| The Border Terrier is a small dog identified by his otter-shaped head, and narrow and well-proportioned body. He has a broad skull, with a short, strong muzzle, V-shaped ears, a few, short whiskers, and a naturally moderately-short tail. |
| Height: |
Male: 13-16 inches; Female: 11-14 inches |
| Weight: |
Male: 13-15½ pounds; Female: 11½-14 pounds |
| Color(s): |
Grizzle and tan, blue and tan, red grizzle, or wheaten; most with a dark muzzle |
| Coat: |
Short, dense, soft undercoat; harsh, wiry, close-lying outer coat that is weather and dirt resistant, and has no curl or wave |
| Description: |
The Border Terrier was originally bred as a fox and vermin hunter, and shares ancestry with the Dandie Dinmont Terrier and the Bedlington Terrier. The Border Terrier’s love of people and even temperament, makes then good therapy dogs, especially for children and the elderly. They have occasionally been used to aid the blind and deaf. |
| Temperament: |
Border Terriers are affectionate, intelligent, even-tempered, obedient, alert, and fearless. Border Terriers love company, and do not like to be left alone. They usually get along with other dogs, especially those of the opposite sex. However, if they encounter another dog they dislike, they do not hesitate to start a fight, which, as with most terriers, may be difficult to stop. The Border Terrier will get along well with cats with whom they have been raised, but may chase other cats and small animals, such as mice, rabbits, squirrels, rats, and guinea pigs. |
| Training: |
Intelligent and eager to please, Border Terriers have a mid to high training ability. From a young age, they should be trained on command. He responds better to training for tasks, than he does for being taught mere tricks. Regular training helps to maintain what he has learned. |
| Care & Grooming: |
The Border Terrier’s coat usually requires hand stripping twice a year to remove dead hair. Afterwards, it takes about eight weeks for the top coat to come back in. For some dogs, weekly brushing will suffice. A Border Terrier will hike, bike, and run with his owner, and has sufficiently long legs to achieve a reasonable speed. He is excellent in agility training, quicker to learn jumps and see-saws than weaving poles. Make sure that toys given to your Border Terrier are sufficiently robust. Due to the Border Terrier’s instinct to kill and consume smaller animals, they will often destroy, and sometimes eat, toys that are insufficiently robust. |
| Shedding: |
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| Health: |
Generally a healthy breed, there are certain genetic health issues they experience including hip dysplasia, Perthes disease, various heart defects, juvenile cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, seizures, CECS (Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome). Border Terriers are also known to be sensitive to anesthetics, and slow to induce. |
| Lifespan: |
15+ years |
| Litter Size: |
4–7 puppies |
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