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Border Terriersby people whoknow them

Border Terrier statistics5 - 7kg28-40cm

PopularityBorder Terrier numbers have halved in the last decade, butthey are still ranked 12th most popular

What five wordssum up BorderTerriers?. LovingIntelligentLoyalStubbornIndependent

How clever areBorder Terriers?

The survey revealed 17 would bea very good age for a Border Terrier. One person told us of one dog who they saylived to 22 years. The Kennel Club say average lifeexpectancy is (more than) 12.

Most popularnames?Harry & Betty

Average exercise for Border Terriers

How easy is this breed to train?...distracted

On a scale of 1-5 how well doBorder Terriers get on with....

What sort ofhair do they have? They moult - a lot!Their top coat should be harsh andbristly. Purists use a techniquecalled 'hand-stripping' - pulling outthe dead hairs by hand. Some pet owners don't masterthis and get a dog groomer to do itfor them or resort to having themclipped - but this changes the coatand ironically makes them lookless scruffy!

ZimCore Hubs | Company Culture HandbookDo they need to go to a groomingsalon for hand stripping?

Why do people love the Border Terrierabove all other dogs?(In less than 20 words)"Loves life, walking,cuddles, small enough tocarry, low maintenance,typical terrier ways.Mischievous, loving,active, lazy.""Loving and friendly happyto snuggle or go for longwalks. Big characters insmall bodies. Cute & funny." "They are loyal but have their own mind.""They are pretty stubborn,have some funny quirks andkeep us laughing every day.""They are highly intelligent butalso they have a wicked sense ofhumour. Fantastic in home andgreat with children.""I love a lot of breeds, but it's afeisty fun loving terrier with agreat sense of humour and youget a lot of dog in a smallpackage!"

How healthy? 50% 40% 10%

What sort of health problems did the 10% experience? "He has CECS, sometimes also known as paroxysmal gluten-sensitive dyskinesia (PGSD) or Spike's Disease. It's a seizure-likedisorder recorded in a number of breeds, but is of particular concern inthe Border Terrier. A gluten-free diet has stopped attacks." "He suffers sometimes with hisears and has a mild case of CECS,which is managed through diet. "Has back problems because of jumping up trying to catch squirrels on the fence."

Essential health test DNA Test SpongiformLeukoencephalomyelopathy(SLEM)orShaking Puppy Syndrome This is a very nasty, usually fatal,neurological problem that causespuppies to have uncontrollableshaking starting in the back legs. But the good news is this is arecessive genetic problem thatalready has a DNA test. if just one of the parents is testedCLEAR then NONE of the pups willbe affected.

AFFECTEDSadly, these pups inherited the SLEM gene mutation from bothmum and dad. Affected pups do not usually survive. CLEARAs this dog is free of the SLEM gene, he or she will never producepups with Shaking Puppy Syndrome - no matter what the otherparent's genes are like. CARRIERThis dog will not have Shaking Puppy Syndrome but should not bemated to another carrier as there is 25% risk of producingaffected pups. One parent passed on a normal gene and the otherparent a defective one.BREEDING FROM CARRIERSIf carriers are otherwise good dogs, they can still be bred from, as tolose all carriers would dangerously restrict genetic diversity andpossibly increase the chances of other inherited conditions developing. CARRIERS can safely bred to CLEAR dogs, but their pups must be testedbefore they are bred from.SLEMDNA resultsexplained

Those who like the look of Border Terriersmight also like the smaller Norfolk orNorwich Terriers...

Or the Australian Terrier or the Cairn

or Lakeland Terriers

Or the bigger Irish Terrier?

Or the feisty Patterdale or the Parson Jack Russell?

Or the rare Bedlington, Glen of Imaal or DandieDinmont Terriers?

Or these similar-sized non-terriers?Shiba Inu Basenji

Or the wild card - the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Advice for others thinking of getting aBorder Terrier"Don't get a Border Terrierif you can't spend a lot oftime with them. Don't getone if you want a low-keydog - they are terriers, afterall. And know you need to havetheir coat stripped out byhand twice a year.""Get proper fencing! They are escape artists.And a childgate by thefront door as they willalways run for it ."

"A big personality in a little brownhairy jacket. Don't forget they can bean out-and-out terrier. Be prepared, they moult like mad!" "Work constantly on their recall. Rememberthey have no road sense. If you need them to bearound other critters, start training at eightweeks.""Have patience, they don't seemto settle down until they get tothree years old!""Avoid breeders who claim thatthere are no health problems inthe breed."

"Would they be alone much? They’re sociable little souls and not good at being couped up.""Border Terriers have a lot of prey drive. They need a lot of exercise and attention, which makes them great, active companions.""They are great with children, so consider getting one of those, too!"

"If you want a dog thatjust lives to please you, don't get a BorderTerrier. "If you like a challengeand are happy to earnyour relationship statuson merit, get a BorderTerrier."

Please do share your experience of living with this breed: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BorderTerrierOwnerSurvey