ABOUT BORDER TERRIERS
Roots:
Border Terriers originated in the early 1800s in the district where Northumberland (England) and Roxburghshire (Scotland)
meet. Our kennel is named after a community in this borderland area. These working terriers were originally known as
Coquetdale Terriers. The Border Terrier was bred to work. His role in hunting was to follow a horse and then go underground
to tackle and bolt fox, badger and the like.
Appearance:
The Border Terrier's otter-like head is a distinctive of the breed. Opening a Border's mouth can be quite a surprise.
The teeth are quite large in proportion to the dog. He wears a weatherproof jacket consisting of a wiry top coat and a
shorter, dense undercoat. This provided the dog with insulation from the elements during the English winter fox hunts.
The Border Terrier's body intimates endurance and agility, and is of a size that would allow this terrier to follow the prey
into underground burrows, and flush it out.
Temperament:
Borders are by nature calm, steady and good tempered; affectionate, friendly, obedient, intelligent and easily trained.
They LOVE people and have a very strong desire to please. Most Borders are excellent with children- as long as the children
treat them well, of course. Borders are very sensitive. Their feelings can be quite hurt from a simple scolding.
Borders are not yappy, but will bark an alert if someone approaches.
That being said, their working terrier instinct comes to the fore when presented with the opportunity to engage small
creatures: Borders become fearless and determined. Because of this, we do not recommend taking Borders to off-leash areas. This instinct must also be considered if one keeps small pets such as birds, rabbits, and hamsters.
Grooming:
Border Terriers are low maintenance dogs. However, contrary to some internet information out there,
we have found Border Terriers to shed a bit. Also, their top coat requires hand-stripping twice a year along with
general grooming from time to time. The photos show the same dog: before and after hand-stripping.
Check our links page for more information regarding how to groom a Border Terrier.