Breed library

Border Terrier

border terrier photograph.
1 Border Terrier.jpg - Samuel Cockman. CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_Border_Terrier.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. License: CC BY 2.0.

Breed overview

The Border Terrier is a British breed of small, rough-coated terrier. It originates from the area of the Anglo-Scottish border, and shares ancestry with the Dandie Dinmont Terrier and the Bedlington Terrier from the same area. The dogs were traditionally used in fox-hunting, and worked with the Border Hunt in Northumberland. The breed was officially recognised by The Kennel Club in Great Britain in 1920, and by the American Kennel Club in 1930.

  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
  • Country of origin: United KingdomBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • Originally the Border Terrier was referred to as the Coquetdale Terrier or Redesdale Terrier from the area in which it evolved, but by the late 1800s it was generally known as the Border Terrier, probably because of its long history with the Border Hunt in Northumberland.
  • The first Kennel Club Border Terrier ever registered was The Moss Trooper, a dog sired by Jacob Robson'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 Robson and John Dodd.
  • The Border Terrier is a British breed of small, rough-coated terrier.
  • The dogs were traditionally used in fox-hunting, and worked with the Border Hunt in Northumberland.

Size and appearance

The Border Terrier was bred to have long enough legs to keep up with the horses and other foxhounds, which travelled with them, and small enough bodies to crawl in the burrows of foxes and chase them out so the hunters had a blank shot. The foxhounds that travelled with them were not small enough to do the Border Terrier's job. Border Terriers have a broad skull and moderately short muzzle, and strong teeth. The V-shaped ears are on the sides of the head and fall towards the cheeks. Common coat colours are grizzle-and-tan, blue-and-tan, red, or wheaten. Whiskers are few and short. The tail is moderately short, thick at the base and tapering.

  • Coat layers: double
  • Coat length: short
  • Coat texture: wiry

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

  • Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.12 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 2.71 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 1.28 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.91 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.42 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.15 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.39 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.78 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.15 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.60 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.49 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.69 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.86 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.
  • Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.57 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Border Terrier.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat layers: double
  • Coat length: short
  • Coat texture: wiry

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 14.2 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

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Breed history

Originally the Border Terrier was referred to as the Coquetdale Terrier or Redesdale Terrier from the area in which it evolved, but by the late 1800s it was generally known as the Border Terrier, probably because of its long history with the Border Hunt in Northumberland. It shares its ancestry with that of the Bedlington Terrier and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. It was recognised as a breed by the Kennel Club in 1920, the same year The Border Terrier Club was formed. Their original purpose was to bolt foxes which had gone to ground. They were also used to kill rodents, but they have been used to hunt otters and badgers too.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  3. File:1 Border Terrier.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 2.0. 1 Border Terrier.jpg - Samuel Cockman. CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_Border_Terrier.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0.
  4. Border Terrier - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Border Terrier, revision 1378184069. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Border_Terrier&action=history
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.