The Friendly Border Terrier

Dog breed info
Border Terrier
Weight: 12 — 16 lbs
Height: 10” — 11”
AKC Rank 2008 #78
Lifespan: 12—15 yrs
Group Terrier
Origin Scotland/England

Dog Breed Info – The Border Terrier

Breed Overview

Origin 1700’s. Original Function: Fox hunting, ratting. Today, Companion. Colors: red, grizzle, tan, blue and tan, or wheaten.

The breed originated around the Cheviot Hill’s following the border between Scotland and England. It originated to chase the fox that were considered a problem for local farmers. The name Border Terrier, taken from the Border Hunt, was adopted in 1870. By this time the breed had risen from it’s utilitarian roots to take a high value place beside the Foxhounds in the foxhunts. Over time, the Terrier has become more of a personal companion dog while still retaining it’s hunting value for a few folks. After all, the Border Hunt did have a long association with these friendly little terriers. The Terrier was registered by the AKC in 1930 and has become a companion and family dog.

Very trainable. Intelligent and loves training sessions. Best way to train is with clicker training and positive reinforcement which is easy and very effective.

Crate Training

Want to crate train your Border Terriere puppy? It’s easy and if you’re interested, take a look and you’ll see what to do. Crate training your puppy will save many headaches and problems.

Potty Training

The Border Terrier puppies are fairly easy to house train, potty train, toilet train, housebreak or whatever you want to call it. If you have a puppy, decide if you want to crate or paper potty train it. For the best results, we have a page at Crate vs Paper Potty Training which will help you decide and from there you can get all the information you need to get the job done. Always praise the pup profusely when she goes potty in the RIGHT PLACE so she knows she has done a good thing. Either method will work for this breed.

If you have an older dog, take the dog outside every two hours until she gets the idea which door leads to her potty area. Older dogs catch on to the potty or housebreaking pretty fast once they are shown what to do.

The Border Terrier is one of the more friendly of the terriers. He is an inquisitive, friendly and busy little dog he loved to hunt and can be quite independent. The B.T. is somewhat of an escape artist and if given the chance, likes to roam and investigate new places. However, he’s a loyal family dog. This breed is good with other dogs and cats as well as children. This is a good companion dog for folks of just about any age. As with any terrier, he likes to dig and may bark a tad too much at times. Otherwise, this dog makes a great house pet.

If you happen to get a puppy or dog with separation anxiety problem, that can be dealt with by investing a few hours of work on your part and some “tough love.”

Border Terrier up close

Friendly Toward Other Dogs

Yes. Not aggressive. Usually gets along with dogs.

Friendly Toward Other Pets

Yes. Good with dogs and cats, but NOT small animals like rodents, hamsters, etc.

Friendly Toward Strangers

Yes. Border Terriers Get along with most people.

Playfulness

Yes, quite playful.

Yes. Affectionate with his family members.

Yes. Especially older kids. Closely supervise very young children.

Good with Seniors over 65?

Yes. Excellent. The Border Terrier is a moderately affectionate, loyal family dog that will warn of strangers and loves to play, is fairly easy to care for and fun to be around, good with the grandchildren once introduced. This dog needs to be kept busy, something a senior has time to do.

Living environment

Apartment, condo, farm, house. Indoor living with family.

Energy level

Moderate. Needs to be kept busy. Chew toys, walks, Frisbee, etc.

The Border Terrier is a spunky little fellow who needs reasonable exercise such as a good walk on leash and some vigorous fetch in the yard plus some obedience training sessions. The Border Terrier is active and must be kept busy with plenty of chew toys and other activities.

Yes, Will announce strangers approaching.

No. Too friendly.

Very little. Low dander and saliva.
Good with allergy sufferers.

Yes, some. Has a tough, wiry coat that needs brushing at least once a week. Dead hair needs stripping quarterly.

3rd book from the left is “101 Dog Tricks” which offers great mental stimulation and activities for your Terrier. There is stuff in this book I had never thought of for a dog!

The book on the right is by the American National Red Cross and deals with dog emergencies, illnesses and injuries. It’s a valuable reference manual for all dog owners and should be kept close at hand. ________________________________________________ Top

In the event you decide to go looking for Border Terrier puppies, be SURE to find reputable breeders that really know what they are doing. Be sure the puppy has been well socialized and started in obedience training.
Border Terrier Breeders with puppies for sale.

Border Terrier Rescue

In the event you are seriously considering the adoption of an older dog and are looking for a Border Terrier Rescue group or groups in your state, here are several links that might help:
Petfinder – Border Terrier Rescue In the event you do adopt one, try to locate the dog health records for possible future use.
Adopt A Pet This is an interesting site but I did note Petfinder (above) is showing only 112 dogs at this time which will vary but you might have to surf the web for Border Terrier Rescue groups or kennels to find what you’re looking for.

This is basically a healthy breed. Don’t let the list below scare you! Your own dog will probably never have ANY of these problems. These are dog illness and medical problems this breed is prone to that have been listed by various veterinarians at different times over the past decade or so and some pertain to puppies and very young dogs that a breeder would deal with.

The information contained herein has been gathered from numerous books by veterinarians and is intended as general information only. Every dog and situation is different. You must see your vet. Our information is for general interest only and not intended to replace the advice provided by your own veterinarian.

Hip dysplasia – Hind end limping, back leg acts lame. Wear and time causes the femur to fit poorly into the pelvic socket with improper rotation causing great pain, lameness, arthritis and difficulty walking for the Border Terrier. You may notice the dog “hopping”” like a rabbit when running plus hesitating to climb stairs, all due to pain in the hind quarters. The problem actually starts as a very young puppy with an abnormal formation of the hip joint and grows progressively. A vet can locate this with a diagnostics test.

Other health problems could occur with your Border Terrier. If you notice any problems with your dog, take it to the vet immediately. This website is for general information only and is not intended to, in any way, be a medical guide.

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