Mrs Slim is starting to hint at the idea of owning a dog, and short of a rescue dog (have rescued in the past) she's not keen on my preferred breeds if we go for a puppy.
Im a short haired stocky kinda dog man (yes, in looks too) and would go for a staffie, french bulldog, boston terrier.
Ideally she'd have a boxer but its too big for our current situation and ive witnessed many boxer's suffer serious ill health after 6 or 7 years of age.
We were looking at other breeds and she pointed out some rather nice looking Border Terrier puppies and I must admit to being quite taken by them. Their coat isnt too long for me, and the Benji looks are cute enough, that and the fact they cost a fraction of my other preferred choices..
Does anyone have any advice on ownership of BT's, any pro's & cons?
I understand they are good with kids, we have a 2 year old so this is important.
Are they good off road bike chasing type dogs? Id be happy to take one round my local trails if able to keep up and happy to follow me.
Also, some seem to have longer more wiry coats than others, I would want shorter hair given the choice. However ive seen reference to them having '2 coats', up upper and lower? and that the upper can be 'rolled' off?? Is that perhaps what ive seen with the shorter haired version, or are they similar to say Jack Russells in that you can find short haired and wiry haired versions?
Borders aren't supposed to be good on their own? Something to note if they/he/she would be left alone for any period.
No TB owners here, oh no....
Do a search - this has been covered several times recently?
Couldnt eat a whole one!
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Daisy Duke and DD have got one.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/border-terrier-question - for instance....
thanks for the link
Morning...
Before we go any further, are you prepared to be labelled as some kind of STW cliche because you have chosen a BT?
Pros: lots; good with kids, hardy breeds (hence being nicknamed the "vets' dog" sometimes), great characters, great stamina (most terriers have good stamina though, not just BTs), don't eat too much, small shits, quite "portable" - eg. cars, bike trailers (if you had to).
Cons: I can't think of many over the list of cons you're going to get with any dog? Take a look outside this morning (or actually, yesterday morning more realistically)...fancy taking him/her out for two walks today in the freezing cold. Oh and if you don't socialise and keep a firm hand when a puppy, you may end up with a dog that thinks it's about twice its size (probably a thing you can get with any terriers again I guess).
I haven't tried Molly as a bike chaser but hope to this Spring - and leave plenty of eggs on the Cwm Carn trail. Soon, I will take her to Edinburgh where she will be tasked with getting a certain grumpy tandem rider to love dogs. I imagine she will be quite good - though she is a bit dinky, so speed might be a problem for her. With my kind of mincing though, I reckon she'll have no problem.
As for the coat thing...there are two colours: blue and tan (an almost black body and brown face and legs) and the more common grizzle. You can choose to have them stripped or not. As Molly is only ickle, we have let her coat grow as she looks kinda cute being so scruffy and it gives her a bit of insulation over the winter. Whether you do this stripping yourself or take it to a groomer is up to you. I have a feeling that once you go down the stripping route, there's no going back, but I may well be wrong there.
All in all, a fantastic breed but I worry sometimes about people who think they're getting a good "breed" - how good the dog is as a dog is down to what you as the owner do with them as a puppy. Any dog can be good and any dog can be bad. Go to your park, ask other owners where they got theirs, do a bit of research etc.
Molly:
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Just to clarify (its early). Hardy breed 'vets dog' as in it'll never see the vet?
"Vets' dog" as in lots of vets own them because they're a breed they rarely see for congenital conditions or "breed specific" problems. This may be a bit of a myth - I dunno, but I've heard it mentioned quite a bit. They also live to a ripe old age (in the main).
I have had two clients which were vets and their dogs were both BTs (with the caveat that I also know two vets very well who don't or probably wouldn't have any dog at all).
Yep. Our two 14yr old BT hadn't seen the vet more than just routine injections check ups etc...and one tooth removal.... until last month (on has been diagnosed at diabetic). It was a OMG bill yesterday though - £1268. Sometimes pet insurance is worthwhile, although for BT I probably wouldn't bother again.
As DD says!
A couple of observations on terriers in general from my experience (a Lakeland as above and a Jack Russell) You really do need to be firm with them or they will walk all over you. They are happier when you are consistent. As DD says socialisation is important, ours is good as gold with other dogs and people, although she gets excited when their are kids around and needs to be kept in check in case she jumps up and scratches them.
