Border Terrier
| Border Terrier | |||||||||
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| Origin | UK - Scotland / England | ||||||||
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| Dog (domestic dog) | |||||||||
A Border Terrier is a small, rough-coated breed of dog of the terrier group. Originally bred as fox and vermin hunters, Border Terriers share ancestry with Dandie Dinmont Terriers and Bedlington Terriers.
Though the breed is much older, the Border Terrier was officially recognized by the British Kennel Club (BKC) in 1920, and by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1930.
In 2006, the Border Terrier ranked 81st in number of registrations by the AKC [1], while it ranked 10th in the United Kingdom [2].
Quick Facts
| Border Terrier Quick Facts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 13-16 pounds (6-7kg) | |
| Height: | 13-16 inches (33-41cm) | |
| Coat: | Coarse, wiry double coat | |
| Activity level: | Moderate | |
| Learning rate: | Average | |
| Temperament: | Alert, lively, mild-mannered, affectionate, easy to train, hardy, scruffy, likes to dig | |
| Guard dog ability: | Low | |
| Watch-dog ability: | High | |
| Litter size: | 4-5 | |
| Life span: | 15+ years | |
Origin
The Border Terrier originates in, and takes its name from, the area near the border between England and Scotland. Their original purpose was to kill foxes and rodents, but they have been used to hunt otters and badgers too.
The first Kennel Club Border Terrier ever registered was The Moss Trooper, a dog sired by Jacob Robinson's Chip in 1912 and registered in the Kennel Club's Any Other Variety listing in 1913. The Border Terrier was rejected for formal Kennel Club recognition in 1914, but won its slot in 1920, with the first standard being written by Jacob Robinson and John Dodd. Jasper Dodd was made first President of the Club.
Appearance
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Identifiable by their otter-shaped head, Border Terriers have a broad skull and short, strong muzzle with a scissors bite. The V-shaped ears are on the sides of the head and fall towards the cheeks. Acceptable colours are grizzle and tan, blue and tan (sometimes looks almost black), red grizzle, and wheaten, all colours with a dark muzzle preferred. White is not allowed, except for a small patch on the chest. Whiskers are few and short. The tail is naturally moderately short, thick at the base and tapering.
Narrow-bodied and well-proportioned, males stand 13-16 inches at the shoulder, and weigh 13-16lbs. Females 11-14 inches and 11-14lbs.
The Border Terrier has a double coat consisting of a short, dense, soft undercoat and harsh, wiry weather and dirt resistant, close-lying outer coat with no curl or wave. This coat usually requires hand stripping twice a year to remove dead hair. It then takes about eight weeks for the top coat to come back in. For some dogs, weekly brushing will suffice.
Temperament
Affectionate, intelligent, even-tempered, and obedient. Alert and fearless.
Border Terriers generally get on well with other dogs, however, if they dislike another dog, they do not hesitate to start a fight and, as with most terriers, it can be difficult to stop them.
They will get along well with cats they have been raised with, but will chase other cats and small animals such as mice, rabbits, rats, and guinea pigs.
Borders will adapt to the activity levels of their owners. They do not demand exercise, but do love it when they get it. With sufficient length of leg to achieve reasonable speed, a Border will hike, bike, and run with its owner but just as happily while away the day lying in the sun. A Border Terrier does not mind being left alone but as it is intelligent and loves company, it is not suited to household where people are away all day, every day.
Being bred to work cooperatively with people, Borders do well in task-oriented activities. They are intelligent and eager to please, but they retain the capacity for independent thinking and initiative that were bred into them for working rats and fox underground. They take training for tasks very well, but appear less tractable if being taught mere tricks. The breed has excelled in agility training, but they are quicker to learn jumps and see-saws than weaving poles. Their love of people and even temperament make them fine therapy dogs, especially for children and the elderly, and they are occasionally used to aid the blind or deaf.
Health
Borders are a generally hardy breed, though there are certain genetic health problems associated with them, including:
- Hip dysplasia
- [[Perthes disease))
- Various heart defects
- Juvenile cataracts
- Progressive retinal atrophy
- Seizures
- CECS (Canine Eptiloid Cramping Syndrome [3]
Border Terriers are also known to be sensitive to anesthetics and slow to induce.
Due to their instinct to kill and consume smaller animals, Border Terriers often destroy, and sometimes eat, toys that are insufficiently robust. Indigestion resulting from eating a toy can cause the appearance of illness. Typical symptoms include lethargy, unwillingness to play, a generally 'unhappy' appearance, lack of reaction to affection, and inability or unwillingness to sleep. These symptoms are generally very noticeable, however, they are also present just prior to Border Terrier bitches being on heat.
Earthdog tests / trials
More Border Terriers have earned American Kennel Club (AKC) Earthdog titles than any other terrier. An AKC earthdog test is not true hunting, but an artificial, non-competitive, exercise in which terriers enter 9" x 9" smooth wooden tunnels, buried under-ground, with one or more turns in order to bark or scratch at caged rats that are safely housed behind wooden bars. The tests are conducted to determine that instinctive traits are preserved and developed, as the breed originators intended for the dogs to their work. While earthdog tests are not a close approximation of hunting, they are popular in the U.S. and in some European countries because even over-large Kennel Club breeds can negotiate the tunnels with ease, dogs can come to no harm while working, and no digging is required. Since Border Terriers are "essentially working terriers", many Border Terrier owners consider it important to test and develop their dogs instinct. These tests also provide great satisfaction for the dogs. The American Working Terrier Association (AWTA) does conduct "trials"; where the dogs instincts are tested, and then judged to determine a "Best of Breed" Earthdog. These trials are also run similar as described above.
Famous Border Terriers
- Puffy in There's Something About Mary
- Baxter in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
- Hubble in Good Boy!
- Co-star in Lassie (Named "Toots") View photos on imdb.com web site
- There were several border terriers in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes.
- Lucky, a dog from the Dr. Dolittle movies seems to be a Border Terrier.
- Eccles in Coronation Street
- The Dog in the Wall's Sausage adverts (UK) View adverts on Wall's web site
- There is a border terrier in the ad for Ambien CR sleep aid prescription medication.
- Toto, Dorothy's small companion dog from the classic flick The Wizard of Oz, is played by a Border Terrier in the follow-up sequel, Return to Oz.
- Higgins, a rescued mixed breed dog believed by his owner and trainer Frank Inn to have been a miniature poodle / terrier cross; he appeared on the television show Petticoat Junction as "Dog" and in the movie Benji in the title role; his markings and general demeanor were very close to those of a Border terrier, but his coat was more fluffy and his ears were longer, as would befit some poodle ancestry. View a photo of Higgins on the Hooterville Petticoat Junction site.
- The dog often appears in the kids TV show the Doodlebops
- You will find Border Terriers in earlier episodes of Monarch of the Glen
Further reading
External links
- Border Terrier Info Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome & Shaking Puppy Syndrome
- Border Terrier Club of America - BTCA
- Border Terrier Canada
- Border Terrier Club of the Redwoods - BTCR
- Northeast Border Terrier Club
- Finnish Border Terrier Club