Border terriers!

[AmyD54321]

Hi everyone,
Looking for advice. Husband and I are early 30s, no children or other dogs. We’d love to get a dog but want to make sure we get the right breed for us. From our own research, we love the idea of a border terrier.

A bit of background - we live in a small house with a small secure garden. We both work from home, and this isn’t going to change. We live in a town, so the dog must be happy going to local cafes and the park with us. We are quite active, and enjoy going for long walks on the weekends, and we both run for an hour about 4 times a week (how would a BT cope with joining us for a shorter run occasionally?) Walking with the dog for an hour or so each morning and evening will be no problem. A small breed is essential because we don’t have a lot of space.

What do you all think of a border terrier for us? I’ve met a few and always loved them, but very happy to hear all other suggestions!

The ones I know are quite vocal and not very dog friendly.

Mine would fit in with that except running on hot days. They’re not one for the heat.

Meeting new dogs with pleasantness is a constant effort but mostly works ok with good treating. I won’t use those off lead caged areas.

She is never walked off lead. No road sense, can’t guarantee that she will be kind to other dogs when I am not with her. She hunts. She would disappear into the bush block and never come back. Every year, we lose all the new shingle backs that come through our own back yard no matter how much we try to keep an eye on it. She barks at strangers in the street but something that can be managed out of her.

However, eager to please, happy to learn, easy to clean up after on walks (nice, neat little torpedoes). And that little face with the dark eyes - so cute. Mine has even figured out the Magic 1-2-3 discipline thing. Not desperately needy to be under your feet all the time unless you are carving the roast.

They're great with people but not fantastic with other dogs in my experience - they can be snappy and reactive.

Personally I would never pick a breed known for having issues with other dogs as it can be so draining as an owner to deal with dog reactivity everyday and other owners (rightly or wrongly) will judge you for it.

We have 2 and the younger one will just roll over if another dog comes up to it - older one will only snap at a dog if they do it first. BUT when we got elder one the breeder did recommend socialising ( which is sensible for any dog) Neither of them react to another dog unless it is aggressive.

They are affectionate , cute , they are very very good with children if you have any visitors BUT - they hunt - if you go out to park & they see a squirrel - they are off. I would never walk a Border off lead near a road - if they see a pigeon they're off ( not so much the elder one - he can't be bothered now.

DH goes running with our two & his run is interrupted because he has to keep checking if they are still with him or have gone snuffling in the bushes.

That said we are getting another - a fantastic breed. I don't think they are bad with other dogs. That said when I walk them I have treats in my pocket and they come back when I shout Treat

I know one and he's a lovely boy and gets on fine with my lab. He's not overly barky, can be quite stubborn!

I have a different small terrier, who is able to run 5k in good style, and can run more steadily up to about 90minutes. And I suspect would go longer!

My dad had one, always had bad allergies but I don’t know if that’s a breed thing or just her.
I was chatting to someone the other day at her gate and I was saying how cute her dogs were ( 2 border terriers) and she said “no they’re massive twats” just as she said it they both came running full pelt down her hallway both holding on to the same stick for dear life where they got stuck in the doorway.😁

I've got a Bt and everything you've said points to it being the right breed. They are the sort of dog that can do a 20 mile hike to the top of a mountain in the snow, or a short walk around the block and spend the rest of the day in the sofa.

They are escape artists so a secure garden is a must. They love to dog so hopefully you're not garden proud.

I've had dogs all my life and my BT is the happiest, most loving dog I've ever had the pleasure of owning - actually I think she owns me.

They are great with other dogs, bred to be with fox hounds so have to be slightly submissive and not aggressive with other dogs, great with children. I took mine to puppy class and it was a great call.

They can have a very high prey drive, someone said to me that BTs can either listen or sniff, but never both. So when she gets a scent she's off, although I have seen other BTs with fantastic recall.

I have mine 'stripped' twice a year so she doesn't moult that much.

I also work from home and she's happy going to sleep on her bed in my office and rarely bother me

Sounds a perfect set up for a BT, go for it.

Any excuse for a photo

I have one but he's only five months so probably not the best person to comment. When we first got him he was a massive twat 😆. I actually thought what the he'll have I done, he was such hard work compared to other puppies I've had. However, he's come on leaps and bounds since and calmed down loads. He's turning into the best little dog with loads of personality.

