Hi

Done some research and found a breeder i like the sound of. Anyone own them and can they give me any first hand info on what they are like? Breeders asked me all the right questions and ive researched into lines and the standard. Fave of the terrier group and im excited, they have a litter due in march and im just waiting for the breeder to accept me on to her waiting list.

Louise

P.s a friend of mine breeds them (not the breeder im interested in) so ive met them afew times and played a little, fiesty little munchkins

> fiesty little munchkins

Not really how I would describe Border Terriers. They are usually pretty laid back.

Even better

I have Borders and can chat about them all day!! :-) Training is essential (as with most, if not all breeds) but as a rule make fab pets!

Glad u have them.

My main Q is will the breeder reject me because i have other big dogs? extremely socialble and friendly that they are but they are still very big. They are also well trained so would do as i asked.

Louise

It very much depends on the breeder to be honest. I take it from your name you have dogues? I had a dogue as a guard dog and she thought she was a terrier bless her!!
Borders can be feisty, especially around season times in girls - trouble being they think they are big dogs! In reality of course they arent and wouldnt stand much of a chance in a scrap with a dogue! :-)

well my 2 arent really the type to retaliate in a fight nor would be too affected by another little girl being scrappy, mason only really sticks up for himself against other dominant males but wont pick fights

Louise

Ooh, I know someone else with a DdB called Mason! :-)

They only problems we ever had with Maggie and the borders was her food guarding - we quickly learnt that she couldnt be fed alongside the borders when she was very young!

Oh well good stuff, these all get fed along side each other but i can take precautions. Just got to hear back from the breeder now. Im sad weve already picked a name i think Trixie lol!! I would prefer a pup from these as they have the lines i like dandyhow an oxcroft im im allowed to say that? but if not ill have a look into the lines my friend breeds from as they are the reason i fell in love with the breed as well as having a few cuties in at the groomers. I did look into the native at risk terriers but not too keen, only ones i liked on that was mini bull terrier oh and the otterhound but thats not a terrier of course. Saw a pup in town the other day and made the most stupidly loud cooing and the owner was oblivious and walked straight by so i looked daft

Louise

Well best of luck with it all and I hope you find the perfect baby for you! If you need any advice or anything, you are more than welcome to drop me a quick pm - we have been breeding these little guys for 13 years now, so there isnt much we dont know about the breed! :-)

Louise didn't you want a Neopolitan? Or have you changed tack now, or having both!? How exciting that would be! :-)

Although i still would love one, im leaving it a while until they sort the breed out in the UK to an overall type as the discussion they are not the healthiest breed. I also need a bigger house and i have many years ahead of me so there isnt the need to rush just yet. Ill get into bordeaux a little more and step into the show world. Plus they cost a packet and i havent the cash for that atm either! I will one day multi molosser household with the odd border and rodent lol

Louise

Ohh I see...all good things come to those who wait!!

Oh i do hope so

I have had BT's for 15yrs, and my oldest being 15 in March, they are wonderful dogs, they are like big dogs in little jackets!
I own Rotties and Danes with them, and the terriers keep them in line, they all get on well, and from the start I have always been firm with them, they are working terriers remember so when out, everything like rabbits etc are fair game.
Your breeder should be  to advise you about keeping with large dogs, I would always have a Border with my large breeds, we have 2 off of show strain, and 1 who is working breeding, and she is the one nobody messes with!
They enjoy the active life, but are happy to lie down on the sofa and sleep, we do take them out with the horse and gig, and they will follow for 5miles no problems.
I cant say enough the breed, unfortunatley they are becoming very popular, so make sure its a good breeder you are buying from.

I like them the best of all the terriers, and they seem to have an affinity with my breed (seveeral breeders over the eyars have ahd both breeds).  The trait that appeals the most is that they are probably the most sociable of the terriers re other dogs.

I have PRT's and my son has a great dane x who thinks he is the size of a PRT but is great with them the only thing I watch is when they play as a puppy i bred broke her back leg whilst playing with her big dalmation sister.

I have to agree with some of the earlier posts Borders like any other breed can be feisty to say the least in my experience. Last year whilst walking in the forest with my 2 toy poodles who were both on the lead at the time I met a lady with a border and a westie, she asked me whether my dogs were bitches they are both dogs so she said oh she should be ok then she doesn't like bitches so she let her off the lead. The horrible little thing ran straight at my dogs and started attacking the younger one who started yelping so i tried to remove him by his harness and the border bit me on the hand. I know I shouldn"t have intervened but my dog couldn't get up so I had to do something. Having said that there is another border i meet which is really sweet.

i can only go by the Bt's that i've met and they were complete opposites, one was very calm and the other spends the whole day barking.
They seem to have minds of their own though and as long as you have time to train properly i'm sure their great dogs. 

Well ive been accepted onto the waiting list so i now have to wait, hope she has enough to cover the list and a blue and tan girl!!! Also hope that none of my circumstances change either. Im going to pick her kc name going to either be affix trick or treat or affix never miss a trick as we want to call her trixie. Im sure she will copy my other dogs too, lazy snoring beasts that frollock on thier walkies and then some more zzzzz on the sofa and maybe up for a game of tug. Could try agility with her too.

