When the Border Terrier made its first appearance in the AKC ring, onlookers were often heard asking “What breed is that ugly brown puppy?” The Border Terrier appears to be a fairly straightforward, unassuming brown dog, straightforward and straightforward.
In terms of personality, however, he has a lot of strength. Developed to “run with the dogs” and worry the fox, the Border Terrier is brave and explorer by nature. As an addition to a home, you can get into a lot of trouble! His inquisitive forays into the neighborhood demand that his owners have a securely enclosed area, especially since he is not a large dog and can wander out of many enclosures.
The Border Terrier has unlimited energy. He is playful and a bit rough by nature. However, it should not possess the typical aggression associated with most terrier types, as it should blend in well with the fox hound herd. The history of his usefulness as a hound’s “helper” demands that he get along with other dogs. He was bred to worry the fox when the dogs caught up with him, so his nature should be one of fearless courage and tenacity.
The standard calls for a small dog of stocky proportions. It should have a broad, otter-like skull, with ears folded close to its head, and a broad, stocky body that is not actually very representative of most of the breeds that are within the Terrier group. The height is about 13 centimeters at the withers. The chest should not be “barrel” and your coat should be straight and close to the body. Colors range from muted red to wheat, to black and tan or blue and tan, a small amount of white is allowed on the chest, but it is not common. The teeth should have a scissor bite and be strong. The shoulders should be well relaxed so that you can negotiate rough terrain when running with the dogs.
The Border Terrier has proven its usefulness as a therapy dog. Their small size and gentle nature work well in this quest, plus their coat is not a difficult coat to care for, making it easy to keep clean for your visits to hospitals and nursing homes. He has also become a favorite dog for the agility ring, as he has speed and a genuine love of the chase. He is docile and easy to train, being very intelligent. The border terrier feels equally at home in a small apartment or as a country dog. Assistance dogs are generally larger than this puppy, but in areas of assistance dogs for the deaf or as a “seizure dog,” the Border terrier has become quite useful. And of course, in the show ring, it is steadily gaining popularity.
The Border Terrier appears to be very stable in health. He is not currently considered a “problem dog” but care must be taken with responsible breeding or health problems will surely develop, as has often happened in the history of dog farming. Especially when a dog is shorter in stature or becomes popular, puppy millers tend to breed indiscriminately to meet market demands, and this can lead to health-related problems that were not present at first. If responsible breeders continue to maintain strict control over the sale of non-neutered animals, the future will be assured and good health will remain one of the attributes of this “ugly brown puppy.”