Bugger can't get it to add

@GrumpyLivesInMyHouseNow - Our two - once they have been for morning walk just go for a kip under DH's WFH desk - they have an inbred clock which tells them when he is going to going for lunch. Their afternoon thing is to sleep on the cushions I have put inside the patio doors. But they can run and run

This is not my dog but someone sent it to me so not a photo but proof they can run

One thing to remember about running with dogs is that you need to wait until they are fully adult. Rule of thumb for that is 1 year, but you might be OK a bit younger with a small breed.

@BasiliskStare that's made my day.

Mines the same, breakfast and a walk, then sleeps until lunchtime. She comes to lunch with me, (they are the greediest dogs ever) then back to sleep again

With any terrier breed (I had lakelands for 20+ years), training is critical and not easy, so you will need loads of patience. I have known loads of BTs, and they are fab, but not easy.

Terriers are not "biddable" like other breeds, they are more motivated to please themselves than please you. And they are clever, so will quickly learn how to turn things to their own advantage. Getting cross with them doesn't work, they don't give a shit! They also get bored easily, being clever, and a bored terrier is a nightmare.

They need lots of stimulation, and gentle, reward-based training. But my word, they are so much fun, and loving and a delight to live with.

Get yourself to the library and read every border terrier book you can get your hands on, so you'll know what you're letting yourself in for.

The other thing that the small terrier breeds are inclined to do is climb. I've known BTs, lakelands and Welsh terriers that are incredibly good at it, and many an owner has had to raise their fences to keep the garden secure. My friend had a BT that scaled a 6' fence.

Afterthought: same friend had to replace several of her door handles for round door knobs, as her BT learned how to open doors.

For your entertainment

www.shootinguk.co.uk/gundogs/gundog-breeds/terrier-breeds-anarchists-85061

We used to have one and a Springer. Springers are fast and impossible to tire, but the BT kept up surprisingly well. They are faster than you’d think, with loads of stamina. Running with them won’t be a problem, though remember that you have to restrict distance in the first year.

They are fab dogs, though I wouldn’t get another as our current garden cannot be escape-proofed to the Colditz-like standards required for a BT 🙂

My brother has one. He lives quite rurally and it brings either a rat or a mice in at least 4 times a week. If they are still alive they often run under the furniture and he has to get them out somehow.

It likes a long walk but equally just stops sometimes for no reason mid walk and they have to cajole it on.

It just shows how all dogs are different even within breed. My BT barks at the wind,
at sirens (but only if they are distant sirens), at whatever it is that lives under our shed. He would be off like a shot if a rabbit or squirrel was within sight or sent, but won't walk through a door or gate if it's just slightly ajar, wouldn't pick up his ball yesterday because it was in front of Henry hoover so Henry had it. He won't steal food or eat scraps off the floor unless told with a foot stamp that it's been dropped. He just hid some meat outside for later instead of eating it (I'm sure the shed lodger will get it before he goes back to it). He's incredibly lazy, but will walk all day if you ask him to. Very good with other dogs unless they bark at him first, submits and lies on his back all the time, so often that it's embarrassing having to drag him along the grass to get him up.
He's a nightmare for fox poop, and smells like digestive biscuits when he's lying in the sun.
He's extremely good with children, my daughter is a very lucky girl that he's her "dog brother".

The border terriers I know and come across in London are all very aggressive towards other dogs.

But I know lots of people who have them and love them.

We have a BT, a very well socialised one, great with other dogs, as in, will not behave aggressively unless other dog has a go first then she retaliates, she’s 6, has happened once or twice……we have met other Borders who are reactive so early socialisation is key. She’s not particularly yappy unless one of DC is winding her up, then it goes right through you. She might bark at chasing the squirrels or foxes out the garden. She does this funny moaning though when she wants something, which is quite endearing We do let her off the lead but pick the places we do, she’s got some very jangly bells so we can hear her, as once she’s on a scent, any recall goes out the window. She is the easiest dog though and I’ve had a few in my time, she’s just as happy with a 10 min walk or you can walk for miles, she will remind us when a walk is due though! She’s also as independent as she is cuddly and a real character. Would I get another one, most definitely, if the right one came along at the right time.

Here’s a picture of mine,

I've had one BT, my parents have 3. Wonderful, loyal dogs, we found all 4 easy to train and go with the flow. One of the four is vocal if there is a stranger within ten miles, the others are effective door bells but not noisy other than that. They will walk/run forever unless it's hot. Enjoy!