Post by charmingnancy on Mar 2, 2009 12:33:35 GMT -5
Border Terrier
Group: 4- Terriers
Origin: UK- Scotland and England
Purpose: Fox and vermin hunter
Description:
The Border Terrier takes his name from the Border counties of England and Scotland. For Centuries, terriers fitting the description of the Border were in use by shepherds, farmers, and huntsmen who wanted a game terrier with sufficient leg to follow a horse in the rugged hill country but small enough to be able to go to ground after marauding hill foxes. Courageous enough to kill his quarry in the den or bolt him from his lair, yet able to fit in comfortably at home when work was done.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour: A short and dense undercoat covered with a very wiry and somewhat broken topcoat, which should lie closely, but it must not show any tendency to curl or wave. With such a coat, a Border should be able to be exhibited almost in his natural state, nothing more in the way of trimming being needed than a tidying up of the head, neck and feet. The hide is very thick and loose fitting. Red, grizzle and tan, blue and tan, or wheaten. A small amount of white may be allowed on the chest but white on the feet should be penalized.
Head: Similar to that of an otter. Moderately broad and flat in skull with plenty of width between the eyes and between the ears. A slight, moderately broad curve at the stop rather than a pronounced indentation. Cheeks slightly full. Muzzle short and "well filled". A dark muzzle is characteristic and desirable. A few short whiskers are natural to the breed. Nose black and of a good size. Teeth strong, with a scissors bite, large in proportion to size of dog. Eyes dark hazel and full of fire and intelligence. Moderate in size, neither prominent, nor small and beady. Ears small, V-shaped and of moderate thickness, dark preferred. Not set high on the head, but somewhat on the side, and dropping forward close to the cheeks. They should not break above the level of the skull.
Neck: Clean, muscular and only long enough to give a well-balanced appearance. It should gradually widen into the shoulder.
Forequarters: Shoulders well laid-back and of good length, the blades converging to the withers gradually from a brisket not excessively deep or narrow. Forelegs straight and not too heavy in bone and placed slightly wider than a Fox Terrier.
Body: Deep, fairly narrow and of sufficient length to avoid any suggestion of lack of range and agility. Deep ribs carried well back and not over-sprung in view of the desired depth and narrowness of the body. The body should be capable of being spanned by a man's hands behind the shoulders. Back strong but laterally supple, with no suspicion of a dip behind the shoulder. Loins strong and underline fairly straight.
Hindquarters: Muscular and racy, with thighs long and nicely moulded. Stifles well bent a hocks well let down. Feet small and compact. Toes should point forward and be moderately arched with thick pads.
Tail: Moderately short, thick at the base, then tapering. Not set on too high. Carried gaily when at the alert, but not over the back. When at ease, a Border may drop his stern.
Gait: Straight and rhythmical before and behind, with a good length of stride and flexing of stifle and hock. The dog should respond to his handler with a gait, which is free, agile and quick.
Scale of Points:
Head, ears, neck and teeth ....20
Legs and feet..................15
Coat and skin..................10
Shoulders and chest............10
Eyes and expression ...........10
Back and loin .................10
Hindquarters ..................10
Tail............................5
General appearance.............10
Total .........................100
Size:
Dogs, 13-15½ lbs. (5.9-7kg); Bitches, 11½ -14 lbs. (5-6.4 kg), are appropriate weights for Border Terriers in hard-working condition. Narrow-bodied and well-proportioned, males stand 13 to 16 in (33 to 41 cm) at the shoulder; females 11 to 14 in (28 to 36 cm).
Temperament:
Affectionate, intelligent, even-tempered, and obedient. Alert and fearless. Border Terriers generally get along well with other dogs; however, if they dislike another dog, they do not hesitate to start a fight and, as with most terriers, it can be difficult to stop them. They seem to be better with the opposite gender.
Borders will adapt to the activity levels of their owners. They do not demand exercise, but do love it when they get it. With sufficiently long legs to a achieve reasonable speed, a Border will hike, bike, and run with its owner, but will just as happily while away the day lying in the sun. Border Terriers do not like being left alone and they love company. They are also known to be good jumping dogs.
Being bred to work cooperatively with people, Borders do well in task-oriented activities. They are intelligent and eager to please, but they retain the capacity for independent thinking and initiative that were bred into them for working rats and fox underground. They take training for tasks very well, but appear less tractable if being taught mere tricks. The breed has excelled in agility training, but they are quicker to learn jumps and see-saws than weaving poles. Their love of people and even temperament make them fine therapy dogs, especially for children and the elderly, and they are occasionally used to aid the blind or deaf. From a young age they should be trained on command.
