So, you think you would like a Border Terrier?   

Yes, she looks cute doesn't she? Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Lying there all sweet and innocent on her bed.
And she is......Most of the time!

Well, lets look at some of the pro's and cons.

Pro's:                                                                       Cons:

They are intelligent They are alert They are active They are hardy They have a reasonably easy care coat They are a smart good looking dog

They can easily get into mischief They love to be busy, with or without your say so They will easily find their way out of the smallest chink in your garden fence They were bred to do a job of work and that instinct is still very strong. And it should be. They do shed, more than you may think Provided of course they have not been playing as no:4

I have lived with, worked, and shown borders for most of my life. I will never be without them in my home. But they are by no means the dog for everyone. They are strong willed, prey driven and can be prone to lusting after other small animals such as rabbits, Guinea Pigs etc. They can be a menace with cats if not introduced as puppies. If you are thinking of having a Border Terrier join your family then do take time to:

1. Research the breed. My  page has some good places to start.
2. If you think the Border is the right breed for you, then:
3. Find a reputable breeder  See my Links page.
4. Use this Link to find a great resource for questions for both you and your prospective breeder to ask.

 There are plenty of nice typical Border Terriers being bred. They are bred by reputable breeders who have great knowledge of the breed, who research each and every mating they do with great care. These people bring their puppies up to be happy sociable little dogs that will fit easily into their new homes with the minimum of fuss. The parents of these puppies will have been health checked, hips, heart, eyes and patellas. The puppies from these breeders will have been vet checked , wormed three or four times, (maybe) microchipped. The breeder will be there for you at all times, and should be prepared to take back any puppy bred by them at any time in the dogs life. These people love the breed and consider themselves custodians for the future. They may not all be show breeders, or breeding for working terriers, but they will all have one aim, to breed healthy, typical Border Terriers.

******THESE REPUTABLE PEOPLE******
******ARE THE BREEDERS TO BUY YOUR PUPPY FROM******

************BUT************

There are the "other" type of breeder! Those who are breeding for a fast buck. Those that have no real knowledge of the breed....other that they know they are popular and that they will be able to sell the pups to unwitting people. The bitches may be bred every season ( not good for the bitch and not part of any best practice promoted by breed clubs), may or may not be a good specimen of the breed, and may....or probably not have been bred to the dog that would compliment her best. It costs money to have the parents health checked, so they will not have been. It costs money to have a litter vet checked . So they will not have been! It costs money to have them wormed. So they will not have been. It takes time and great effort to socialise a litter of pups, so they probably won't bother. They will probably not know the pedigree of their dogs off by heart, they should do!! How else can they possibly know what dog will compliment their bitch, and which dogs have the best temperament, or is as typical as it should be. These people love money and consider themselves lucky to have fallen on a good source of it.