Anyone who loves dogs knows that types of dogs have passionately dedicated fans. We are so fanatical that we have our own terms and we have had “memes” long before memes were popular! For terrier people, the perceived intrinsic “naughtiness” of these dogs has always been what people have bonded over and it has been the affectionate focus of sayings, jokes, and anecdotes about our beloved terriers. I think it is time to change that and find new ways to relate to our dogs.
The noble terrier. Who is he? Is he stubborn? Is he naughty?
Terriers Historically
Terriers were bred to protect our food sources and storage areas from pests and predators. We bred them to be tireless and scrappy, and to fearlessly put their lives at risk when working. We bred them to work independently day and night, and to be attentive to primal cues such as smells, noises, and movements of predators and prey. Terriers were bred to notice these cues instantly, and immediately chase predators/prey, often hunting them to the death. They were not bred for a propensity towards working collaboratively with humans. They were bred to work tirelessly and get the job done on their own.
We have bred terriers to possess:
- NO impulse control
- Strong chase instinct
- No need to pay attention to humans
- STRONG resource-guarding instincts
- Large teeth and powerful jaws
- Enhanced predatory sequence with emphasis on chase/kill and reduction towards planning and self-preservation
Terriers didn’t just protect our agricultural pursuits, they were also set loose in the trenches of war to protect soldiers from life-threatening vermin. Terriers have long done our dirty work, tasks that aren’t for the faint of heart. We owe terriers a lot for their service, yet somehow they are some of the most misunderstood dogs today.
Terriers weren’t bred to be “pets.” They were bred to hunt.
Terriers in Modern Life
Unlike with many purebred dogs, there is often little to no distinction between working and companion/show lines in terriers. In the show ring, terriers must demonstrate the boldness and fire of their working origins to win and carry on their line. Is carrying on working nature a bad thing? I don’t think so, if we know how to recognize and appreciate differences. I love living with a full-strength terrier. I enjoy working with my dog often. I am patient, I am hardworking, and I am very active.
When you think about what terriers were bred to do and what we expect of most companion dogs, there is a stark contrast between who terriers are and who we often hope they will automatically be as pets. Usually we get canine companions to provide us with relief from work, not to create more work for ourselves, and recognizing difference and accommodating it can take just that: work. It is up to us to provide our dogs with the type of care and training that they need.
Fallout and Learned Helplessness
Terriers are probably the most common dogs to be called “naughty” and “stubborn.” Because terriers are some of the most instinctual, hard-wired, and independent working dogs, they have some of the poorest reactions to ill-suited methods. Many other intense working dog types also commonly experience fallout—for example, dogs bred for herding and for protection.
Dogs who are trained and cared for with methods that do not suit them become misunderstood. Dogs who are misunderstood have two basic choices when they aren’t sure what to do: they can choose fight or flight. Things do not usually go well for dogs who attempt to defend themselves. Terriers who choose flight usually can’t run away; they are confined by leashes, doors, fences, and gates. Sometimes they are even stopped by electric shocks. They will often begin to exhibit a modified version of flight. Since they can’t run away, they will retreat inwardly. In the world of psychology, this is a state that is referred to as “learned helplessness.” The Oxford Languages dictionary defines “learned helplessness” as “a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.”
In response to ill-suited methods, terriers can become aloof. They respond with less gusto to our requests and sometimes they don’t respond to our requests at all. They may sleep more but are always scanning the environment for freedom and opportunity. They become opportunistic when we aren’t looking, and they crave the times that they can steal any kind of freedom.
Stress Stinks
In the Welsh Terrier world, the term “stink eye” has become extremely popular. “Stink eye” refers to when a dog stiffens their glance slightly. Their head might tilt a little to the side, and you can see the sides of the whites of their eyes. Affectionately, people have thought of this expression in terriers as a sign of prideful naughtiness, sassy self-expression, or willful skepticism (perhaps that aloof, opportunistic persona I talked about earlier). In the dog behavior world, this presentation is called “whale eye.” Sometimes it is paired with exuberant play, but the times when the dog is relatively still, tilts their head a little, and stares, it is considered to be a sign of stress and a warning signal. The last time Miles demonstrated “whale eye” to me, I did a physical examination and found that he had freshly broken a tooth right down to the raw red root and was in pain.