They differ also within the breed. Daisy Duke has a BT and despite the fact that he lives in the hills and spends every waking hour running/riding/walking and just being an outdoors type his BT would rather sit by the fire!
My Lakeland enjoyed running when she was younger but then decided she would rather stand and watch me run than do it herself! She is starting to enjoy runs again now but they will become lazy if you let them.
Good luck
For the OP:
DD = me
Daisy Duke = someone else, also with a BT
🙂
They differ also within the breed.
Yep, this is very true - I know four other BTs (that I can think of straight off) and they're all quite different. Some are right in there with the big dogs messing with them, getting stomped, rolled over, generally hammered (that'd be Molly) and then launching themselves in for more of the same and then some will sit there at the top of the hill and just observe what's going on.
Socialisation, socialisation, socialisation...really important.
Recall - YOU are the boss.
Sitting calmly so you can put a lead on it when needed.
The rest of it is just decoration.
Tbh, they're terriers so you gotta take the rough with the smooth. It's a bit presumptious of me to say but first your missus wanted a boxer, then a BT? What exactly is she looking for in a dog? You couldn't get more wildly differing breeds. For me it was down to Cairn, Patterdale or Border. Had I seen more of Lakelands like surfer's, I'd have considered those too - just don't seem to see them down here.
Borders are a great dogs with a bit of a Napoleon complex, wanting to fight with bigger dogs who look at them funny but other times they'll play all day with any dog they are equal or can boss around.
Archie has never been striped but his hair loss is a bit of a nightmare at times but wooden floors are a great help
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Archie has never been striped but his hair loss is a bit of a nightmare at times
DD we intended to get a Border but eldest Surfer is allegic to some breeds that shed, Lakelands shed very little and we borrowed friends dogs to test the theory, as you say its important to research them.
My dog was stripped once but we didnt like the experience so now we have her clipped which she is fine with. She is from good stock but she is a family pet not for showing etc so her happiness comes first.
She does yap a bit though!
Borders are a great dogs with a bit of a Napoleon complex
I'd have to disagree there. It's a bit of a generalisation and the ones I know aren't like that. The "Napoleon" complex comes down to many factors, the principal two being whether you have a male dog neutered or not - (the "aggressive" dogs I know are the ones who haven't had their balls chopped off) and how you socialise them as puppies. The only thing that I sometimes see with BTs is most relationships between bitches get off to a shaky start. 🙂
Also conversely, Molly hasn't been stripped but loses very little hair.
Also, FFS, it's nearly half nine and she still hasn't got up. 😯 What were you saying about them getting lazy if you let them surfer? 😆
some great photo's above guys.
with regards to their coat, I first read this:
''Border Terrier Shedding
The Border Terrier sheds practically no hair at all. You'll virtually never find a hair in your home!''
Then this:
''Border Terrier Grooming
Pet coat (less work): Cut his coat short every few months and then it only needs to be brushed every so often.
Show coat (more work): Strip his coat every six months and brush it daily.''
Hence the enquiry in my original post. What does stripping entail?, and are the pictures of smoother looking BT's examples of ones that have been stripped?
If im honest, id only be keen on the smoother coat as im not a fan of longer wiry haired dogs. But if stripping is an unpleasant experience id rather not put them through it.
Is the above comment of 'they never shed hair' complete nonsense then?.
Why BT? As mentioned above, im a fan of smaller short haired stocky terriers, and have had staffies in the family, whereas Mrs Slim isnt so keen on them, but her family has owned boxers in the past - of which im not so keen.
The BT is simply a dog we both came across and both agreed instantly was very cute, plus seems to meet our family criteria.
If that makes us a STW stereotype then so be it! (very weird thing to be accused of). I thought I was someone who liked to ride bikes..
Borders are a great dogs with a bit of a Napoleon complex
You should see what male Westies are like! Saying that, BT's were the only dogs that ours would be bossed around by. Wierd, not even a squeak. Any other dog...
are the pictures of smoother looking BT's examples of ones that have been stripped?
