Border Terriers

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Talk to me about border terriers!

My lovely lab died last year at age 12. Me and my husband have both always been 'big dog people' but with two young children we feel a smaller dog would fit in better with our lifestyle. Exercise no issue dog will get two walks a day and I work from home.

Been doing research but would like to hear peoples thoughts here too as feel like I will get very honest views!

We have had Borders for over 30 years and love them. Generally handy dogs to fit in the car/pick up if needed, good natured and happy to walk miles if you want. They are terriers so expect some barking. Our current one is a bit dog reactive but he is our first via rescue, and he was very under socialised as a pup as he was badly treated. I always think it’s a good sign that they are apparently the most popular breed owned by vets!

I don’t have one but my grandparents have had a couple so I grew up around them. They’re lovely dogs and great with children in my experience. Very gentle and loving. My grandma’s border terrier memorised what time she usually collected me from school and used to get all excited at that time even on weekends. I have only good memories of those dogs and would have loved to have one myself but DH insisted on a golden retriever (who I also love to bits but he is big and bouncy).

I guess the biggest thing for us is that they are friendly around children, loving but also have a doggy character i.e getting muddy, walks, water, running etc! But also not extremely difficult to train

northernnurse
I have a 3 year old border terrier bitch, she is fabulous, she has a great temperament, if great with my kids, very loving and affectionate, she can walk for miles or just do a quick half hour, only barks if the doorbell goes. She can bark at other dogs sometimes, but mainly fine. She travels well in the car too. (She's also currently pregnant! and we are expecting a litter of Borderpoos (border terrier x miniature poodle) next month

Mine loves kids! She is so gentle. We are near the Peak District and she loves a walk in the hills and equally loves the beach when we take her on holiday

Awh how lovely! If you're in the East anglia/cambridgeshire/norfolk area let me know!

@northernnurse my mum has a 10 year old borderpoo and he's a fabulous little dog. Great little ratter and will walk all day but also happy being a lap dog and snuggling on the sofa.

I love terriers but they're nothing like labs! Expect a 'busy' dog who is likely to have a 'what's in it for me' mindset. They were bred to be independent and think for themselves, whereas labs needed to obey instructions to do their job as gundogs well. While they may not do those jobs anymore, labs tend to be handler dependent and terriers tend to be more independent. Of course they can be trained, and many terriers excel in handler-dependent fields because they are bright little buttons, but perhaps not as many or as naturally as a gundogs (or collies, or GSDs). Personally I'd choose a terrier again and again, but you might find it's a bit of an adjustment from a lab.

It would be a good idea to hang out with some terriers to make sure the terrier-ness suits you!

They have been voted the best family dog in the past. I'm in Derbyshire

Oh just to add, as always it's important to ensure you are getting a puppy from a reputable breeder to ensure the dog has the best chance of living a healthy life. The kennel club recommends DNA testing of Border Terriers prior to mating. You might want to look at the breed club website, and check out the champdogs website for reputable breeders.

Mine's a dream. She's 9 now and is lovely with kids, really affectionate, loves to play and walk but also happy to chill. Only barks if there's another dog on TV 😀 she's just perfect, never been abit of bother.

Mine is a delight. Just over 3 years old and a fab family dog who is particularly loyal to me but is affectionate and playful with the whole family. Very gentle - not an ounce of aggression or snappiness in her.

She’s not noisy at all except that she will bark at the doorbell.

Loves other dogs, kids - friendly with everyone basically.

She’s as fit as a fiddle and can run with my husband / go for very long walks but is calm at home and settles with me every day while I’m wfh. Don’t really shed.

We couldn’t wish for a better little dog.

I would love one. I have a labrador. I bought a book about borders and was put off by their apparently high prey drive which can override even the best recall. Most can’t be let off the lead although I have seen one or two not on a lead. They certainly have lots of personality but I love seeing my labrador run about in the woods/park and on the beach.

I don’t think it’s as big an issue as you’ve heard. My border’s recall is brilliant and she’s off the lead for most of her time outside and has a whale of a time. Like you I take great joy from watching her have fun. We meet plenty of other off-lead borders too.

There’s some trickier characters but you could probably mitigate that by finding out from the breeder what the parents are like and lots of training.

Have mum and dad had all the requisite DNA tests prior to the mating?

i might be tempted you see…

FancyJapflack
Yes all health tests, and vet checked my border prior to mating, mum slem clear, dad PRA clear

Mine is still a pup at 17 months but her recall really is good (I’d never trust her around livestock but I’d not trust any dog). She is doing well at obedience and agility. She’s affectionate fun, playful but no malice with our cat and very easy to have around the house. She loves to lay on your lap but equally isn’t needy.

I find her very easy to train but I’m a trainer! You need to understand what makes them tick and make them REALLY want to work with you. I don’t have any issues but then I make it fun and rewarding. They are not natural people pleasers so you have to bear that in mind.

She is from good show lines but mum works. Dad is a champ show dog. The line is bred for health and temperament. Not a random mating and the breeder took a while to find.

Grooming wise her have her stripped every 6 months or so. We could DIY but it’s easier to pay someone else to do a good job.

Amazing little dogs. We've had quite a few in the family now and all great around children. I'd defo recommend

I've got a 5 and a half month old border boy and he's an absolute arsehole 🤷‍♀️. He is however very handsome so that makes up for it.

I've had mine for 36 hours.....
I mean he's adorable but my god he's a bitey little bugger!
I really should cut him some slack because he's so brand new, I'm just tired and grumpy, it's been a long week, I've recently broken my foot and I'm just struggling with the cast and inactivity, it's come at the worst time!

We have a Border after having a lab, we wanted a robust little dog, youngest DC was 6 when we got her, she is a fab little dog, comes back on a whistle, will chase squirrels but then our lab did. Shes a very easy dog, easy to keep clean, has been fairly easy to train, DD has taught her all sorts of tricks. To keep their coat in tip top condition they need hand stripping a couple of times a year, either by a groomer/hand strip specialist or you can learn to do this yourself, I do ours, it’s easy as long as coat is blown. I’d definitely have another, ideally I’d like a lab too at the same time, both breeds make a perfect pair.

We have an 11 month old Border. He's our first dog and is brilliant, albeit a bit barky when someone passes the house (still working on that!) I have 3 kids aged 14 and 8 (twins) who he's great with. We go to dog training classes and have worked really hard on recall so he's off lead quite a bit with no issues. Loves people and other dogs. Wouldn't be without him - a fantastic wee character.

@FraggleRed oh he's gorgeous!

My 9 week old

I have a border terrier, he is bloody gorgeous. And so lovely, he is friendly to everyone. Some can be reactive, mainly dog, though I know this because of reading it on a border terrier Facebook group.

I got my dog in 2019 from near Wisbech. The breeder has just had a litter so not having another for awhile but there’s one near by who comes highly recommended.

So cute!

All puppies nip, including my border, but with her it was a very short lived thing. (Although I do remember her being attached to my trouser legs quite a bit as I tried to teach her to walk to heel…).

And she was quicker to learn manners than friends who had lab/retriever cross puppies at around the same time. They’re not mouthy dogs as puppies go.