Let’s Avoid Normalizing Stress
Calling a dog “naughty” sets us up to see a constant low to medium grade state of discomfort, depression, and/or maladaptation as normalized and acceptable. It takes the responsibility off of us. We select our dogs and control every aspect of their lives, so it is time for this to change. Terriers are constantly put in situations where they are not set up for success or safety. Think of any video you see on social media where a terrier is straining their neck on-leash to get to a cat and the handler is filming and getting closer to the cat. The comments are often centered around gleeful attributions of “naughtiness.” We live with dogs who are highly instinctual and many of their instinctual needs are not met and/or aren’t safe to rehearse without care and planning. Even when we love them and mean well, we don’t always realize the responsibility we have towards their instincts.
Misconceptions don’t just hurt dogs, they hurt us too. Unpacking how we culturally think about types of dogs isn’t easy, but the benefits are immense.
No More Missing Out
Growing up as a child who was obsessed with dog training, I followed the conventional wisdom of the time, even when it didn’t feel right. The old methods worked to stop behavior. I often hope that these ways have faded out of our consciousness as great strides are made in behavior and learning sciences, but sadly, aversive and coercive methods ranging from the classic to the extreme are still often the go-to for dealing with terrier behaviors. I see posts about puppies who are already showing signs of maladaptation and the suggested response is to hold the puppy in a firm body/headlock until long after they have stopped trying to escape. What a fast-track way to condition a dog to opt towards learned helplessness. What a terrible thing for a young dog to learn. We bring terriers into our lives specifically to enjoy and celebrate their vibrant, intelligent personalities. We can no longer be helpless in the methods we chose.
My childhood puppy Cinnamon and I were inseparable. I have so many good memories. But there were also disconnects. He would run away in the evening and tear through the woods, and his recall fell under the category of “if he felt like it.” Looking back, it saddens me to think that many of Cinnamon’s happiest moments weren’t with me.
There are many movements to recognize dogs for who they are, with less misunderstanding. Many types of terriers aren’t yet a part of this trend. I want to change that. I don’t wish the feelings I have about missing out on who Cinnamon really was on anyone. Don’t be afraid of change, don’t miss out. In the life I lead with Miles, we communicate with understanding and respect. Miles doesn’t have to run away to tear around the woods in the middle of the night in a dance of repressed emotions. Miles doesn’t check out on me. Miles and I get to be together for our most joyful moments.
I look back and passionately remember so many good times with Cinnamon, but I also missed out on a lot with my best friend. I don’t wish that feeling on anyone.
Recognizing When Something is Amiss
Boldness, prey drive, athleticism, advanced problem-solving abilities, and intelligence are terrier attributes.
Naughtiness and stubbornness are not terrier attributes. These are the labels we use to describe both the naturally occurring behaviors that we might not understand how to work with, and the visible fallout of ill-suited care and training methods.
“Naughtiness” and “stubbornness” are just labels, and these labels are signs that there are disconnects in the care/training puzzle. Understanding and working with any dog is a lifelong process, and things come up over time. When I witness Miles behaving in ways that are worrisome to me, it isn’t him being “naughty.” It is a clear indicator for me that something is amiss. And with a little regrouping and thought, I can do something to help. I am empowered. Miles is empowered.
Miles wants to work with me, he is attentive and eagerly listening!
Terriers Don’t Bother With the Norm, and We Shouldn’t Either
I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones. – John Cage
We’ve accepted maladaptation to care and training methods as the norm for terriers, and culturally we’ve been taught to ignore warning signs of stress and to instead turn them into real-life, real-time anthropomorphized memes. Our dogs end up coping on their own a great deal of the time as a result. A common argument against questioning concepts such as “stubbornness” and “naughtiness” is often that to do so is “touchy feely.” I believe it is logic-based to identify the roots of behaviors and to address the causes. It isn’t always the easier option, but it is a deeply worthwhile way to go. Change isn’t always easy or comfortable. Working with a terrier takes more effort than most of us realize, and recognizing the work involved is a big shift.