Borders can adapt to different environments and situations well, and are able to deal with temporary change well.
Grooming:
The Border Terrier has a double coat consisting of a short, dense, soft undercoat and harsh, wiry weather and dirt resistant, close-lying outer coat with no curl or wave. This coat usually requires hand stripping twice a year to remove dead hair. It then takes about eight weeks for the top coat to come back in. For some dogs, weekly brushing will suffice.
Health:
Borders are a generally hardy breed, though there are certain genetic health problems associated with them, including hip dysplasia, Perthes disease, various heart defects, juvenile cataracts, Progressive retinal atrophy, Seizures, and Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome.
Border Terriers are also known to be sensitive to anesthetics and slow to induce.
Due to their instinct to kill and consume smaller animals, Border Terriers often destroy, and sometimes eat, toys that are insufficiently robust. Indigestion resulting from eating a toy can cause the appearance of illness. Typical symptoms include lethargy, unwillingness to play, a generally 'unhappy' appearance, lack of reaction to affection, and inability or unwillingness to sleep. These symptoms are generally very noticeable, however, they are also present just prior to Border Terrier bitches being on heat.
Average Lifespan:
13.8 years.
History:
The Border Terrier has its origins dating back to the early 1800's to the region between Scotland and England and was bred to work on both sides of the border. One would assume the name Border Terrier was purely geographic. No one knows for sure.
Records of the early breed were sparse to almost non-existent. As a working terrier, the early Border Terrier's value was based on its ability to go after and bolt fox and be a source of vermin control for the farmers of the region. Working was the flavor of the day, record keeping and breed history was more of an after thought to the farmers making a living in this rugged country.
In the US today, the Border Terrier remains relatively uncommon and is often mistaken for a terrier mix. Thanks to a tremendous commitment by Border Terrier owners and breeders, this breed is truly cared for and protected.
The first Kennel Club Border Terrier ever registered was The Moss Trooper, a dog sired by Jacob Robinson's Chip in 1912 and registered in the Kennel Club's Any Other Variety listing in 1913. The Border Terrier was rejected for formal Kennel Club recognition in 1914, but won its slot in 1920, with the first standard being written by Jacob Robinson and John Dodd. Jasper Dodd was made first President of the Club.
Sources:
Border Terrier Club of Canada
Wikipedia
Pets.ca
The Border Terrier Club of the Redwoods
Pictures:
Photobucket
Group: 4- Terriers
Origin: UK- Scotland and England
Purpose: Fox and vermin hunter
Description:
The Border Terrier takes his name from the Border counties of England and Scotland. For Centuries, terriers fitting the description of the Border were in use by shepherds, farmers, and huntsmen who wanted a game terrier with sufficient leg to follow a horse in the rugged hill country but small enough to be able to go to ground after marauding hill foxes. Courageous enough to kill his quarry in the den or bolt him from his lair, yet able to fit in comfortably at home when work was done.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour: A short and dense undercoat covered with a very wiry and somewhat broken topcoat, which should lie closely, but it must not show any tendency to curl or wave. With such a coat, a Border should be able to be exhibited almost in his natural state, nothing more in the way of trimming being needed than a tidying up of the head, neck and feet. The hide is very thick and loose fitting. Red, grizzle and tan, blue and tan, or wheaten. A small amount of white may be allowed on the chest but white on the feet should be penalized.
Head: Similar to that of an otter. Moderately broad and flat in skull with plenty of width between the eyes and between the ears. A slight, moderately broad curve at the stop rather than a pronounced indentation. Cheeks slightly full. Muzzle short and "well filled". A dark muzzle is characteristic and desirable. A few short whiskers are natural to the breed. Nose black and of a good size. Teeth strong, with a scissors bite, large in proportion to size of dog. Eyes dark hazel and full of fire and intelligence. Moderate in size, neither prominent, nor small and beady. Ears small, V-shaped and of moderate thickness, dark preferred. Not set high on the head, but somewhat on the side, and dropping forward close to the cheeks. They should not break above the level of the skull.
Neck: Clean, muscular and only long enough to give a well-balanced appearance. It should gradually widen into the shoulder.
Forequarters: Shoulders well laid-back and of good length, the blades converging to the withers gradually from a brisket not excessively deep or narrow. Forelegs straight and not too heavy in bone and placed slightly wider than a Fox Terrier.
Body: Deep, fairly narrow and of sufficient length to avoid any suggestion of lack of range and agility. Deep ribs carried well back and not over-sprung in view of the desired depth and narrowness of the body. The body should be capable of being spanned by a man's hands behind the shoulders. Back strong but laterally supple, with no suspicion of a dip behind the shoulder. Loins strong and underline fairly straight.
