Border Terrier
Built to keep up with the hounds and the horses and then go to ground when they stopped. Longer in the leg than most terriers, with a head shaped like an otter's.
Photo by Małgorzata Miłaszewska (Lilly M), CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Border Terrier was bred on the Anglo Scottish border to run with the hounds and then go to ground after a fox, which meant it had to be small enough to follow into an earth and have enough leg to keep up over open country first.
That combination made an unusually workmanlike terrier: a harsh weatherproof coat, an otter shaped head, and none of the exaggeration that shows breeding brought to other terriers.
Temperament
Even tempered, affectionate and considerably easier than most terriers. Border Terriers are good with children, generally good with other dogs, and more biddable than the terrier group average.
The prey drive is intact and serious. Cats, rabbits and small pets are at real risk, and recall in the presence of something running is unreliable. They also dig, and they are excellent escape artists.
Care and grooming
The harsh double coat needs a weekly brush and hand stripping twice a year. It should not be clipped, which softens it permanently. They shed very little.
They are among the healthier terriers. Canine epileptoid cramping syndrome, sometimes called Spike's disease, occurs in the breed, and hip dysplasia and heart defects are worth asking about.
Living and exercise
An hour a day plus play, and they are happy to do more. They are tougher and more athletic than their size suggests.
A secure fence, sunk into the ground. They suit active families well and they are one of the better all round small dogs on this shelf. Twelve to fifteen years is normal.
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