any owners of border/cairn or jack russell terriers?

[rudolphistheboss]

We are in the very early stages of considering getting a puppy after my old boy was sadly pts after a long illness last year. I've only had big dogs before (last was a ridgeback/mastiff cross) but would like a small dog now due to having small children. We have a huge garden and live in the middle of nowhere. I am currently a sahm and both children love playing out and going for long walks. My dh ideally wants a dog who can go for long walks and be taught to play with a ball.

Can anybody recommend any of these breeds (or any others) which would live happily in this situation? I have time and experience training puppies and would crate train initially. TIA!

I have a Jrt cross chihuahua he is great with kids adores my neices and nephews.
Loves to play ball and tug with my 3 yr old nephew.
He's quite a chilled little dog with a big dog personality. Loves to play but also loves to cuddle up and sleep on you.

Hi I have a jack Russell cross border terrier and she is having alot of problems with her ears, she scratches continuously and makes it very red and sore, we have been seeing the vets about it for nearly a year but they now think it's allergies, can anyone recommend an over the counter salutation as it's costing me a small fortune in vets bills and though she is insured we have used up the amount available for this year, thank you

We have 2 x JRTs. The female is full on terrier. She is raring to go at any opportunity but pretty cuddly and snoozy when nothing is happening. She is obsessed with the ball and playing chase the furry toy. She is barky (VERY) and can get very hyper about things that excite her. We have neighbours which means she must have constant supervision in the garden because anything could set her off. She is also likely to dig if she gets the chance. She barks at the doorbell, postman and any noise she considers to be strange.

She is 12 years old and fit as a fiddle; she can keep up with the young springer and then some. She still needs lots of walking and activity, even at her age. When younger she was capable of walking/running for hours and still have energy for more. Her recall is pretty good now but you still wouldn't let her off lead near temptation (hedgerows and woods) and when she was younger she would bugger off if she got so much as a glimpse of freedom or a squirrel. She was a rescue dog, though and maybe if we'd had her since she was a puppy this might have been different. The ball helped control it to a certain extent - she really is obsessed with it.

She is neither friendly towards or afraid of other dogs - a miracle considering she was attacked badly some years ago. She might give a cursory sniff as we walk past but otherwise couldn't care less. She will not suffer fools gladly, won't take sweets from strangers and is quick to let anyone know she isn't happy without being aggressive, but is loving to family and currently laid out flat under the desk as I type.

JRTs have a lot of character and, in my experience, are never going to be easy dog to own because they are SO terrier. You will need to always stay one step ahead of them. However, if you are truly looking for an adventure dog, have children that can respect the dog's boundaries and don't mind the barking then they have a lot to give. They are also cheap to keep because they don't eat much and tend to be healthy - provided their adventurous ways don't result in accidents.

We have two border terriers and young kids and they are fab. They are very loyal, loving dogs and are very open to training. They are generally a very healthy breed and really don't require much maintenance other than a twice yearly strip (we have minimal shedding). Our boy is definitely more chilled than our girl (few people including our day care and vet who has had several borders have commented that they have found this to generally be the case) but they are both very sweet, fun little dogs. They are very hardy and can walk as long as you like and mine enjoy canifit and my attempts at DIY agility. I've had other terriers in the past and do find my borders to be a bit less "terrier".

Terriers get a bit of an unfair reputation but I think it's because people underestimate them. They are big dogs in little bodies but with the right training and socialisation are just as able to perfect pets as any other. They are very effective escape artists so you'll need to look at your garden from their perspective. The can dig, tunnel, jump and climb so it can take more to contain them than other breeds. They can be trained to have just as good recall as any other but it can be on their terms and their prey drive can override their desire to come back. I tend to walk mine on lead with only occasional walks off lead (my girl doesn't get odd lead, once she's out the house she's on the scent of whatever she can find!) They can be quite jumpy and licky which can be hard with young kids but is absolutely something you can train them not to do.

