Data on the appearance of a border terrier, appearance parameters, behavior and health, care: walking, diet, training nuances, interesting facts. Purchasing a puppy. People often mistake this purebred dog for a mongrel. A real Border Terrier doesn't have to look handsome. But, you cannot deny him a certain attractiveness. Such a dog is easy to recognize. Her face is similar to the head of an otter. He is taller than other terriers and has narrow shoulders. In terms of exterior and temperament, the dog is the most discreet among all terriers.
Despite his touching appearance, he is an unsurpassed hunter, the worst enemy of foxes, badgers and hares. But with other animals and with people, these dogs, on the contrary, get along well. Americans often prefer its more attractive cousins, but the British have long appreciated this hard-working dog. After all, he is their fellow countryman - dear.
Border Terrier breed appearance data
Its name "Border", it owes to the Shariot Hills, where the border between Scotland and England passes. It was there that the angry farmers wanted to deal with the foxes that attacked their sheep. To do this, people decided to bring out a dog that would help them in the fight against the destroyers. They received a tireless terrier suitable for hunting to keep up with horses and hounds and able to pull foxes out of their holes. Border terriers were good for catching rats and other rodents, but they were mainly used for hunting foxes, and also to help other hunting dogs get otters out of their den. Even beavers were hunted with the help of "boarders".
Dogs similar to this species have been known since the end of the 18th century, so this terrier can be considered one of the oldest working breeds in Great Britain. In the Kenel Club, such an individual was registered in 1913. It was a one-year-old red-haired male with a blue cap of color, nicknamed "Moss Trooper". The very first standard was officially published on August 21, 1944. The "boarders" were first exhibited in Newcastle in 1881. They appeared in Russia in 1998 - a male from the Czech Republic and a female from Austria. The dogs have proven themselves to be both working and show animals. The first litter was also received from them.
It is one of the popular working dogs in England. Farmers to this day value the "boarders" for their versatility. Pets are not only excellent hunters, but also shepherds. They are hardy, they have fast legs and have a knack for handling sheep. Thanks to their quick wits, dogs are capable of performing many tasks. And of course, it is unfair to consider the Border Terrier the most ordinary-looking dog of its class. Any connoisseur will be able to appreciate how functional and beautiful his coat is. These are wonderful "clothes" for any weather, and in the rain and snow it stays dry. We add that the coat can have a wide range of colors: red, straw, gray, dark brown, brown with a blue tone.
Description of the appearance of the Border Terrier
The Border Terrier has a slightly smaller than average size, tough, waterproof hair and thick skin. He has a compact and sturdy build. In order for the dog to move freely in the burrow, it must have a powerful, narrow body. The dog is hardy, strong, active, able to run for a long time, accompanying the rider on the hunt.
It is used as a burrowing hunting dog for hunting rodents, foxes, otters and beavers. Can work in a flock. Performs his work energetically and fervently. Shows anger towards the beast and good nature towards family members, especially children. "Border" perfectly adapts to different terrain and weather. Possesses courage and a balanced nervous organization. Perfect as a pet and human companion.
Based on the established criteria, the height at the withers can vary in males from 24 cm to 28 cm and bitches from 21 cm to 25 cm with a variation of 1–2 cm. The weight of breed specimens in males is from 5.8 kg to 7 kg and in females - from 5 kg to 6.3 kg. Bitches have a longer body in the lumbar region due to the physiology of childbearing.
The Border Terrier moves actively and quickly. Front and hind feet push well off the ground.
- Head small, resembles the head of an otter. The skull is moderately widened. The frontal part is moderately rounded at the top. The furrow on the forehead is wide, but not deep. The bump on the back of the head is not visible. Cheekbones are flat. The brows are not very developed, low.
- Muzzle moderately shortened, parallel to the skull. The bridge of the nose is smooth. Stop manifested. The lips have dark pigmentation, do not droop. The flews are well filled, reaching slightly over the lower jaw. The jaws are short and strong. The canines are powerful, the teeth are large, white, connected in the form of a scissor or pincer bite.
- Nose round-harmonious. The lobe is pigmented in a dark black or brown tone. It can be lighter or darker depending on the color of the dog.
- Eyes Border Terrier is of medium size, on the front line, neither protruding nor deep set, shiny, round, of medium size, dark brown in color. The eyelids are tight, dark. The look is attentive and lively.
