BORDER TERRIER

 

This breed  owes it’s  name to the fact that  it  originated in the border country of northern England.   It is probably the one of the oldest breed of  the many different strains of terriers.

 

An interesting fact about the Border Terrier is that it  was sometimes  called the “Gypsy Dog” because it often accompanied Gypsy bands as they roamed around the country.

 

Like most terriers, it is  a very lively, intelligent  little dog, not more than  15 pounds in weight.   Colors vary from tan to golden brown and the coat is  strong and wiry.

 

Originally bred for hunting small game, it has a very keen sense of smell and very good eyesight.

 

Although it is not considered a guard dog, being by nature a very friendly lovable, it is nevertheless a very alert animal, without being particularly noisy and barking a great deal unnecessarily.

 

It is a dog that can easily be trained, but with it’s sensitive nature one must be sure that training should reflect  patience, not harshness.

 

 Border terriers  are particularly sensitive  to loud voices and in training there is no necessity to shout commands. They should always be given a quiet, but  firm tone.

 

Border Terriers are, for the most part, very healthy dogs and can live to  fourteen years and even longer.