Yep, I'd say so...though in the picture of Archie above, he looks quite smooth. 😕 I [i]think[/i] that Blue and Tans are generally smoother than Grizzles (but I could be talking out of my arse there...I often do).
Why BT? As mentioned above, im a fan of smaller short haired stocky terriers, and have had staffies in the family, whereas Mrs Slim isnt so keen on them, but her family has owned boxers in the past - of which im not so keen.
Ah right, so I was being a presumptuous muppet then. 🙂 As you were...
If that makes us a STW stereotype then so be it! (very weird thing to be accused of). I thought I was someone who liked to ride bikes..
That was just me taking the mick - I think the BT is one of the most popular breeds on STW which along with the various types of Spaniels, isn't [i]that[/i] surprising given that one would hope that users here are probably a teensy little bit outdoorsy anyway.
Our BT loves being stripped - he goes into a trance like state of bliss!!!
And its easy to do yourself, you just pull the long hairs out. If you google 'how to strip a border terrier' you'll see plenty of info.
If you google 'how to strip a border terrier'
I hope thats safe for work?..
DD - I realise you were kidding, I noticed the original typecast on the thread linked at the top.
I'll do some research to see if blue & tans are less wiry than grizzles, thanks for the lead.
🙂
..... I will just add.
Each borders coat will be different. My one dog can be stripped within half hour. The other takes best part of a week ...its a finger aching task!
Lots of articles state they are low maintenance coats.......simply not true.
My 10yr old border will still run with me on my 17mile local mtb loop.
He does slow a little on the way back now though..
I hope thats safe for work?..
I've just googled it at work and no nasty links have been thrown up!
Borders are awesome. Quite head strong though. Molly is very submissive to all other dogs, very friendly and just loves to run around. Good with kids and people. Although is excitable at times, and needs to be calmed down.
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TBH - i'd be disappointed if my dog wasn't excitable (does that make me bad?)
(does that make me bad?)
A lot of STWers will happily kick an excitable dog. 😐
But, yes, I know what prezet means, Molly is quite the "busy" dog too, though she's still a youngster and will probably quieten down a bit as she matures. I'm going to enjoy her enthusiasm for absolutely everything (apart from swimming 🙁 ) while it lasts.
Fair enough, I would happily kick a lot of them.
Look at the transformation on this handsome chappie!
Oh. My. Holy. Jesus.
Loads of BT videos. 😀
like plucking a chicken! 😯
From the East Anglia Border Terrier Club:
They are an intelligent breed, who can be quick to learn, but sometimes slow to obey if confronted with something else they would rather do, such as chasing small critters, rolling in unmentionables or chewing your best pair of shoes/three piece suite/wallet full of money etc!
Borders are awesome. Quite head strong though. Molly is very submissive to all other dogs, very friendly and just loves to run around. Good with kids and people. Although is excitable at times, and needs to be calmed down.
Sounds identical to mine.
Our BT is very small for her breed, just within breed standard at 10". She's a little tyke sometimes, esp. with other dogs and prefers the bite first, ask questions later approach when meeting other dogs and seems at first hand 100% fearless. She'll take on any dog twice or three times her size. Really she's a big wuss and this trait may be down to her small stature.
She's wonderful with people though and truth be told, she's a lazy madam. Much prefers indoors and playing with her box of toys, to going out in the cold and wet and she's very affectionate. As you can tell I love BT's as they seem to be a big dog in a little dog’s body.
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Odd you mention about rather staying inside. Since it's turned cold, Molly actually goes and hides behind the sofa when it's her walk time. Once out she likes it, but it's the initial "bugger that, it's freezing out there" she seems to have.
It never happened last year, so I'm hoping she'll get excited about walks again when spring gets here.
Molly is also quite long legged, and slender for a BT. Most other BT's I see are quite stocky. She also doesn't have a thick top coat, so she doesn't need stripping very regularly.
*waves at Daisy*
Ours is a very ickle one too!
Molly earlier today:
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Actually, that coat is very similar to (my) Molly's - especially around her thighs. Quite long and scraggly 🙂
Her mouth isn't big enough to hold a ball properly...only hanging out the side. We've never clipped or stripped her - although sometimes, we do cut the quif that she gets around her neck as it looks a bit silly. 😆