- Ears moderately high placement, small. They are not large, elastic-elastic cartilage, rounded at the ends. The auricles hang, slightly raised on the cartilage, directed forward, adjacent to the cheeks.
- Neck - medium, strong, oval, widening towards the shoulders. The withers are not developed. There is no suspension.
- Frame fits into a rectangle, strong, muscular, but by no means wide. Chest of good depth, not wide, oval. Ribs well sprung, but not prominent. The combination of the rib cage and ribs should allow the dog to enter burrows unhindered. The back is straight, well muscled, slightly rounded at the back. The loin is strong. The croup is strong, rather muscular. The abdomen is perfectly matched to the pelvic area.
- Tail set high, of moderately short size. It is thickened at the base and gradually diminishes at the end of growth. When moving quickly, the dog carries it up, slightly above the back.
Extremities:
- Front - when viewed from the front and from the side, they have moderately long, stable, even bones, dense muscles. The set is neither narrow nor wide. The blades are placed obliquely, strongly pressed against the body, elongated. The elbows are directed backward. The shoulders are well connected to the shoulder blades, set obliquely. The pasterns are slightly vertical.
- Rear - parallel to each other, set wider than the front legs, with strong bones, slightly laid back when viewed from the side. The thighs are with extended muscles, almost equal in length with the lower leg. The joints are perfectly arched. Metatarsus almost vertical.
- Paws - small, compact, rounded, collected in a lump. The toes are curved and tightly knit. The nails are dense, strong and dark. The pads are firm and firm.
- Coat the terrier border is tough, as it must protect the dog from adverse weather conditions, repel water and dirt. The guard hair is wiry, short, close-fitting. On the muzzle, the hair is slightly longer, forming a peculiar mustache like an otter. The undercoat is softer and thicker.
- Leather - very dense. It is firm and elastic, fits the body well. No depressions or folds are observed.
- Color - possible red, straw, gray, dark brown, brown with blue, blue with tan. A small white spot on the chest is allowed. Light brown and black colors will be disqualified.
Typical behavior of a border terrier
Representatives of the breed are friendly, active and fun. This is an adventure dog filled with seething energy and thirst for life. Such a pet will never let you get bored or sad. Borders are very sociable. They adapt perfectly to the situation in the place in which they live. They are great companions. The dogs will accompany their owner wherever and whenever they want. Animals will support any undertakings of their owner.
They wonderfully find a common language not only with their fellows, but also with cats, birds, mice. If you explain to the dog in time that this is a friend, then there will be no encroachments on any living creature. They never sort things out with their relatives. Perseverance has been brought up in this breed. They are good for hunting, but in a house where a chipmunk is unexpectedly brought, they can make bedlam. They are big fans of barking. The Border Terrier has a habit of chewing on everything. Therefore, get your pet a lot of zoological toys.
"Borders" are not only loyal, but also very capable. They need to move and exercise a lot. Living with them becomes difficult if they don't get it. Walk, play and exercise with your dog and he will be happy. They have noble hearts. For love, these dogs reciprocate. If the concept of a persistent friend includes office work, then pets correspond to it. Border Terriers are independent, they do not need to be nursed all the time. Pets are not intrusive and never show any aggressiveness towards humans.
Border Terrier health
Border Terriers are usually tough guys, but few breed are free from sores. These dogs have problems with patella misalignment. She slips out of the correct position. Dogs also suffer from problems with the thigh bones, although not often. Eye diseases such as cataracts and retinal atrophy, which begin for unclear reasons, are not uncommon. Then its cells begin to die off, and the dog goes blind.
Congenital heart defects also affect some breed representatives. Congenital heart valve pathology can be corrected only by surgery. Cardiac ultrasound examination will give a picture of the internal structure of the heart muscle. If nothing happens to such "boarders" in the first year of life, the defect is not significant and there are no alarming symptoms, then most likely this will not affect the life span. Dogs do not tolerate heat at 30 degrees.
Criteria for caring for a border terrier
The coat is not difficult to care for. But it is strictly forbidden to cut them, because the wool falls off and does not correspond to the breed standard. As it grows back, you need to pluck it slightly, completely removing dead hairs. You can do this with your fingers, pulling out tufts of tough hairs. But, it is better to use special tools, since large tufts of hair are captured with your fingers, and the coat turns out to be uneven. To do this, you will need a trimming knife, a slicker and an iron comb. Movement should be uniform, smooth and slightly abrupt in the direction of hair growth. Use your left hand to hold the skin near the plucking site. It is advisable to completely process the area from which you started, and not jump from one place to another.
