We’re lucky to have a Border Terrier as part of the Flea Treats family – his name is Carl and he’s a good boy!!!
Here’s a little about the breed courtesy of The American Kennel Club – we feel it’s a very accurate description of Carl! “Admirers of the upbeat and agile Border Terrier cherish their breed’s reputation as a tough, no-frills working terrier. These plucky, happy, and affectionate dogs are popular pets in town and country. The wiry coat is an easy keeper. Border Terriers, standing from 11 to 16 inches at the shoulder, are easy to recognize among other small terriers by their unique head shape; the breed has an ‘otter head,’ as fanciers say. Another distinguishing trait is that they are longer in leg than other small terriers. The wire coat can be grizzle and tan, blue and tan, wheaten, or red. Borders are described as ‘hard as nails’ when working, but at home they’re good-tempered, affectionate, and trainable. Borders love exploring outdoors and make fine childhood playmates. Bred to be country dogs, Borders adapt well to city life, as long as they get plenty of exercise. Borders tend to get along with other dogs, but their hunting instincts can be aroused when cats or squirrels cross their path.”
An interesting thing about their wire coats is that they should not be bathed and groomed as you would most dogs. Instead, they’re groomed by specialists who “strip” the hair – basically removing the old hairs by pulling them at the root out to give room for the healthy new undercoat to grow. This is done by hand and is an interesting process to watch. It’s possible for owners to do this themselves, but in our case we have found the professionals do a much better job, much faster, and with less stress for Carl. The transformation from hairy beast to sleek little pup is amazing!
If you have the room for them to be active and exercise, Border Terriers are great pets. With any new addition, always research breed requirements to make sure your lifestyle is compatible with your potential new family member’s needs. A good match makes for a lifetime of enjoyable companionship – research and choose well!