BUYING A PUPPY
IS THE BORDER TERRIER THE BREED FOR YOU
Border Terriers are essentially terriers and this means that you, as a future owner, are unlikely to be able to keep any other small animals or birds such as hens, hamsters, or rabbits. The Border Terrier may well kill them; that is in their nature.
They may be fine with cats if they are brought up with them as a puppy. However even then, family cats may be seen as part of "the pack" but strange cats may be viewed as prey and possibly injured or even killed by a Border.
Some of them are escape artists and will get through the smallest hole in fences, hedges etc. This means they may wander off and may even get into neighbours’ gardens and put paid to any pet animals or hens that they find there, so your property needs to be totally secure.
Borders are intelligent but are not always obedient. They can be trained up to a point, but if they are running loose and are distracted by some animal or even by a person, they may well run off.
Originally they were bred as working terriers and so they may well chase and kill foxes, hedgehogs, rabbits, squirrels, mice etc. This does not mean that they must be kept on the lead at all times, but it does mean that you have to be aware of your surroundings when out walking with them.
Because they were bred to work, to follow hounds and to be capable of keeping up with horses all day, the Border Terrier has a great deal of energy. This means that although they are happy sitting on your knee and relaxing, they do need plenty of exercise to keep mind and body fit and healthy.
They also need company and you should ask yourself: “Will there be someone at home for enough time each day for us to have an active dog of this kind?”
Border terrier puppies should be socialised at an early age, by taking them to socialisation classes/puppy preschool classes.
Border Terriers have a thick double coat. They do not cast their outer coat but they have an undercoat which they shed. Depending on the individual dog they may need to have their outer coat stripped about twice a year. The nature of the breed’s coat means that Borders are not hypoallergenic and therefore may not be suitable for some allergy sufferers.
Every member of your family should want the dog; if any of your family has reservations about having a dog in the household, this will impact on the dog’s happiness in the future.
WHERE TO FIND A BORDER TERRIER PUPPY:
In New Zealand the best place to find a Border Terrier is either through contacting the breeders on www.dogzonline.co.nz to register your interest or be placed on a wait list or check the Dogs NZ website for latest litters born and contact from there.
CONTACT WITH A BREEDER:
You should expect that a reputable breeder will ask you a number of pertinent questions about your ability to look after their precious puppy. Be wary of any breeder who only asks if you have the money to pay for the puppy, but does not make enquiries about your lifestyle, house and garden and how you intend to care for the puppy. That may be an indication of the level of aftercare you will receive.
