What on Earth is a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier?

I remember the day I saw Tank's picture. His noble black-and-tan face peered from the page, his gaze fixed on something in the distance. For a fleeting moment, the image reminded me of a Doberman pinscher, although I knew it was not. "What is it?" I wondered. I tapped the photo to enlarge the thumbnail and the entire image came into view. His broad neck smoothly tied into powerful shoulders, underneath which rested legs that were under one half the length they were "supposed" to be. The rest of the dog was equally as sturdy and powerful. I stared at it. I had never seen such a dog before. It wasn't a Doberman. It wasn't a Russell terrier, not with its smooth, gleaming black coat. The caption read "Teddy Roosevelt Terrier." Me being me, I had to enter the breed name in my browser. I can't let mysteries pass without researching them. I wasn't disappointed.

Where do Teddy Roosevelts Come From?

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a wholly American terrier. It resulted from an apparently spontaneous mutation in the Rat Terrier, a breed established in the United States from an English breed that had been created by crossing the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, and the (now extinct) English White Terrier. Once the breed arrived in the United States, American breeders and farmers put their stamp on it, adding in Whippet, Italian Greyhounds, and Beagles, as well as reintroducing the Fox Terrier. All of these additions created a dog well adapted to working in the breed's new country.

None of these breeds, however, are known to have chondrodysplasia, the mutation primarily responsible for the Teddy's short-leggedness. Like Teddies, Beagles are occasionally prone to chondrodystrophy, another gene that creates short legs in breeds, but this gene is not prevalent in the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. One possible explanation may be found with the "fox terrier" used to develop the Rat Terrier. At the time the Rat Terrier was being developed, the term "fox terrier" was more or less a generic term that encompassed the show dog (similar to what is seen in the ring today) and the hunting terriers that often carried the names of their developers. The Parson Jack Russell Terrier was a breed created to hunt foxes, bolting them from their dens. It was this type of fox terrier, now referred to as the "Russell Terrier," that may have contributed the gene for the short legs sported by the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. Given that the Rat Terrier was a farm dog, however, it's hard to know if other farmers might not have put their own stamp on the breed by adding an unknown breed or type of dog, just as Parson John Russell did before them.

Teddy Appearance

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier ("Teddy" or TRT) is low-slung, with legs that are approximately one-third to one half of the dog's height. The front legs are slightly curved, but the toes always point forward. A Teddy should never have a wrap-around front like a Dachshund or a bowed "fiddle-front" like some Bulldogs. Like many dogs, the Teddy is rectangular in shape, with as close to a 7:10 height/length ratio as possible. Although they can be very small--starting at about ten pounds--the Teddy should never be slight or dainty. This breed is muscular and sturdy, as befits a farm dog. Teddy ears are either prick (upright), button (triangular folded forward over the eyebrow) or anywhere in between, but are never cropped or hanging. Many Teddies have docked tails, but dogs that retain their natural long tails and natural bobtails are not unheard of.

Like the Rat Terrier, the Teddy's short, hard coat comes in a myriad of colors. Also like the Rat Terrier, the Teddy must have at least one spot of white, whether it's a dab of white on the chest, white toes, or a white blaze on its face. In addition to the broad selection of colors, Teddies are seen in most dog patterns, including piebald, tuxedo (tanpoint), brindle, saddleback, sable, and others. The only disqualifications for color and pattern in the Teddy standard are the absence of white (color) and merle (pattern). The most common coat color seems to be "black tricolor," (piebald with black markings and tan on the face and legs), but chocolate tricolor and blue tricolor are increasing in popularity.

Are Teddy Roosevelt Terriers Family Dogs?

Yes! Teddies make great companions. They are highly intelligent and love to please their people. Many, if not most of them, are food motivated, making them easy(ish) to train. Unlike a lot of terriers, Teddies have an "off" switch, so they can help you relax at the end of a stressful day. My Yaddle loves to sleep with me at night and "hold me down" in the morning. Diva is almost constantly in my lap, unless she is outside "doing chores" with me. Steele and Artoo love to run and to play with toys. They are happiest just being with their people and just being dogs, although they take their "jobs" quite seriously.

