The site was last updated on

24 Aug 2000

Name of breed: Border Terrier
Class: Terrier
Recognized: AKC, ANKC, CKC, FCI, KC (GB), KUSA
Size: Height: about 25cm (10in).
Weight: dogs 6-7kg (13-15.5lb), bitches 5.1-6.4kg (11.5-14lb).
Coat: Harsh and dense with close undercoat.
Colors: Red, wheaten, grizzle and tan, blue and tan.

This attractive, tough little dog derives from the Border country, the area around boundary between England and Scotland, and is probably still seen in its largest numbers there. The Border Terrier was bred in the middle of the 19th century to run with hounds and yet be small enough to bolt the fox from its lair.
Recognized by the British Kennel Club in 1920 the breed has been less spoilt by the dictates of fashion than many others. It has always been a working terrier. When James Davidson wrote in 1800 that he had purchased "twa red devils o' terriers, that has hard wiry coats and would worry any demned thing that crepit", he could have been describing the Border Terrier of today.

Character and care

The smallest of the working terriers, the Border makes a first-class pet. It usually loves all children, is long lived, with literally walks its owners off their feet, and is a good watchdog. It requires little routine grooming, and only a slight tidying up before exhibiting.