The border terrier was one of the more common terriers but now is often quite rare in many countries.

Border terrier

This is one of the largest small breed dogs. Its history dates back to the border town of Cheviot Hills between Scotland and England where it drove foxes out of dens for farmers to eradicate. The AKC only recognized the breed in 1930.

The Border terrier’s size made them able to follow foxes into dens but also run long distances on the farms. Besides  foxes the border terrier were trained for hunting otters, marten, badger, mice and rats.

So it should be noted that while these dogs make great companion animals, they can have a very large exercise requirement, and a strong hunting instinct.

Its history makes this dog very alert ,agile and bold. They also play well with children and are affectionate and easy to train.

They make an excellent  watch dog and will bark but are now generally not aggressive. Daily socialization off lead with other dogs is the key to keeping these dogs friendly. These dogs are good at digging so you will need to fortify your fences.

If raised with cats, they can get along well with them, but anything smaller is considered fair game.

Border terrier sizes: 31-41 cm tall, 6-7 kg weight.

Border terrier grooming: Considered low maintenance, this low shedding wiry coat only needs brushing once or twice a week  with clipping twice a year. Bathing should be only on an as needed basis to maintain coat oils.

Conclusion. As with all working dogs, these dogs should be owned only by dedicated trainers. They can learn great tricks and are very active but training should never stop. It can be difficult to suppress their natural hunting instinct and lack of exercise and socialization can make them a dominant, digging dog.