Before starting work, carefully study the breed standard, so that your pet fits the accepted parameter as much as possible. The breed criteria describe only general features. Therefore, you can take a good photo of a Border Terrier and follow its format. Your task is to bring your pet as close as possible to the breed ideal.
It is desirable to trim the "border" with a dirty one. Pure wool puffs up, flies in different directions and it will be a little difficult to grab small tufts of hair so as not to create “bald spots” in the coat. The hair on the back of the thigh and over the entire surface of the auricle (inside and outside) is removed as short as possible. The paws are trimmed with scissors, removing the protruding hairs between the pads and cultivating their contour.
For the first time, the "hairstyle" of the "border" is done at three months, when a thick coat and a good undercoat grows. In ordinary life, adult dogs are plucked every six months. Show dogs are trimmed once every one and a half, two months, and immediately before the competition, several months once every two weeks.
They are bathed twice a month or if the pet is very dirty. Most shampoos are concentrated, so they must be diluted with water and the dog must be washed with foam, before wetting it well.
- Teeth keep clean. Train your dog to clean them from the age of the puppy. You can give her to gnaw on hard vein bones.
- Ears "Border" Terriers must be trimmed inside and cleaned systematically.
- Eyes to avoid infections, wipe regularly, especially after the forest.
- Claws cut with clippers.
- Feeding depends on the activity of the dog. Border Terriers tend to gain weight if they do not exercise much. The normal weight for them is from five to seven kilograms.
- Walking Border Terrier take a lot of time. The street for such dogs is joy and happiness in life. Even if you walk with them all day, they will still not be enough. They must receive physical activity. You can run with pets.
It is the responsibility of the owner to keep this terrier on a leash at all times. Unless you are one hundred percent sure that he will not be carried away anywhere, especially if you are in nature, far from home. After all, there are a lot of animal smells, smelling their "border" can follow the trail. And in these dogs it is genetically inherent to make decisions on the hunt on their own, and the older they are, the bolder they are. If you have a private house, then there should be a fenced area for free walks of the pet, so that he does not "ask a runaway".
Features of training a border terrier
Border Terriers are perfectly trainable and catch everything on the fly. A terrier has a long way to go from a puppy to a master hunter. Special underground tunnels are being built for them to check whether modern "boarders" have retained the hunting instinct - the ability to do the main job for which this breed was originally created.
The tunnel can be nine meters long and with several turns, and at the end of it a rat is placed in a cage. The "maze" is marked with the smell of a rodent, which further excites the dog. The doggie must go through the tunnel, find the rat and react to it correctly. The work of the terrier is to bark at the prey found or try to bark to make it jump off the spot.
From an early age, Border Terriers are taught to react to the smell of rats and the sight of these creatures. Many terrier puppies are late in the business. They run around the prey, look and do not understand why rush at it? Many of them get along well with cats, hamsters and any other pets. Therefore, a young dog must be taught that in such a situation it can grab a rodent. Some puppies of the "Border" are initially afraid of the darkness in the tunnel, but quickly overcome their fear - the prize is too tempting.
Rural "boarders" prefer traditional prey, while urban ones can direct their energies to something else. For example, dogs are very fond of extreme sports. They perfectly show their ingenuity in agility, frisbee, freestyle, IPO.
Interesting facts about the border terrier
For a long time to this day, the width of the chest of a Border Terrier is determined by the girth of male palms. The ribcage should fit neatly into the ring of the fingers. They also have very dense skin, which is difficult to damage by the bites of a natural enemy. Their puppies are born much darker, and acquire the final color after six months.
Purchase and price of a Border Terrier puppy
If you want a small, unassuming dog, then this is the Border Terrier. But most of all they are suitable for those people who lead an active lifestyle, like long walks and fresh air. You should know that dogs are fond of barking and chronically chewing on something. Pets do not like to sit at home, but love to run in the wild. This breed combines strength and quick wits, which makes it stand out from all other terriers. The average cost for a "border" puppy is from $ 600 to $ 800.
Features of the Border Terrier breed in the video below:
