The Brazilian Terrier (Fox Paulistinha) is a small dog (6 to 10 kg) with high energy and no specific nutritional predisposition documented in the veterinary literature. The food's priority is standard maintenance for a small adult, with kibble of a suitable size and calories matched to an active, lively dog.
In the current My Pet Magazine analysis, the best food for the Brazilian Terrier is Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials (Purina Pro Plan), with a technical score of 91.3/100 (🌟 Superior Quality), calculated with the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI methodology across 49 dog foods reviewed in July 2026. See the full ranking ↓
What to weigh in food for the Brazilian Terrier
Small size and high energy. The Fox Paulistinha is an agile, alert, tireless dog, traits that call for a small-breed maintenance food with good caloric density — enough to sustain the activity without demanding large volumes of food, compatible with the breed's small stomach.
Kibble suited to the muzzle. Being a small dog, he benefits from reduced-size kibble, easier to grasp and chew than kibble designed for larger dogs. That is a practical size adjustment, not a documented health requirement.
No documented predisposition. There is, in the available veterinary literature, no cluster of nutritional conditions associated with the breed — the Brazilian Terrier is one of the six Brazilian breeds recognized by the CBKC and continues to have little dedicated scientific study. In the absence of breed data, the safe basis is to follow the general maintenance parameters for adult dogs, according to AAFCO and FEDIAF, with attention to the portion to avoid excess weight — a risk common to any small, active dog when the amount does not follow energy expenditure.
Criteria scored against the My Pet Magazine nutritional targets (protein, fat, calcium and caloric density ranges by size — see our methodology).
Breed profile and predispositions
The Brazilian Terrier, popularly called the Fox Paulistinha, is a Brazilian breed of small size, with a short, dense coat and an alert, active temperament — a dog that adapts well to an apartment, but needs a regular exercise routine to burn energy. It is one of the national breeds recognized by the Brazilian Confederation of Cynophilia (CBKC).
There is, at this time, no published study associating the breed with a specific nutritional condition — unlike breeds with decades of documented veterinary follow-up internationally, the Brazilian Terrier still has a limited research history. In that scenario, the nutritional recommendation follows the general maintenance profiles for adult dogs defined by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles and the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines — parameters designed to cover the individual dog's weight range and activity level, and not a breed predisposition.
Recommended foods for the Brazilian Terrier
Ranked by IDNM/IPFI technical score across 49 dog foods — no manual product curation.
- 1
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials · Purina Pro Plan
91.3/100 - 2
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed · Blue Buffalo
90/100 - 3
Wellness Complete Health Small Breed · Wellness
89.5/100 - 4
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula · Blue Buffalo
89.2/100 - 5
Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat All Life Stages · Diamond Naturals
88.6/100
Frequently asked questions about Brazilian Terrier food
- Does the Brazilian Terrier (Fox Paulistinha) need a special food?
- There is no specific health condition documented in the veterinary literature that requires a differentiated food — the breed is little studied scientifically. What weighs in the choice is the small size and the high energy — the basis is a maintenance food for a small adult dog, with kibble sized for the muzzle, following the general parameters from AAFCO and FEDIAF.
- How many times a day should the Fox Paulistinha eat?
- Two to three meals a day usually work well for a small, active dog. Splitting the portion helps keep energy steady across the day without overloading the small stomach.
- Does the Fox Paulistinha gain weight easily?
- There is no breed-specific data on a tendency toward excess weight. As with any small, active dog, the risk grows when the portion does not follow energy expenditure — it is worth measuring the amount rather than estimating by eye.
- Does the Fox Paulistinha need small-breed food?
- Kibble size makes a practical difference — smaller kibble is easier for a small dog to chew. Beyond that, what matters is caloric density matched to the dog's weight and activity, not a breed-exclusive product line.
- Is there nutritional research specific to the Brazilian Terrier?
- There is no published veterinary literature with a nutritional predisposition specific to the breed. The safest choice is to follow the general maintenance parameters for small adult dogs, from the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles and FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines (2024).
Methodology
The food ranking on this page is ordered by My Pet Magazine's IDNM/IPFI technical methodology, which evaluates the nutritional density and ingredient purity of each product in the active dataset, with no manual brand curation. Since the breed has no documented nutritional predisposition, the score projection uses the profile entered in the quiz — small size and high activity level — to order the options most compatible with the individual dog.
The ranking on this page is a projection of the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI scoring engine over the dog dataset, with no manual product curation. See the full methodology →
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