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Teddy Roosevelt Terrier

intelligent / playful / versatile
Miscellaneous Class >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

8-14 inches

Weight

8-25 pounds

Life Expectancy

14-16 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    20% 20%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    99% 99%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    20% 20%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    99% 99%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

With his family, the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a playful, affectionate dog who can occasionally act as a one-person dog. The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier gets along well with kids, cats, and other dogs thanks to his strong protective attitude and well-developed pack instincts. His size and stamina make him an outstanding hunter of squirrels and vermin. He is a brave, relentless hunter with seemingly endless vigor.

Teddy Roosevelt Terriers make wonderful house pets. They pick things up quickly and are prepared for any action that their owners do. They still do the task for which they were bred, which is to keep the family farm and house free of rats and mice, but they also do exceptionally well in companion sports like agility and obedience. They interact peacefully with other canines and have kept their prey drive without developing obsessive-compulsive tendencies. They like nothing more than sharing their owners’ affection and company at the end of the day. Teddies may fit into almost any lifestyle, whether you compete in agility competitions, show in conformation rings, or just want a lovely pet for your house or farm. They are appropriate for apartment life as well due to their modest to medium size. This breed excels when living with its human family since it is devoted, energetic, and fun.

What To Expect When Caring For a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Sincere breeders check their stock for ailments like patellar luxation and eye illness, as well as other health issues, to ensure that the majority of Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are healthy dogs. Those looking to own a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier can learn all they need to know about particular health issues with the breed by collaborating with a responsible breeder. To lessen the possibility of sickness in their puppies, good breeders genetically screen their breeding material.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Primary Lens Luxation(PLL)
  • Chondrodystrophy
  • Cardiac Exam

Grooming

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier requires little upkeep and is simple to groom. He simply needs weekly brushing with a light brush or rubber curry mitt because he sheds seasonally. He can maintain his best appearance by taking the occasional bath. To prevent overgrowth, splitting, and cracking, nails should be cut as needed with a nail clipper or grinder. Regular ear examinations are necessary to prevent wax and debris buildup, which can lead to infection. When necessary, brush your teeth.

Exercise

A breed with what seems like endless vitality is the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. Playtime in the backyard, preferably gated, or being taken for walks multiple times a day are two options for exercise. Exercise can also be obtained through indoor games like hide-and-seek, chasing a ball that has been rolled across the floor, or practicing new moves. Swimming, hiking, and retrieving balls or flying discs are some examples of outdoor activities that can be a wonderful way to burn off energy. Even quick walks through the halls in your apartment can provide your dog with exercise, especially when it's bad outside. Getting your dog ready for canine sports like agility, obedience, and rally can be a terrific way to get him or her moving.      

Training

While being a brave hunter, the sturdy Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is also a fun-loving, outgoing, and sensible companion. This terrier's intelligence, intuitiveness, and "eager to please" disposition make them simple to teach and generally pleasant with kids and other animals. Agility and obedience are only two of the many sports in which Teddy Roosevelt Terriers excel. These activities provide the dog and handler with a wonderful opportunity for exercise and companionship. Teddies enjoy receiving praise, make great house dogs, and are crate trainable, but they struggle in kennels, when they are frequently tied up, or when they are kept outside alone and separated from their owners. They are exceptionally intuitive, eager to please, and determined in addition to being intelligent.  

Nutrition

The robust Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a brave hunter as well as a joyful, amiable, and sensible companion. The intellect, intuition, and "eager to please" nature of this terrier make them simple to train and generally pleasant with kids and other animals. Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are exceptional in a variety of sports, including agility and obedience. These activities offer great possibilities for exercise and canine-handler interaction. Teddies thrive on praise, make great house dogs, and can be trained to utilize crates, but they fare poorly when kept in kennels, are frequently tied to posts, or are kept as outside-only pets when they are kept apart from humans. Along with their intelligence, they also possess unusual intuition, a desire to please, and determination.

History

The many tiny and medium-breed dogs that accompanied early American immigrants gave rise to the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier in the United States. To rid homes and fields of pests, the majority were tiny hunting and terrier breeds. It’s likely that these adaptable terriers were hybrids of the Smooth Fox Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Beagle, Whippet, Italian Greyhound, and the now-extinct White English Terrier. The canines’ aptitude for hunting and peaceful demeanor in the home were factors considered over time.   In the 1990s, breeders sought to separate the Teddy Roosevelt from the Rat Terrier, of which the short-legged variation was classified as Type B and the long-legged variant as Type A. Teddy Roosevelt, who was rumored to have possessed these ratters, inspired the name of the short-legged Rat Terrier, which gained a loyal following.