Terrier dogs: adult

Terriers were originally bred to hunt vermin and are typically hardy, bold and small to medium in size — the Airedale is the group's large exception. Coat, exercise and known health themes vary a lot breed to breed within the group.

Example breeds in this group: Border Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Airedale Terrier.

Exercise needs are generally modest for this group (often up to an hour a day), but coat care ranges from a weekly brush to regular hand-stripping, and eye and skin conditions are the two published health themes that recur most.

• Kennel Club guidance for several popular terriers (Border, Jack Russell, Staffordshire Bull, Airedale, Scottish) lists up to an hour of exercise a day, alongside general advice that extra weight strains joints and can lead to arthritis.

  Source: 10 ways to keep your dog healthy, The Kennel Club

• Primary lens luxation is certified under the joint inherited eye disease scheme in several terrier breeds including Sealyham, Parson Russell, Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers, alongside other named eye conditions in Bedlington, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont and Glen of Imaal Terriers.

  Source: Known Inherited Ocular Diseases: breeds affected and type of disease, BVA / The Kennel Club / ISDS, 2026

• UK primary-care research found West Highland White Terriers had allergic skin disease in around 1 in 15 dogs, with six common skin conditions together affecting over a quarter of the breed, and periodontal disease as the single most common diagnosis.

  Source: West Highland White Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016: demography, mortality and disorders, Canine Genetics and Epidemiology (O'Neill et al.), 2019

• Joint BVA and BSAVA neutering guidance says timing should depend on the individual dog, breed and lifestyle — generally spaying female dogs between 12 and 23 months, and not castrating males before they reach physical maturity for their breed unless there's a specific reason to do it sooner.

  Source: BVA and BSAVA update neutering guidance for dogs and cats, BSAVA, 2026