It is high time we take note of our terrier’s playbook and begin questioning the norm. It is in that initially uncomfortable place where we are released from the darkness where Cinnamon tore around by himself. We can work together and be free together. Dreams really can become reality.
A very good explanation of the Terrier!
Thank you Karen, I am glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent analysis, Emma! I’m so happy George spends a significant amount of time with us, and you gave us the important start on all of our training. We have learned so much as a result. He’s happy when we focus on him, performing basic commands, going for long walks, playing tag team recall, running a 50-100 yard dash, hanging out with other good dogs and their responsible humans, figuring out treat work toys, and learning new things in new environments. He is equally happy to chill in his elevated and safe car seat wherever we venture, no matter how far or how long, or to snuggle and cuddle in bed. He’s definitely a partner in our pack. We are passionate about our noble, intrepid, and indefatigable Welsh Terrier for all that he was bred to do, for all that he has become, and for all we will discover along the way. And, we are most grateful for you, our most treasured resource. ❤️
George is a lucky guy. Thank you for the kind words!
Sorry for the long post….
When I started talking with the breeder that I got Spike from, she asked me what I wanted in a puppy/dog. I went through a list; strong willed, tenacious, smart, and the last after a long conversation was “sweet”. She laughed and said that she really didn’t think she had any sweet dogs. She had been raising /breeding Welsh Terriers for a long time, and didn’t think that she could call them sweet, but she had great dogs that would love me to death, and be the best dog that I ever had. She assured me that we would spend hours together and love each other. She was right about loving each other, but wrong about the sweet. After I got Spike at 9 or 10 weeks (I forget) we started with puppy classes. I didn’t know that most trainers had no idea what to do with a Welsh Terrier puppy. They surely had a load of ideas and comments, mostly about how stupid I was for getting a Welsh Terrier, that he was untrainable, he would be mean, aggressive and uncontrollable. He would be TROUBLE. We were expelled from doggy day care because he (heaven forbid) STOLE an older dog’s toy, and then would not under any circumstances give it up, and tried to keep it from (heaven forbid) the dog AND the person helping, with lots of terrier talk and carrying on about it. I admit the first time I heard him talk I was quite shocked and taken aback. They said he had no impulse control and never would because he was a Welsh Terrier. They actually listed ALL of your 5 traits one after the other, underlining the teeth part. I got a 4 page write up on the situation.
NO impulse control
Strong chase instinct
No need to pay attention to humans
STRONG resource-guarding instincts
Large teeth and powerful jaws
When you wrote these traits you left that one out….the terrier talk that goes on when they get a wild hair which is just as scary as your 5 listed if someone has never heard it in context.
I was glad we were expelled, we laughed about it driving home, and figured we would meet dogs some other way.
I felt for the first year that I had a Marlin on a leash on land. If we went to a place that had a fence, I found that he would run the fence line until he could figure out where there was an opening. They detest being fenced in. You have mentioned this trait before when Miles escaped at a trial and went straight for the opening to go explore. When we did barn hunt, he LOVED it until he figured out he would NEVER get to kill the rats and eat them. No amount of cajoling would work.
He is now 2 years old and he is the best sweetest dog. He has all of your 5 traits in spades, plus the ones I have mentioned and I’m sure some more. I figured out pretty early that he is who he is. He could be miserable if I tried to make him a Lab, or he could love being a Welsh Terrier, so we chose the latter. I like to think of it this way; in one of his classes all of the dogs were yellow/tan ones, Labs in other words. We would all go into class, and the yellow dogs would all lay down on their sides and go fast asleep. Spike would watch every single thing that went on in the room. One owner of a yellow dog asked how I could tolerate having a dog like Spike, and I thought in my mind, “I would hate to have a dog that I felt like I needed to cattle prod just to get a little action out of”. I can honestly say he has never gone to sleep in class. Thanks, I have always loved reading about Miles. It helped me figure out Spike.
