Breeds / Small
Brazilian Terrier puppies
Lively, alert and quick to learn, the Brazilian Terrier is an agile farm terrier bred to hunt vermin. They are affectionate with their own people, watchful with strangers, and need a great deal of activity.
The facts
- Size class Small
- Country of origin Brazil
- Adult weight 10 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 22 lb
- Adult height 33 to 40 cm
- Energy level Very high
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Not published
- Shedding Moderate
- Typical lifespan 12 to 14 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
About the Brazilian Terrier
The Brazilian Terrier developed when European terriers brought home by returning students crossed with local Brazilian dogs, producing a fast, smooth coated farm terrier used on vermin and small game. This is a light, leggy, tricolour dog with a flat skull, semi erect ears and a great deal of spring in them. The temperament is exactly what the job suggests: alert, noisy about intruders, restlessly curious, and affectionate and playful with the family they live with.
Energy is very high, and daily walks plus sport or structured play are the minimum. The chase instinct is strong, so it is lead work and fenced areas only. Grooming is easy, with brushing two or three times a week during the twice yearly shed and very little the rest of the year, and baths only when the dog is genuinely dirty. They learn quickly and enjoy training. Do not assume small means low effort: this one is nowhere near.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Brazilian Terrier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get them socialised before the vaccination course finishes. They will still need four meals a day. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire them out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Patellar luxation, found on a clinical orthopaedic examination
- Mucopolysaccharidosis type VII, a rare storage disease, detectable by DNA test
Your Brazilian Terrier puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Brazilian Terrier.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 10 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 24 inch (24 x 18 x 20 in, 61 x 46 x 51 cm) for an adult of up to 10 kg; chew toys made for small breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other small breeds
More on the Brazilian Terrier
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- Health notes from Brazilian Terrier breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/brazilian-terrier/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
No published figure for coat type, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.
Photo: Svenska Mässan from Sweden, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.