Hindquarters: Muscular and racy, with thighs long and nicely moulded. Stifles well bent a hocks well let down. Feet small and compact. Toes should point forward and be moderately arched with thick pads.
Tail: Moderately short, thick at the base, then tapering. Not set on too high. Carried gaily when at the alert, but not over the back. When at ease, a Border may drop his stern.
Gait: Straight and rhythmical before and behind, with a good length of stride and flexing of stifle and hock. The dog should respond to his handler with a gait, which is free, agile and quick.
Scale of Points:
Head, ears, neck and teeth ....20
Legs and feet..................15
Coat and skin..................10
Shoulders and chest............10
Eyes and expression ...........10
Back and loin .................10
Hindquarters ..................10
Tail............................5
General appearance.............10
Total .........................100
Size:
Dogs, 13-15½ lbs. (5.9-7kg); Bitches, 11½ -14 lbs. (5-6.4 kg), are appropriate weights for Border Terriers in hard-working condition. Narrow-bodied and well-proportioned, males stand 13 to 16 in (33 to 41 cm) at the shoulder; females 11 to 14 in (28 to 36 cm).
Temperament:
Affectionate, intelligent, even-tempered, and obedient. Alert and fearless. Border Terriers generally get along well with other dogs; however, if they dislike another dog, they do not hesitate to start a fight and, as with most terriers, it can be difficult to stop them. They seem to be better with the opposite gender.
Borders will adapt to the activity levels of their owners. They do not demand exercise, but do love it when they get it. With sufficiently long legs to a achieve reasonable speed, a Border will hike, bike, and run with its owner, but will just as happily while away the day lying in the sun. Border Terriers do not like being left alone and they love company. They are also known to be good jumping dogs.
Being bred to work cooperatively with people, Borders do well in task-oriented activities. They are intelligent and eager to please, but they retain the capacity for independent thinking and initiative that were bred into them for working rats and fox underground. They take training for tasks very well, but appear less tractable if being taught mere tricks. The breed has excelled in agility training, but they are quicker to learn jumps and see-saws than weaving poles. Their love of people and even temperament make them fine therapy dogs, especially for children and the elderly, and they are occasionally used to aid the blind or deaf. From a young age they should be trained on command.
Borders can adapt to different environments and situations well, and are able to deal with temporary change well.
Grooming:
The Border Terrier has a double coat consisting of a short, dense, soft undercoat and harsh, wiry weather and dirt resistant, close-lying outer coat with no curl or wave. This coat usually requires hand stripping twice a year to remove dead hair. It then takes about eight weeks for the top coat to come back in. For some dogs, weekly brushing will suffice.
Health:
Borders are a generally hardy breed, though there are certain genetic health problems associated with them, including hip dysplasia, Perthes disease, various heart defects, juvenile cataracts, Progressive retinal atrophy, Seizures, and Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome.
Border Terriers are also known to be sensitive to anesthetics and slow to induce.
Due to their instinct to kill and consume smaller animals, Border Terriers often destroy, and sometimes eat, toys that are insufficiently robust. Indigestion resulting from eating a toy can cause the appearance of illness. Typical symptoms include lethargy, unwillingness to play, a generally 'unhappy' appearance, lack of reaction to affection, and inability or unwillingness to sleep. These symptoms are generally very noticeable, however, they are also present just prior to Border Terrier bitches being on heat.
Average Lifespan:
13.8 years.
History:
The Border Terrier has its origins dating back to the early 1800's to the region between Scotland and England and was bred to work on both sides of the border. One would assume the name Border Terrier was purely geographic. No one knows for sure.
Records of the early breed were sparse to almost non-existent. As a working terrier, the early Border Terrier's value was based on its ability to go after and bolt fox and be a source of vermin control for the farmers of the region. Working was the flavor of the day, record keeping and breed history was more of an after thought to the farmers making a living in this rugged country.
In the US today, the Border Terrier remains relatively uncommon and is often mistaken for a terrier mix. Thanks to a tremendous commitment by Border Terrier owners and breeders, this breed is truly cared for and protected.
The first Kennel Club Border Terrier ever registered was The Moss Trooper, a dog sired by Jacob Robinson's Chip in 1912 and registered in the Kennel Club's Any Other Variety listing in 1913. The Border Terrier was rejected for formal Kennel Club recognition in 1914, but won its slot in 1920, with the first standard being written by Jacob Robinson and John Dodd. Jasper Dodd was made first President of the Club.
Sources:
Border Terrier Club of Canada
Wikipedia
Pets.ca
The Border Terrier Club of the Redwoods
Pictures:
Photobucket