The Border Terrier was originally bred along
side the fox hounds between England and Scotland.
It's role was to bolt the fox from it's den or kill and
draw the fox from the earth. They are essentially a
working Terrier.
Even the pet dogs of today still have this working
instinct naturally in them.With this in mind, they
will kill other small animals, ie hampsters, rabbits squirels in the garden. They are fine with
cats if brought up with them, cats who are not
part of their family though like most dogs will be chased.
They can and will escape from the smallest of holes
in the garden so good fencing is a must. They are
not the best breed to be off lead, as they will put their
nose down and follow the interesting scents, totally
ignoring your calls. This doesn't mean they are not
intelligent, they are and will learn quick but the instinct
they were born with will over ride your recall. If you
do want to let a Border off lead then training from
eight wks is essential together with going to a secure
area with no roads around, sadly traffic accidents
are far to common with Terriers.
The Border Terrier has a thick double coat, a soft
warm under coat with a harsh water proof outer coat
The top coat does not shed which means it needs
to be hand stripped. This does not mean though
they do not moult, you will still have some hairs
around the house just not as much as a moulting breed.
The Border Terrier is an active breed, which will do
best with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation
They love companionship and do not do well in homes
where people are out all day, buying two will not
solve this issue it will just ensure you have two dogs
that are bored and are unhappy.
The Border Terrier has four correct and registered
colours which are Red anything from a pale red to deep
foxy red. Wheaten which is a very pale colour with no
black ticking, sadly this colour has not been seen
for as long as 30 years. Grizzle and Tan varying colours of
of tan with light or dark ticking(grizzle) on the ends of the hairs. Blue and Tan, tan underbody,legs
and head with a black body having the desirable white
silver hairs which gives the blue colouring.
Once you have made the decision to become a dog
owner, you then have to decide which breed is right
for you. You also have to consider which breed you are right for. I hope by giving you the back ground
of the Border Terrier this will help you make that final
decision. I do not want to paint a bad picture of this
lovely breed, as I have found them, magical, they do have
a serious side though which needs to be taken into
consideration before buying one. that way hopefully
both you and your new puppy will have a long and
happy life together.