Teddy Roosevelt Terrier

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier does well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially made or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Match the food to the dog's life stage, whether puppy, adult, or senior.

Some Teddies gain weight easily, so keep an eye on calorie intake. Treats are useful for training, but too many can lead to extra pounds, and it helps to know which human foods are safe for dogs and which are not.

Check with your vet if you have any questions about weight or diet, and keep clean, fresh water available at all times.

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is low maintenance and easy to groom. The smooth coat sheds seasonally and needs only a weekly pass with a soft brush or rubber curry mitt, plus an occasional bath to stay clean.

Trim the nails as needed with a clipper or grinder to prevent overgrowth, splitting, and cracking. Check the ears regularly for wax and debris, and brush the teeth as needed.

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier has plenty of energy and likes an outlet for it. Play in a fenced backyard or a few walks a day work well, and indoor games such as hide-and-seek, chasing a rolled ball, or learning new tricks help on bad-weather days.

Outdoor activities like swimming, hiking, and retrieving balls or flying discs give that energy somewhere to go. In an apartment, even short walks down the hallways add up.

Training for dog sports such as agility, obedience, and rally is another good way to keep a Teddy moving and engaged.

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is fearless, friendly, sensible, intelligent, intuitive, and eager to please. It responds to praise in training.

Generally good with children and other animals, the Teddy is well suited to family life. Teddies do best as house dogs and take to crate training, but they do not do well kenneled, tied up for long stretches, or kept outside alone and cut off from people.