I am honored that M&E has helped you, Lorraine. Thank you for sharing your experience, it means the world to me. Don’t ever apologize for a thoughtful comment. Your experiences are valuable. Your story about puppy class I hear echoed time, and time again (myself included). It is really too bad that smart puppies are labeled in that way. I took a master course in aggression recently and was interested to learn that incidents in puppy class can lead to aggression later on. Often puppy class is considered a safe space, but I think it is more complex than we think. As you note, especially for terriers.
One way to think about the growling and grumbling is—it happens with play, but the times it concerns us most often is when the dog is resource guarding or reacting to being handled. It falls under the category of “Recognizing When Something is Amiss.” Like Spike, Miles has a strong propensity towards resource guarding. For Miles, towards humans instead of dogs. Nothing is scarier than a little puppy lunging at your hand when there is an object between you that you didn’t think would elicit such a response! Working with Miles on that was a very rewarding experience.
Too funny about barn hunt! Spike sounds like a very intelligent little dog.
Too smart by far. I always liked it when I could see his mind go “hell why should I go into the hunt through this gate when I can get to the rats faster if I jump over the bales to get in”, and away he would go. Way too smart. Really thank you so very much, through you and your stories and adventures I think I got sufficient insight to let go of a lot expectations, and laugh at how great he is.
Often we aren’t dropping expectations, but shifting them. I expect myself to do the work needed to help support my terrier, rather than I expect my terrier to behave in certain ways with no reason to! 😁 If only we could all be as logical as terriers, we wouldn’t have to think so hard!
How do I train my 1 year old terrier without killing her wild and free spirit? I love this little dog to death, but at times, her energy is overwhelming. She currently loves jumping from couch to couch in the living room and making me chase her around the yard instead of giving me the ball so I can throw it. I know she’s just getting her energy out, (I’ve never seen a dog jump so high in my life, lol!)
I want to form a relationship where Penny is getting her needs met, while I am feeling at peace. Any practical ideas on achieving this? Luckily we have a pretty big yard and she loves to run around independently for 30 minutes to an hour. This does help give me time to unwind. However, I’d like to find daily activities we can happily do together.
Thank you thank you Emma for so eloquently helping us terrier people to understand our beloved and often baffling family members. After having reading your blog, I now can see Pippin in a clearer light which makes me both humble and hopeful that she and I can enjoy our time together even more. The blessing is of course when over my head and need clarity, I can turn to you to help decipher my terrier’s needs and/or desires. Again a very big thank you.
Thank you for the kind words Sue! Now if only I could figure out the OTHER baffling family members… Just kidding!
I am honored to be a part of your happy life with Pippin.
My gosh, what I wouldn’t have given to have had this sensibility when I had my first Welsh 40 years ago! Oh, the places we could have gone! Thanks, Emma, for letting us live vicariously through you and Miles.
Tell me more about your first Welsh, Mary Anne! And thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Love your articles. I needed this one especially. Our 2 year old Robbie has been the hardest dog for us to train. I sometimes call him my naughty dog. I know it is me that has failed him.
I am glad you found the article informative Jackie. Instead of blaming yourself, give yourself credit for moving forward in a fresh new way! What breed type is Robbie?
Emma thank you for being such a wonderful advocate for terriers, especially Welsh Terriers. When Ceri and I attended her first puppy kindergarten class, the instructor labeled Ceri and another terrier puppy as ‘terrorists’. They are anything but. I am forever grateful that offhand comment prompted me to reach out to you for training. Although Ceri is my third Welsh, I understand the breed far better through your insights. As you observed last week, Ceri has come a long way in a few short months. Your training of me has enabled me to understand her much better and to begin building a bond that will grow even stronger as time passes. That is a priceless gift. Thank you for sharing your time and talents with us.
Thank you Elise for this really thoughtful comment. Ceri is so sweet, it is hard to imagine her being labeled that way. I really feel honored to be a part of your bond with Ceri. It is a very moving thing to watch.
