing, and biking, this breed will make an excellent companion. Preferably, this breed should live in houses with lots of space to roam around, and a yard where they can run freely. If you live in an apartment, giving the dog enough exercise is a must, both physical and mentally. Learning new tricks and commands indoors on rainy days is a great way to keep your Brazilian Terrier from getting bored
Caring for dogs
Grooming is not the only maintenance your dog requires throughout its life. Complete examinations at the vet should be done at least once a year for adult dogs. Puppies should come in every 3 or 4 weeks until they are around four months old. Contact your vet and they will set you up with schedules.
Trimming the claws should be done whenever they touch the ground when the dog is standing up, or make it a frequent routine to keep them short
Brushing the teeth should be done on a daily basis to prevent gum diseases. Chew bones and toys will also help strengthen your dog’s teeth and gums
Cleaning the ears to prevent ear infections is also another important part of the dog’s routine maintenance. You can have your vet show you how to do it
Socializing dogs
No matter what kind of dog breed you have, socializing it from an early age is the most important thing you can do in order to get a well-behaving buddy that reacts to the world around it in a healthy way. Until your puppy is around 16 weeks old, it should encounter different kinds of people, situations, and locations, learning that the world is a wonderful place to live. Puppies have a short developmental window in which their experiences will form their future selves. Puppies should however not be forced into situations they might feel uncomfortable with, as bad experiences may imprint and stay with the dog for the rest of the life. You can watch free videos from professional dog trainers on how to socialize your new puppy and learn how to do so the correct way
Brazilian Terriers on Instagram
Here are some pictures of the Brazilian Terrier on Instagram. See even more photos of this breed by exploring #BrazilianTerrier or using Google Image Search
Video of the Brazilian Terrier
See the Brazilian Terrier in action on this YouTube video. Unless you know Portuguese, you probably won’t understand much thou. But this is what it looks like
Frequently asked questions
References and resources
You can absorb more knowledge about this dog breed from the resources below. Websites, books, and social media sites where you can ask dog owners questions