I'll include a pic for cuteness

I’m going to throw irish terriers into the mix. Beautiful, gentle and loyal dogs who adore children. I have three so I am biased but I can’t imagine a better dog for a family with a big garden, children and a love of walking.

tracyjonny77 You really need to start your own thread about this, as responses will get lost in the mass of people replying to the OP.

allergies to what, though? If it's food, you could try a hypoallergenic diet (or just put her on Chappie for a bit to see if it makes a difference; Chappie is very bland but basically fine). If it's grass seeds or something there are shampoos that can soothe itchy skin, but if it's specifically in her ears, it could be a fungal infection? If the vets have been treating her for a whole year then I'd expect a more specific diagnosis than just 'allergies'...

We are now waiting for our own Border Terrier pup to come home with us.
We are former working cocker owners and decided after looking at the various breed traits a Border would work with our lifestyle.
OP you need to look at the pros and cons and decide if they will work for you.

We have had a JRT cross and also a Cairn cross. The terrier in both predominated, both were very active, very noisy and territorial. We ‘ve found bigger dogs much easier because they are calmer and much more trainable.

I’ve got both a border terrier and a JRT , the BT is very easy going and a dream, our JRT is lovely with people but can be bolshy with other dogs and becomes completely deaf when chasing small furries

We've had two Borders - love 'em. Our first vet recommended them as a great first pet and while there are always exceptions he thought they are more biddable and easy going than other terrier breeds. A bit less terrier-ish, you might say.

Lots of personality, affectionate, minimal grooming. Our boy is a barker but our girl hardly ever barked, though she could sulk Lovely dogs. Here's our little lad, before his recent hand-strip.

I have a 2yo JRT x Dachshund - but the JRT is clearly the dominant side of the mix. He's my first terrier.

The first thing to know about him is that he needs at least two hours of brisk walkies per day, ideally in a dog heavy area. Every day. Anything less than this and you will live to regret it - he'll be biting your ankles and generally making a nuisance of himself. If he gets overtired he's like a toddler throwing a tantrum ("I blame the parents" said a 'helpful' woman at the ice cream stand this weekend ). I work hard to keep him somewhere inbetween undertired and overtired!

He's pretty feisty and has a bit of a tendency towards reactivity - I've learned to manage it now with professional help, and he's generally a great dog (inc. with children - I've tested him with well behaved 5-8 year olds), but let's just say that I've learned a great deal about dog behaviour from having him around and researching out of necessity. How much is because of his background of zero training and multiple rehomings? Very hard to tell; I suspect it's a mixture of nature and nurture because he has improved enormously.

He's utterly obsessed with balls, and will never, ever give up on a game of fetch. He might have a breather, but once he's got his breath back he'll be straight back on it. Loves to chase rats, squirrels, magpies etc. but has never caught one. Not much of a digger or a barker - which is highly unusual given the breeds!

Definitely a one-person sort of dog. He only bonds to those who are his primary carers, but he bonds to those people very, very strongly. Family members who are often around but don't take him out for walkies? Ignored, unless they have food. Strangers who try to attract his attention? They might get 3-5 seconds of attention and then they'll be ignored. Me? He's clearly devoted, doesn't want to go too far when off lead and checks in every 10 seconds or so (it's quite sweet really). Some of this may come from the dachshund side of the family, some may be a nurture thing (after 10 months, I've been his life longer than any of his previous humans).

He's a great dog - now - but full of idiosyncracies and in great need of careful management to maintain his status as "acceptable member of society". If you do get one, for goodness sakes go to well run puppy classes (not the type that are a free for all with puppies jumping on each other) and socialise him in a variety of environments, urban and rural, to give yourself the best chance of a well rounded dog. Or - even better - get a rescue - there are a huge number of JRTs in rescue

Thank you, no vets said they could do alot of tests that cost a fortune and still not know the kind of allergy it is so there was no point, I personally think it's grass as she seems worse when she is in the garden but thank you very much for your advice x

Rescue dog. Dogs trust said he was yorkies cross. However we got his dna done and he’s mostly border terrier with border collie, collie, whippet and another terrier thrown in.

Loves cuddles, long, long walks, ball games and just being part of a family.

This is him after exhausting dh on a walk.