Border Terrier​ - Terrier Group

Border Terrier

Breed Group: Terrier Group

Size Group: Small Dog Breeds

OriginUnited Kingdom

Height: 12”-15”

Weight: 13-15.5lbs

Color: Blue & tan, grizzle & tan, red, wheaten

Lifespan12-15 years

Temperament: Energetic, cheerful, warm, determined

 

Overview

Border Terriers are doggedly determined when they are working but loving and silly when they are with their family. These pups thrive in a home environment that truly allows them to become one of the family. They are very bright dogs that are anxious to please. BTs deeply resonate with the tone of your voice. You can briefly express displeasure with behavior and your pup will correct its ways.  These exceptionally active pups will thrive with the proper use of a crate. It will afford a secure space for your pup to be when bored, traveling, or feeling insecure around unfamiliar people.

BTs were bred to help control the fox population in the UK and were given their name because of their association with the Border Hunt in Northumberland. The instinct to hunt is still in these tiny pups so be sure to always play with your pup in a secure area or keep pup leashed.

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Celebrity Owners

Andy Murray, David Walliams & Lara Stone, David Quaid, Diane Keaton, Eva Green & Daniel Craig, James Herriot, Kate Lawler, Kim Sears, Liam Aiken, Lorraine Kelly, Mandy Moore, Noel Fitzpatrick, Prince Carl Philip & Princess Sofia

Fun Facts

  1. Border Terriers have graced the silver screen in There’s Something About Mary, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Prometheus, Return to Oz, Cheaper by the Dozen, and A Most Violent Year.

Health

In general, Border Terriers are healthy pups. Their most serious issue being Spongiform LeucoEncephaloMyelopathy (SLEM – or shaking puppy).

Other issues include:

  • Cataracts: A dog develops a cataract when the lens in its eye clouds. The clouding is caused by changes in the water balance or proteins in the lens.
  • Retinal dysplasia: Both an inherited and a result of viral infections, retinal dysplasia is an abnormal growth of the retina in the eye.
  • Progressive retinal atrophy: Atrophy is a wearing or wasting away of a body part. In this case, it is the retina in the eye, which eventually leads to blindness.
  • Fanconi syndrome: This kidney disease is a tubule function that has excess vitamins and acids secreted through the urine.
  • Hip dysplasia: This condition is when the socket joint in the hip isn’t large enough, or more often too shallow, for the femoral head.
  • Heart disease: There’s a myriad of causes of heart disease in dogs. Age, health and nutrition all play a vital role. With 95% of heart diseases coming in small dog breeds who are 5 years or older, thinking about preventative care and coverage is smart to do.
  • Seizures: The most common neurological disease in dogs, seizures affect about 1% of dogs.
  • Allergies: Histamine, which is a chemical in the body associated with immune responses, is released during allergic reactions.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.

Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.

Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.

Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.

Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:

  1. Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
  2. Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
  3. Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
  4. Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
  5. At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.

Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.

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Grooming

BTs’ double coat is naturally dirt repellant. For this reason, they do not require frequent bathing, as too much bathing will negate this ability. You can often remove dirt from their coat with a damp towel.

 

Borders like to sunbathe which helps them naturally remove any odors. Using clippers instead of brushing your pup, allowing natural coat growth, will dramatically change the look of their look and will not remove any of the dead hair, just shorten it.

 

Seasonally your pup may go through a shedding period that will require increased brushing. Always check your pup’s ears to make sure they are clean and free of debris. Brush your pup’s teeth several times a week.

Cost

$800 – $1,500

Exercise

Border terriers love to be active. They require a minimum of 30 minutes exercise per day. Leased brisk walks, jogging, hiking, playing fetch are easy activities to keep you pet happy. If you are playing with your pup do so in a secure area.

 

The instinct to chase prey is strong and your pup is fast, so keeping them contained is essential. It does not have to end there though, search for other BT events in your area to see if you pup can compete with some other pups in fun agility events. If you can find one, take your pup to a barn hunt to sniff out rats. This will satisfy that desire to hunt!

Nutrition

On average BTs eat 1 cup of food per day. The amount your pup consumes will vary based on their age and level of activity. It’s always a good choice to feed your dog the best food with balanced nutrients.

Are You Feeding Your Dog The Best Food?

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Training

As with all pups, it is important to socialize BTs with humans and other dogs early in life. These intelligent little worker dogs love to have a purpose. They delight in learning commands.

 

Keep your sessions consistent and full of positive reinforcement, harsh reprimands can lead to your pup shutting down and becoming unresponsive. They respond especially well to agility training.

Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!

Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.

Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.

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Supplements

As mentioned before, hip dysplasia is the most common ailment for Affenpinschers. A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.

Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.

Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.

Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.

Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.

As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.

Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.

Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.

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The Good

Low shedder
Low odor
Great with children

The "Ruff"

Prone to chasing and digging
Not great with same sex BTs
Loud bark
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Annual Vet Bills: $1,500+

Be Prepared for the unexpected.