Border terrier puppy

Oscar15

Hi all,

We lost our fabulous dog last June and there is now a big dog shaped hole in our lives.

We've researched breeds and think a border terrier would be perfect for us. I'm looking for advice on looking for a border terrier puppy - we want to make sure we buy from a responsible breeder.

I know from Google that there is a BT breeder who posts on here and has given advice before so hoping she will see this and be able to give a few pointers!

andreac

Yes its Knine. I'm sure she will be along soon to help you out.

Knine

I have Border Terriers! If you are in Dublin you are welcome to come & see my terriers to get an idea if they are the breed for you. They are very lively terriers. A good one is also very sociable with other dogs. I cannot emphasize how strong a hunting instinct they have. As such you need somewhere very secure to keep them contained. They are escape artists. Some of mine are great climbers.

They are good family dogs. They love children but can be fairly boisterous around them too. They will live happily with the family cat but kill the neighbours. Plenty of recall training is needed as puppies. They absolutely adore food & respond very well to any positive training that involves food.

They have a double coat which if correctly handstripped keeps them waterproof & clean. Most groomers in Ireland do not know how to correctly hand strip & just clip off the coat. I have no problem showing people how to strip out & tidy their dogs coat.

Problems in the breed I would see are dog aggression, mouth undershot or retained testicles. Health wise they are pretty healthy often living into their late teens.

If you would like to add a Border Terrier to your family I would say a good sense of humour is also required. Mine get up to a lot of mischief!

Oscar15

Thanks knine. Unfortunately we aren't in Dublin or I would take you up on your offer to come and see your borders!

I knew someone with a border terrier years ago and he was a right little character. I think they are great looking little dogs too- kind of scruffy teddy bear looking!

I have read about their double coats and think they don't shed as much as other breeds - is that right? I think I would want to learn to hand strip the coat myself - is it difficult? I think the bit that would worry me is the ears, I'd be afraid of hurting them.

I've looked around for breeders and there don't seem to be many about. We aren't worried about having a kennel club registered puppy as we wouldn't be showing, but want to make sure we buy from a responsible breeder - would you know of any litters coming up? We would travel so it wouldn't matter where in the country (we are in Kerry)

Knine

Avoid any unregistered puppies. They won't be from responsible breeders.

Striping is not that difficult to learn & as long as you don't use a scissors you can't really go wrong. You can choose to strip out the dog entirely several times a year which takes several hours or you can roll the coat which simply means doing a weekly tidy up & the dogs stay in good coat condition all year. The ears are easy to look after. It is a good idea to get the puppy used to stripping & grooming from a young age.

You would need to decide dog or bitch, bitches being slighter & slyer lol. The dogs can be a bit more clingy. Meanwhile my bitches will head off with anyone & would sell me for a sausage!

There maybe some litters this summer from reputable breeders or I could help you with getting a dog from the UK. When were you thinking of adding to your family?

Oscar15

We have already decided that we will go for a dog rather than a bitch. Our last dog was a boy and was very clingy (and split rotten!) so we are used to that.

We haven't really put a timeframe on when we want to get a pup - although we did think spring/summer because it would make toilet training easier!

How are your borders in the car? Our dog was very carsick as a puppy and never liked the car, it meant we could never take him with us on holiday or even drive too far to go on different walks. We'd really like our border to be more portable!

If no suitable litters are available how would we go about getting one back from the uk? I mean travel wise - ferry or flying, how does the pup travel. I only have experience of the ferry and dogs have to stay in the car or in kennels - maybe this wouldn't apply to a tiny pup?

Also, are your borders crate trained and would you recommend this?

Sorry for firing all the questions at you!

Knine

They are very portable due to their size. Mine go to shows all over the country so love the car. I crate train all my dogs. Due to puppies tiny size I prefer to use puppy pens rather then crates when they are very small. Their paws and jaws are less likely to get caught in puppy pens. My adults all sleep in crates at night.

As their are a lot of shows during the summer, sometimes it can be arranged that exhibitors from the UK will bring puppies over with them.

It is generally easier to get a Border dog puppy. They only have small litters.

irish_goat

Would you not consider trying a local rescue centre?

Knine

irish_goat wrote: »

Would you not consider trying a local rescue centre?

Not many end up in rescue & those that do are usually snapped up pretty quick!

Oscar15

Thanks knine. I think we will be crate training then! Have also googled puppy pens and they seem like a good idea.

I really appreciate your advice and any help in finding a puppy would be great.

Irish goat - we support a couple of local rescues and have family members who have re-homed rescue dogs. However we would like to have a puppy and particularly want a border terrier after doing a lot of research.

We are doing a lot of work to get the right puppy who has been bred responsibly - we don't want to contribute to the problem of backyard breeders or puppy farms.

Dynamom

Hi Knine, I know it has been quite a while since you posted you had border terrier puppies. I wonder are you still breeding them, and if you have any currently? Many thanks.

Knine

Today alone I recieved 7 inquiries by 11am for puppies. I answer each one but it is starting to take up a lot of time. It is seldom I have a litter & when I do they are booked before they are even born. Right now I actually have friends & family waiting on one. I worry about all these enquiries as the Border Terrier breed is not for everyone! They can be a handful in the wrong home! Hence Reputable Breeders are very fussy about new owners.

There are also litters being advertised at the moment for €1200 that are absolutely not Borders. In the UK Greeders are selling them for 3.5k

I would suggest you wait until all this Covid madness is over & an alternative option is one of the Breed Clubs in the UK.

Cherry Blossom

As per the sticky at the top of the forum threads looking to source pets are not permitted here at the moment. Closed.