“A Mans Best Friend”
Aug 11 2009
The Border Terrier is a medium sized terrier breed that originally came from the region between Scotland and England. This dog came from the line of Scottish terriers primarily the Dandie Dinmont and Bedlington terriers. Currently, the Border Terrier is a favorite companion of many people that it ranked 10th in UK kennel registrations and 81st in the American Kennel Club.
This breed got its name from the fact that it was developed in the Scottish borders thus the name Border Terrier. Although it existed long ago, it only gained recognition at the Kennel Club in 1920. Prior to this registration, it was listed under Any Other Variety category by the Kennel Club.
The Border Terrier is distinct for its dominant otter-like head wherein its skull is broad and its snout short and strong. The ears of this dog are V-shaped and fall closely to the cheeks. The tail is averagely short and is thick at the base and thins towards the tip.
The body of this dog is narrow and long and is covered with dense and rough-looking hair. Its height is 13 to 16 inches on the average. The weight is 13 to 15.5 pounds for the male and 11.5 to 14 pounds for the female.
The coat of this dog is double and the undercoat is soft, short and dense while the topcoat is harsh, wiry and dirt-and-water-proof. The coat sheds twice a year and during these occasions, hand stripping of the coat is necessary in order for the hair to grow back properly. Commonly, the coat colors for this breed are blue and tan, red, wheaten, and grizzle and tan.
It may look rough and aggressive but the truth is the Border Terrier is amiable and gets along well with everybody including other animals. This dog is not wary of strangers and in fact will most likely want to be friends with them. This dog is mildly tempered although at times it can be hard-headed.
When it comes to task training, the Border terrier performs excellently and it can jump up to amazing heights and even run fast given that it has short legs. When it comes to agility, this dog is quick to learn and outperforms other breeds outstandingly. However, when it comes to learning tricks, this dog is less trainable.
Since the Border Terrier was primarily developed to be a hunter, it naturally has great stamina and energy that needs to be polished through daily exercise. This breed is decidedly sensitive to pain and most times its illness won’t show obvious signs. This dog is not very active indoors and so an apartment living is enough for its activities.
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