Border Terriers

[Malika]

I have decided to take the plunge and get a dog for my son (and me, obviously). Someone wants to find a new home for a pure-breed border terrier (sickness in family, complicated story) and it seems they are very good with children and this one has had a lot of experience with children. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience of this breed. My son is very excited... I told her it was a girl and he said that was impossible as it does not have long hair (all the girls in his school have long hair)...

 

[hearts and roses]

Not specifically BORDER terriers, but I have lots of experience with terriers in general. They are high energy (need walks and daily playtimes!), lots of fun to play with, extremely good watch dogs and loyal, usually very good with children.

That said, they can be arrogant and stubborn at times. I have three: two cairn terriers and one yorkie.

 

[InsaneCdn]

As always... more details please.
How old?
Any formal training? (obedience, etc.)
Intact or neutered/spayed?

Is the type of home the dog has been in and the lifestyle she is used to, compatible with yours?
For example - she may be allowed on the beds in the current house... do you want that?

This is like any other adoption.
Its not about "a dog".
You have to find the RIGHT dog.
And its not just about right breed... there is a wide range within a single breed.

Personally... I'm not a terrier fan. Too independent, arrogant, and hard to train.
(for the record... instead, I like Canadian working dogs who are pack-dependent, intellegent... and hard to train)

 

[Malika]

Ah, well, some things in life are a leap of faith, Insane. Like my adopting J, on the basis of no knowledge whatsoever...
In this case, though, more information is available. She is eight years old and border terriers live to about 15 so she is middle aged like me She was raised from a puppy by people who are border terrier breeders and experts so has been fully trained, etc. The owner tells me she is exceptionally good natured and easy though the breed as a whole are known for their amiability.

 

[Jody]

I am so excited that you are getting a dog. How cute is that dog. I don't know much about the breed. I have a golden retriever and I cannot imagine being without my dog. I take him with me wherever I can. he is a joy to be around. He has helped me a lot with anxiety. I used to take ativan but since I have had him haven't had to take a pill in two years. What is the dogs name? Is J excited or does he know yet? When will you get the dog? Terriers can be very stubborn, but maybe at 8 years old and good training you wont have a problem with that. You'll have to learn all the command words. If I say gentle Broady won't pull at all on his lead, but no one else knows that. He is 70 lbs so if he pulls he could be hard to handle. Good Luck and let me know how it goes.

 

[Malika]

Thanks, Jody. This is a whole new adventure for me as I have never had a dog and although I like animals in general, I am not a particularly "doggy" person. But I think it would be a very positive thing to have another member of the family. I hope and trust J will not be too brusque and excitable with her. He would never deliberately hurt an animal, I think, but he will have to learn to be moderately calm and gentle with her. So could be a very positive learning experience...

 

[InsaneCdn]

Just going on terrier generalities here... is she a digger? might be a problem in a rental property if she is (it is what terriers are by nature...)

Beyond that, you can do with dogs what you can't usually do with kids... test drive! Can you take the dog for a few hours? then for a weekend? etc. The point is, it helps the dog transition, AND lets you see what she's like in real-world conditions. How does she behave when J gets over-excited? Will J just let her out the door without a leash? You know what I mean...

 

[DammitJanet]

J should be old enough to do well with a dog and from what I have known about this breed and read about them, they are pretty good with kids. They are not known to be aggressive though I am sure some can be just like any breed can have a few bad apples.

We have a 4 pound Havanese dog that has been in our family for over 3 years now and he is the best dog in the world with kids. Most people think that small dogs will nip or bite kids if they get too rough with them, especially young kids. Not this one. Keyana has basically used this dog as a stuffed animal and the dog has never once complained. And my dog has had long hair most of the time. We cut it in the spring and summers. I wont have biters. All my dogs are kid friendly.

I think this will be a good thing. Boys and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly.

 

[HaoZi]

American Kennel Club - Border Terrier

As a general rule terriers are active dogs and need lots of stimulation and exercise. Great if you have lots of time and energy, but if she'll be home by herself all day and isn't used to it, you might come home to a lot of destroyed stuff and a depressed dog.

 

[Steely]

Terriers can be great dogs. I just got through dog sitting one - and the only thing you need to know about them is that they are extremely prey driven. They were bred to be hunters. So this lil guy I dog sat would bolt out of my door and tear down the street faster than lightning - towards - who knows what....My dog Tesla would just run with him, like whats the rush dude? lol. I spent a lot of time running after the dog because my yard was not a safe place for him.

So that said - besides being loyal, sweet, and smart - they also like to run and dig - so make sure your yard is perfectly enclosed, or if you don't have a yard, keep him on a leash when outside at all times.

So happy for you and difficult child! I think it is always really important to have difficult children have pets - it teaches them so much.

 

[mstang67chic]

Oh yeah, they are runners. LOL My Chester is a terrier mix.....Jack Russell and Rat terrier best we can tell. VERY energetic but also very loyal and affectionate. Loves to be close to husband or I or on our lap. He sleeps with us and HAS to be touching at least one of us....usually me and usually he's plastered against my back as I'm a side sleeper. But.....we also have a large fenced yard for him to run off his energy and we play with him. His favorite thing is the red dot game (laser pointer) and he'll play till he drops. Chester basically has two speeds- full tilt and sleeping. He's somewhat hard to train and seems to get so excited that he doesn't/can't listen. He's a jumper so when people come over it's a little chaotic.

But....there are going to be downsides to any pet. Just consider your lifestyle and whether or not you think you can keep up with a terrier. If you can...they are great dogs. I would suggest, however, going to meet him with your son to see how they react to each other and to see if you think your son will be "nice" with him. And of course, see if the dog is "nice" to your son. Good luck!

 

[KTMom91]

What Stang said. My Jack Russell is almost 12, but will still run laps through the house. We failed leash walking at obedience school TWICE...one of us did not get the idea. Terriers as a rule are territorial, fast, often diggers/jumpers...think difficult child dog, as least with Jacks.

They are also loyal to their people and smart as a whip. You have to be smarter than they are and on top of their antics all the time. Now that I have a Jack, I wouldn't have any other breed. My Buddy is the best (and Chester comes in a close second!)

 

[tiredmommy]

My only advice is to make sure YOU are prepared to take on another living creature. Pets are wonderful, especially for difficult children, but they are also a lot of work. You want to make sure that the positives outweigh the negatives in terms of schedule, cleaning, grooming, vet care, etc. Our house currently has three humans, two cats and two African dwarf frogs... and I have decreed that no other living creature will be living here because, ultimately, I'm the one that takes care of all of us.

 

[Malika]

Thanks for all the good advice. I am aware that I will do all the looking after and am not thinking the dog will teach J "responsibility", although it will have the good effect of teaching him to moderate his behaviour somewhat around it. I would also actually like a dog myself as it will be company when I work at home and make me have a longish walk every day, which will be great.
One issue is that she has never been spayed. I didn't even know whether dogs have menopauses and now understand that they don't, though fertility declines. Apparently she also has not had her annual vaccinations (including rabies) yet this year, which seems to me a little odd, as we are now October. She does have a micro-chip. The owner tells me she is healthy and has never had health problems. But at eight she is obviously getting older. I didn't want to get a puppy as I don't want to train a dog (J is enough!)
Don't know if there are any other obvious questions I should be asking the owner...