Louise

Hi, I have a border pup, really laid back and a really happy chappy, he does like to to be fussed but is happy playing with his toys, no problems feeding and learnt toilet training quickly i believe from interaction with my boston.A real joy to own but he sometimes thinks he is a lion or tiger as he crawls on his tummy then rushes and pounces on the boston, we almost have as much fun watching as they do playing.LOL, we are looking to show and he has been to ringcraft which he loves to socialise with other dogs and sit and watch boston training. We were told to socialise him as soon as possible as they can be fiesty by our breeder .

I wouldnt mind showing her, perhaps be a little easier to transport her than my others lol. The parents have really good pedigrees and have done well in the showring themselves. Dont know about any ringcraft in the area but when i got mason he went from as soon as i got him and hes the most socialised dog you could get so i think it would be best and ill have another look for one round here. Need one thats run every week dont want to pay a fortune it was 1.50 per dog for over 2 hours at the last place in sunny lancashire.

Louise

Why would your circumstances change Louise? Nosey aren't I? I just wonder if they change when you've had the pup what are you going to do?

I just mean the current economical situation, i think my job is safe working at asda people need to eat still! If they do ill keep her anyway, i think id be homeless before i had to return them. i dont think her meals will make too much of an impact on my pocket compared to the big uns.

Louise

Sadly they have become very popular so many are bred that do not have typical temperaments, as is the case with any popular/exploited breed, you need to go to true breed enthusiasts, not the puppy producer.

Good grief Louise!! You ADMIT that you work for ASDA?? Brave girl ;-) I am joking by the way! :-o

Eeee well i dont plan on being there for the rest of my days so dont worry. Its just until i figure out what to do with myself :-) , and what OH wants to do with his life (something outdoors instructor type thing) also costs alot of pennies. Hoping not too offend here, but i think that people who have been there for 25 years are sad and must enjoy being told what to do by people half there age and working for £6.13 an hour! I have no idea what to do with myself ahh!

Louise

> but i think that people who have been there for 25 years are sad and must enjoy being told what to do by people half there age and working for £6.13 an hour!

or maybe due to other circumstances have little control over it.

>working for £6.13 an hour!

That's good money if you work with animals ....

I wouldnt mind working for MW if it was with animals!

Your mortgage provider might!

> That's good money if you work with animals ....

i  love my job, but i'll never be rich *sigh* ive come to terms with it now :)

>ive come to terms with it now

That's the difference between a career and a job. :-)

Hi Louise, how exciting looking forward to a puppy - I loved that bit!

Have you met the breeder and parents?  I couldn't tell from your post but I thought it seemed quite quick, you're lucky to be offered a show bitch at short notice.  Did you detect that there has been a fall off of interest from other potential puppy people due to economic climate or the BBC pedigree programme/concerns?

My ringcraft in Somerset charged Annual Membership of £2 per person then £1 per dog for each RC session

I have a 6 year old Border and to be honest at times he can be all the above :)

He certainly is a big dog in a little body and training is a must - he likes to think he's the boss...................and considering he had more of the bed last night than I did (and is still on it now !) I'd say he is !.
Very fiesty at times and between the age of 18 months and 2 he was a little monkey..................if it moved he was after it !.
However, he is funny, bouncy and very happy. Full of beans, can walk for ever and is wonderful company.
He makes me laugh everyday and I love him to bits.

Ive been looking into the breed (and others of the slighlty larger kind) for months, lines, temperament, breed needs etc. Have had the breeder in mind for a while and looked on her website recently and she announced a breeding had taken place so i got in touch. I havent met the parents yet no but i will when the pups have arrived. I dont know if she will be a show bitch i just mentioned that i may be interested in showing her. She said as borders are readily available people dont stick to her list they go off an buy one because they are not willing to wait. I know what to look for when i do meet them so i wont buy on impulse. I had a look at marias dogs on the net too plus she has/had a dogue too so she stuck in my head. As borders dont suffer from many if any breed ailments i doubt they will have been affected by the programme, but what i think has happened people buying mongrels especially to avoid the pedigree stigma has gone up. Nothing against crossbreds i just dont understand the people who breed deliberately and the idiots that fall for this are even worse. People are skint no doubt about it but i thought id buy myself a belated birthday prezzie or maybe im just using that as an excuse lol!

Louise

We think that our rescue mongrel has a little BT in him so this is definitely one of my favourite terriers.  I find the fact that they are occasionally described as Border Terrorists makes me laugh.  I'm looking forward to hearing about her

I was talking to a few people at the last show I went to who all reported that enquiries for puppies has dropped off quite a bit, but as you say they were mostly the more readily available breeds.  One of the women was telling me that her waiting lists are a bit shorter than they once were and she doesn't have quite as long to get to know her prospective owners as she used to.  She thinks it's mostly the economic situation as people don't want to commit to the finances OR the long term commitment in case they have to go back to work or change working hours.