If you live in the suburbs or a city, she would adore a fenced yard in which she can chase squirrels and birds, and dig after moles and grubs. Modern leash requirements in most communities dictate that she not run the neighborhood and torment other pets and wildlife. If you don’t have a yard as an option and wish to keep your sanity with a young terrier in your life, you had better plan on an active lifestyle with plenty of action (think in terms of miles, not city blocks, for daily walks). Likewise, she is very well suited to a rural home where she can self-entertain in the outdoors.

Make a point to buy her appropriate toys and don’t be shocked when she shreds them into a thousand pieces. Give her your leftover cardboard boxes and plastic soda bottles to murder (supervising to ensure that any little pieces get tossed out and not swallowed, as you would with any other toy). Put her meals into a puzzle food dispenser that she will have to work her little tail off to get into, rather than putting food in a bowl. Use flirt poles and fetch games to help her dial into her chase drive. Animate stuffed toys as if you were performing a ridiculous puppet show and then watch her attack the performers. Tap into your inner kid, get mischievous, and embrace and direct her tenacity in any way you can.

She isn’t characteristically stressed by company in the home, as her instincts were never developed for personal protection; so you aren’t likely to have the visitor issues common to other kinds of dogs (though she may be so obnoxiously enthusiastic that you wish you’d left her in the bedroom). She may find a hundred ways to be habitually annoying in the house (barking at a certain commercial, incessantly throwing the ball at your feet, digging in the sofa, chasing the cat), but most of these behaviors only pose a small inconvenience as long as you have a personality that is compatible with her general spirit.

PUBLIC LIFE—You might find yourself occasionally holding on for dear life when you venture out into the world with your terrier. She is excitable by definition, and the world is an exciting place! This doesn’t mean she can’t learn how to control herself in a variety of situations, but it isn’t exactly a hitch-free process. The sight of a passing dog on the walk or the neighborhood kids on skateboards can put her over the edge in an instant, potentially causing some real drama and embarrassment for you as she barks and spins at the end of the leash. Take your patience with you when you leave the house.