Does anyone have a border terrier?

cookiecrumbs

Hi

Does anyone have a border terrier? Mine is five years old now and I recently saw a programme about them online. It seems like they all have the same habits!

I'm sure mine thinks he's a human, he likes to sleep in my bed with his head on the pillow (not at night time when I'm in it obviously), he will only play with a soft rubber ball that he can chew and he's always pushing it onto my foot if he wants to play but will never let me have it!

Does anyone else have a Bordie and what habits does yours have?

hethmar

Yes, I have a gorgeous rescue border and he is very clever. He can dribble two balls at once, whilst carrying another in his mouth, pmsl and he will sleep next to me every night. He also "speaks" to me using a squeaky toy. Lovely lovely little dog, absolute joy to have in the house - god knows why anyone would ill treat and throw him out. Still, their loss and our gain

tillyg

Yes, cookiecrumbs, we have a beautiful Border Terrier called Harvey his fantastic little dog he also likes to sleep with us and his head on the pillow. He also loves his ball its like his best friend if it rolls under the sofa he lays there all legs splayed and whines until someone gets it for him. We love him to bits, the only problem we do have with him is he isnt that sociable to other dogs when he is on his lead. Hes great if hes running free around the field but when on his lead he growls and barks, and sounds so viscous but hes soft as they come really. Hes 4.

cookiecrumbs

Hethmar - I have never once seen a Border in rescue kennels, they're such lovely dogs I don't know how anyone could ever give them up. I had to push the squeaker out of my dog's ball as it would drive me mental after about 5 minutes but he still loves it. He will bark with it in his mouth if he wants to play.

Tilly - mine does that too! He loses it under the sofa or the bed and goes flat to the floor whining until you get it back (usually when you're in the middle of something or there's something really good on the tele!)

Mice_Elf

My mum has a Border. This is her 2nd. The first unfortunately had a tumour which burst & he had to be put down at age 11. Bruno (her current Border) is LAZY! I'm not sure if this is a trait of the breed, as Rocky was fairly sedentary as well, but he almost has to be forced to go for a walk. It could be as a result of being treated for allergies to life since he was 2, though. However, he has 6 acres at his disposal but prefers to stay inside. If my mum took him for a walk, he'd go, but if my Dad tried, he'd know that Dad would become distracted by something & would just wander back to the house.

He learnt to ask to go outside for his business from my cats, when we used to live there. Before, he'd stand & stare at the door, making no noise at all. Now he'll stand at the door, then start squeaking & if no one has heard, he'll come & dance in front of you, then run back to the door again.
He will also keep picking up his ball & dropping it at your feet if he's feeling energetic. If you're fussing him, he'll *lean* on your legs, so that if you move, he falls over.
He also thinks he's a baby & remembers when, as a dinky puppy he'd sleep in your lap. He still tries to do that now, but he's not dinky anymore, courtesy of the steroids, I suspect.
He's a mad thing if he sees molehills, as well. He'll just dig, biting the earth in huge great clumps & soil flying everywhere behind him. One book we read says that you need to keep Borders' tails intact (no docking) in order to pull them back out of the hole they've just run down!
He will also see birds flying around & tank it down the fields barking at them. Mad muppety dog that he is.

Mice_Elf

cookiecrumbs wrote: »

Tilly - mine does that too! He loses it under the sofa or the bed and goes flat to the floor whining until you get it back (usually when you're in the middle of something or there's something really good on the tele!)

Yes! Bruno does that too! Little grumpfs and mumbles until the ball is retrieved for him.

Do yours lay on their tummies with their hips splayed, too? Or chew their ball whilst on their backs, otter-stylee?

minimad1970

My border is 2 and a half now and does all of the above. He's got a border puppy friend who is 6 months and he also does the same things. I don't know if it's just this breed but mine barks with the ball in his mouth, I've never seen or heard another breed do this. They're brilliant dogs:)

cookiecrumbs

Yes!!!

Mine sticks his legs out at the back like a frog when he's on his tummy, he lies on his back and will try and hold the ball between his front paws and balance it - it's like a circus trick!

And, he does exactly the same if he wants to go out, or if he wants his dinner - he'll whine for a bit then come over to you as if to say "can't you hear me??" then go back to the door - or his bowl.

Minimad - love the pic, he's a cutie!

dizziblonde

minimad1970 wrote: »

My border is 2 and a half now and does all of the above. He's got a border puppy friend who is 6 months and he also does the same things. I don't know if it's just this breed but mine barks with the ball in his mouth, I've never seen or heard another breed do this. They're brilliant dogs:)

My rescue Heinz 57 varieties of dog mutt does the lying with his hips out like he's been steamrollered thing - still must be pretty unusual since everyone laughs at it.

CFC

My westie cross does these things too - if he thinks you haven't 'heard' him he'll then sit in front of the tele staring at you so he is in your line of sight! Maybe it's 'terrier' thing?
He also commando crawls when coming over to you when he can't be bothered to get up...it's hilarious.

hethmar

Mine does the "frogging" business, but so does my Parson Russell. The border will lay on his back though, all his legs akimbo and his teeth showing when he goes to sleep And yes, he does bark at the same time as squeaking his ball This is the funniest dog Ive ever had in over half a century of dog ownership. Absolute joy.