Also known as the Fox Paulistinha and the Terrier Brasileiro, the Brazilian Terrier is an intelligent and playful breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The origin of the Brazilian Terrier can be traced back to 19th century Brazil. Enthusiasts believe the Brazilian Terrier to have been creating by crossing such breeds as the Jack Russell Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, and the Chihuahua, though this has never been proven scientifically or otherwise.
Throughout its history, the Brazilian Terrier has been most commonly used for hunting and killing small vermin, and kept as a companion, proving its superior abilities to work and provide friendship.
Today, while the Brazilian Terrier has attained a regional popularity as both a working and companion dog, the breed remains rather rare outside of South America.
Personality Traits
Best known for its spunky and outgoing nature, the Brazilian Terrier is full of character. This breed thrives on strong and dependable relationships with humans, and is known to attach itself to one individual person more so than several. These dogs are highly intelligent and generally easy to train. As a pet, the Brazilian Terrier is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate. This breed is not suited for apartment or full-time indoor living, as they enjoy spending time outdoors and playing games such as fetch and frisbee.
Train-ability
Due to its need for human attention and willingness to learn, the Brazilian Terrier generally responds well to basic training and commands. This intelligent breed has the ability to learn to perform many impressive tricks and tasks.
Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Brazilian Terrier. These dogs can be somewhat sensitive to criticism and respond best to positive reinforcement and reward-based training.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Brazilian Terrier, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. This active breed is always on the go, and often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. The Brazilian Terrier is very bright, obedient by nature, easy to train, and capable of learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks. When properly socialized from a young age, these dogs get along well with small children and other pets. The Brazilian Terrier is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate, making an excellent family pet and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Brazilian Terrier. These energetic and athletic dogs require large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Brazilian Terrier not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, digging, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
The Brazilian Terrier has a strong instinct to hunt and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, these small dogs are surprisingly quick, and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The Brazilian Terrier must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
These spunky dogs are known to be escape artists of sorts. The Brazilian Terrier enjoys digging, and is quite good at doing so. It is not unusual for these dogs to dig a hole under a fence within the matter of only a few minutes. On rare occasions, the Brazilian Terrier has also been known to climb fences and even trees. This breed must be supervised or properly secured when outdoors.
As previously mentioned, the Brazilian Terrier is rather rare outside of South America and can prove quite difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Brazilian Terrier is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: patellar luxation – dislocation of the knee, epilepsy, liver disease, glaucoma, and various dental issues.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Brazilian Terrier? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
Sources:
http://www.heydogs.com/b/brazilian-terrier.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/brazilian_terrier
