The Border Terrier

The Border Terrier is a small, rough coated dog that was bred by farmers from the border country of England and Scotland to hunt foxes. They also have been known to hunt rodent, badgers and otters. They are the oldest of all the working terrier groups. They were first officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1930. The Kennel Club had already recognized them in Great Britain in 1920.

This small dog has a double coat. The first layer close to the skin is a short, dense soft undercoat. The outer layer is wiry, rough, weather resistant and dirt repelling. The fur lies close to the body with no curl or wave. This type of coat requires at least bi-yearly thorough grooming to rid the coat of dead fur. Weekly grooming is acceptable also. This type of coat was made to repel the elements where Border Terriers hunt.

The Border Terrier is a great companion for the whole family. They are loyal, affectionate, intelligent and obedient. They generally tolerate small animals that they were raised with such as cats but aggressively chase new cats and other small animals as this is their nature. Border Terriers are not as tolerant of other dogs. For the most part they tend to be aggressive if they do not like another dog. Fighting characteristics are inherent in the terrier breed.

Border Terriers make good therapy dogs and working ranch dogs. They are task oriented and eager to please. They can be left alone but since they are a working dog class they do not flourish in an apartment working environment, meaning more than four hours by themselves is not a very good quality of life for them. Finally, they are very adaptable to change in environment and situations.