Chilean Terrier
About the Chilean Terrier
Temperament
Physical Characteristics
| Size Category | Small (10-25 lbs) |
|---|---|
| Height | 12-15" |
| Weight | 9-18 lbs |
| Coat Type | Smooth |
| Coat Length | Short |
| Colors | |
| Hypoallergenic | No |
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Moderate (30-60 min/day)
45 minutes per day recommended
Grooming
Moderate - Weekly
Mental Stimulation
★★★★★Needs plenty of mental challenges
Drooling
★★★★★Living Conditions
Cost of Ownership
| Purchase Price | $400-$800 |
|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $900/year |
Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.
Health Considerations
Like all breeds, Chilean Terriers may be prone to certain health conditions:
Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.
Best For
- Families with Children
- Apartment Living
- First-Time Owners
- Active Owners
May Not Be Ideal For
- Long Work Hours Away
- Sedentary Lifestyles
Guides for your Chilean Terrier
The story behind the Chilean Terrier
The Chilean Terrier developed in Chile during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, generally attributed to crosses between Fox Terriers brought by European settlers and small local dogs. It earned its keep as a ratter on farms, in stables, and around ports, and became a familiar household dog across the country; a famous Chilean comic-strip dog helped cement its place in popular culture. Chilean fanciers organized to standardize the breed in the twentieth century, and it is recognized by the national kennel club as a Chilean breed. It has not achieved recognition from the major international registries and remains rare outside South America, where preservation efforts continue among dedicated local breeders.
Originally bred for: Vermin control, Farm ratting, Companion. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.
Feeding a Chilean Terrier
An agile, wiry farm terrier with a brisk metabolism; standard small-breed maintenance food twice daily suits most. These dogs stay busy well into maturity, so scale amounts to current activity rather than a fixed lifelong ration.
Watch for: No widely reported breed-specific sensitivities; individual dogs vary. Working stock generally digests robustly, though sudden diet changes or scavenged finds upset it. Bring any suspected reaction to a veterinarian rather than experimenting at home.
Not sure what to put in the bowl? See our picks for the best dog food for small breeds.
Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.
Living with a Chilean Terrier
Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.
For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.
Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a comfortable no-pull harness.
Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.