Such an insightful post, Emma. You really do have such a great grip on what WTs are about!
Our first one was such a breeze and now our second one is proving to be quite the challenge. Thanks for reminding me of their heritage and their raison d’être.
They are undoubtedly the best breed (in my opinion), however, no matter what it takes to learn to work together.
I appreciate the comment Barb! I often think it is easier to start with a “full strength” terrier, rather than a more relaxed terrier. Many of my clients have had your experience and it always comes as a surprise! Hello, full strength terrier! I completely agree with you that they are the best! 😉
Hi Emma … just a quick follow up. I was so impressed by your article that I shared it on Ceri and Lily’s twitter feed (@ceri_wt)! Most of their followers are terriers (of course). Your article has garnered quite a few likes and positive comments, including from other trainers. It has also been retweeted a number of times. The “likes” have included the account for Scottish Terrier Association of America! Thanks for the wonderful article.
BTW, I started the account for the dogs as a way to reach out to other owners, get my daily happiness fix, and create a “politics free” zone for socializing.
That is fantastic Elise! Thank you for sharing the article. 🙂 Your account sounds fantastic!
Love your post, my day job is working with children with SEN and although I joke there is a similarity, both require patience, repetition, positive feedback, moving on to the next task quickly… need I go on?! My terriers have taught me so much about myself!
This reminds me of a conversation I had with one of my professors once. Most of my writing in university related to animals. She mentioned the parallel you have brought up, and said that especially in education, many instructors have little to no patience when someone processes differently than the “norm.” It is so worthwhile to have the patience that people like yourself do, because all perspectives have something to offer. I deeply appreciate the work you do!
We adopted a 3 year old male breed Welsh 4 months ago. SO, he has not been well socialized. Sweet as can be and wild as ever. We have had him with a trainer for 2 weeks and in person here at our house. HE is doing MUCH better yet still wants to hunt and kill our cat and is too rowdy with our granddaughters age 6 and 8. Fine around all other people. Any suggestions?
Hi Chris, how wonderful that you have given this sweet wild dog a home! I have emailed you a more detailed response. Thank you for commenting!
Really enjoying your site. We had Winnie for 15 years and it took us a while to understand what was going on. When my wife first got our pup she thought we should get the dog some obedience training. When she took Win to the trainer it did not go well. The trainer grabbed our pup by the jowls at which point Win began to snap. The trainer said Win was untrainable and might have to be put down. The trainer, we later found out, normally trained labs and german police dogs. My wife came home in tears and told me what the trainer said. I scooped up Win and my wife and I took her over to our vet’s. We told him what happened and he proceeded to roll Win over and rub her belly. He said, “Aggressive dogs don’t allow me to do this, that trainer doesn’t understand terriers.” I had been thinking that any puppy who allows me to give her belly “raspberries” is not aggressive but it was nice to hear it from someone else. I told my wife that if someone grabbed me by the jowls I would not care for it either and who knows what would be the result. At this point, we took Win home and had a different trainer work with Win. She was still a generalist but agreed that grabbing pups by the jowls might not be the best way to start.
My wife had her day a couple of years later when the big dog trainer was working with a lab in the park across from our house. The trainer worked with the lab and then saw my wife and Win and came over. Win sat down as a proper pup and only moved to wag the tail. The trainer did not remember Win or my wife. The trainer said “What a well-trained terrier, who trained her?” To which my wife responded “I did” and lead Win away.
By this point, I had started treating Winnie as my co-pilot and we had a long wonderful time with her.
Hi JC,
What a moving comment and so well written. Thank you for sharing your story. It echos so many stories I have heard, including my own way back. Your writing is fantastic and I hope to hear from you more in the comments. Winnie is so lucky to have had such level headed people who loved her so much. You really got to know who she was.
Emma
I just learned about “stink eye” and what it means for my terrier. It can be a sign of stress and a warning signal, and I will surely take note of this. Good read!
I so enjoyed reading what you said. We’re now on to our third Welshie. All have different personalities, as an owner you go with the flow. But we’re fortunate in being retired and can give the time and learn from our dogs.