However, like most terriers, Teddies are better for families who have already had at least one dog. They can be headstrong at times. Like many terriers, they have a strong prey drive. That prey drive makes them unsuitable for families whose children own pet mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, or rabbits. While my group of Teddies tends to leave the cats, the kittens, and the chickens alone, if Teddies are not raised with such creatures, they may harass them or even kill them. Teddy Roosevelt Terriers need an average amount of exercise and can do nicely on a daily walk, if needed, as long as they get the chance to stretch their (itty, bitty) legs on occasion with a good romp. They do not, however, make the best long-distance jogging companions.

Are Teddies Athletic?

Unlike a lot of breeds with short legs and long backs, Teddies are pretty durable. As a general rule, the breed is largely free of chondrodystrophy (CDDY) and intervertebral disk disease (IVDD), the genes primarily responsible for putting many long-backed dogs in wheelchairs. A lot of Teddies also have a slight rise over the loin, providing structural support for the muscles used for running, jumping, and weave poles. The breed has competed in terrier races, agility, and even dock diving, with great success.

Because Teddies have long backs, it's best to keep jumping or anything that involves rapid bending of the spine (like agility weave poles) to a minimum until they're about a year old. As with any young dog, it's best to keep jumping to heights no greater than that of their pastern (the ankle on the front leg) until the dog is at least a year old. With their short legs, Teddies might not set any speed records, but they enjoy running and playing as much as the next dog.

So, They Can Move. Are They Smart?

For terriers, Teddies are very chill little dogs. They will lean in and smile at you as you turn blue in the face asking them to "sit" or to "heel." That is all part of The Plot. Yaddle taught herself how to detect my blood sugar and to go into her crate when it was feeding time. Diva figured out for herself how to get through the tiny cat door in the gate, while Artoo figured out for himself how to escape the dog pen to run around the yard. They are, in short, very capable of reasoning things out for themselves and working to their own advantage. Can they be trained? Absolutely! Teddies can do it all, Rally and traditional obedience, nosework, and barn hunt, to name a few thinking sports. They are excellent farm dogs and can be taught to work with and around livestock. All you have to do is be smarter than your dog and have lots of yummy treats. Sometimes, the first part is harder than the second part! Once a Teddy has learned that it's in his or her best interest to do as the owner asks, given that "cookies" are in the offing, it can sometimes be difficult to turn off the offers of new or learned behaviors.

Are Teddies Healthy?

Their parent breed having been farm dogs for so long, Teddy Roosevelt Terriers seem to be a fairly healthy breed with only a handful of issues for which responsible breeders will test. In addition to the previously mentioned CDDY and IVDD, Teddies may be prone to primary lens luxation (PLL), patellar luxation, and degenerative myelopathy (DM), and some cardiac issues. Historically, the breed has also been tested for congenital hypothyroidism with goiter (CHG), but this test is no longer required by either the AKC or the UKC breed club.

Here's a link to a great presentation on chondrodystophy and intervertebral disk disease, if you're interested in learning more. It's very intricate and has a lot of genetic and medical information, but it's a fascinating read (in small doses)!

As long as a person is ready to put in the time that comes with owning a terrier--even a fairly sweet and biddable terrier--the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a fine family dog or farm dog or sport dog. While I will always be a Toy Fox Terrier person first and foremost, I can never foresee a day that I will not want to have at least one Teddy in my life. The breed is not overwhelmingly common, but people interested in finding a Teddy breeder should have no problem finding a reputable breeder.

Once again: I really hope that you enjoy my little articles about my dogs and my chosen breeds. I love writing them--and I LOVE hearing from the people who read them. Please feel free to comment and, if you reallyreallyreallyreally like me, a subscription or a tip is always a wonderful reward! Until next time, take care!