Terrier group · England/Scotland border
Border Terrier
Also called Reedwater Terrier, Coquetdale Terrier.
Small dog, moderate energy, quick to learn.
- Affectionate
- Happy
- Plucky
- Obedient
- Alert
- Size
- Small
- Weight
- 5 to 7 kg11 to 15 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 15 years
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trains
- High
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training a Border Terrier
Terrier breeds. Impulse control and a rock-solid leave it. Short, high-value sessions; they bore fast.
Secure Fencing
Start here
Expert escape artists who can squeeze through small spaces and dig under fences. Check your garden regularly.
One of the More Trainable Terriers
Border Terriers are more biddable than many terrier breeds. Take advantage with consistent positive training.
Recall Training
Despite good trainability, prey drive remains strong. Practice recall extensively but remain cautious off-lead.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Border Terrier and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to go to ground after vermin. Fearless, quick, and not built to back down.
Gets on with
- ChildrenHigh
- Other dogsHigh
- StrangersHigh
- CatsLow
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 45-60 minutes daily. Good walking companion who also enjoys hiking and active play.
- Grooming
- Hand-stripping twice yearly to maintain proper coat texture. Regular brushing between sessions.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Wiry, Dense undercoat, BrokenRed, Grizzle and Tan, Blue and Tan, Wheaten
- In a flat
- Can work, with enough exercise outside it.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Spike's Disease
Severe
Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome, movement disorder unique to the breed
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint malformation, though less common than in larger breeds
Heart Defects
Moderate
Various congenital heart conditions can occur
Where they come from
History
Developed in the Cheviot Hills on the border between England and Scotland. Bred to have legs long enough to keep up with horses during fox hunts, but small enough to follow foxes into their dens. One of the oldest terrier breeds in Britain.
- Puffy · The Border Terrier from There's Something About Mary who added comic relief to the film
