My Doggy dreams have come true 🐶😀

[karenscraftybitz (Karen Ellam)]

Hello

I’m so so super excited to tell you my good news.

I’ve always yearned for a dog, but it’s just never felt like the right time one way or another, and my Husband didn’t share my enthusiasm.
My daughters begged since she was five and now she’s 15
She’s had goldfish, mice, hamsters & Guinea pigs all of which have been fab family pets, but I still really dreamt of one day having a canine friend.

For the past two years my Husband and I have become keen walkers and that’s how we spend a lot of our time enjoying the beautiful countryside and hiking for miles.
Our holidays are walking holidays and we spend a lot of time in the company of dogs and dog owners.

Over the weekend my Husband announced to me over a quick half in the pub where he was spell bound by the sweetest Jack Russell that he was ready to extend the family with a dog of our own.

Well I nearly fell off my stool… I think I might have squeaked abit

We are hoping to find a Border Terrier. They are such lively characters and I think he will fit in with us just wonderfully.

I know there are lots of dog owners here so all advice is greatly appreciated.
Has anyone tried crate/cage training?
Clicker training?

I really want to do all of my research before jumping in too quickly.

Right I’m off to search for some doggy handmade goodies to add to my ever increasing list of things I need to buy in advance.
I think I need a lottery win

Karen x

[VioletJewellery (Danielle Hall Nicola Malia)]

Our dog is a springer, he’s my first ever dog and I wasn’t sure where to start so I enrolled us into a training course. He didn’t respond to clicker training (the leader of the training group asked us not to return, said jasper was “untrainable”) but he responded straight away to hand signals so i trained him myself. We’ve never crated him, we put a baby gate across the kitchen/dining room for when we weren’t home and left him with plenty of toys. He’s 11 now and his behaviour is impeccable

[SamanthaStanley]

Lucky you!

I’m at the stage with my husband that you were several years ago, so your post has heartened me. Maybe there is hope for us yet!

Border terriers are my favourite breed. They are wonderful with people (and children) and never lose their puppyish playfulness.

However, they do not mix well with other dogs and unless they are very, very well socialized with a lot of other dogs as puppies they are likely to pick fights with other dogs they meet. I would recommend buying two together, so that the socialization happens at home to prevent this. My Mum has owned three of this breed in succession and this would also be her advice. Females are particularly anti-social. They are also a working breed that are used to flush out foxes and other game so they will chase cats, rabbits, pheasants etc, and they will kill what they catch. Not all breeds of dogs have such strong instincts to kill, so it is something to bear in mind. A secure garden is a must because the males are prone to escape.

By the way, totally agree with @VioletJewellery about crating. It seems very cruel to me. And hand signals are great for training because they are visible from distance.

Having said all that, I must be a sucker because they are still my favourite breed… I must need my head examining

Sam x

[BigBirdLittleBird (Liz Clark)]

We have a Golden Retriever and having a dog is like having another member of the family. You do have to take them into consideration, so if you work all day or like to pop off for weekends away, then having a dog may be an issue. However walking holidays sound great!

Finding a good trainer can be hit and miss. They seem to be either just for socialisation or just for Kennel Club obedience, and trying to find a trainer who did both for us was tricky. We didn’t clicker train (treats worked for ours as she’s very food orientated) neither did we crate (we too did a baby gate across the kitchen doorway) and that worked for us. Others however swear by other ways, so it’s really about reading up as much as you can and deciding what is best for you.

Good luck!

[HandcraftedbyPicto (Jan Ryan)]

I don’t have a dog myself but I have family that does and with all of the dogs (5 ) have all been successfully crate trained. It was so successful that they went into the crate of their own accord if they wanted a bit of peace and quiet. It is there safe place. They were so comfortable that the crate was taken in the car when they went anywhere, it was secured in the boot with the parcel shelf taken out. it is a safe way to travel and was great to take to family visits, not everyone has baby gates etc. It’s something I would do if ever I got a dog. good luck on your search for your new pooch

[GreenwoodMakes (Rachel)]

We have springers too, I volunteer for the springer rescue too so sometimes I am foster dog sitter too What a wonderful exciting thing to be happening at your house

[karenscraftybitz (Karen Ellam)]

I’ve just come back from a lovely three mile walk. Lots of peace & quiet to think things through.

Thanks for all of your lovely messages.

I’ve read about their trait of chasing small animals Samantha @SamanthaStanley I think I saw somewhere too that they should remain on a lead at all times as they like to dig & burrow.

I will have to look into hand signals Danielle @VioletJewellery Dogs are so clever aren’t they

Your golden retriever is gorgeous Liz @BigBirdLittleBird
She looks so content in her basket x

I’ve got friends who use crates and friends who don’t.
I don’t see them as a bad option either Jan @HandcraftedbyPicto
It’s a space of their own where they feel happy & safe and voluntarily clamber in to sleep.
I will definitely give it some thought.

Yes it’s very exciting Rachel @GreenwoodMakes
Springers are a favourite of mine. So full of energy and adventure x

Karen x

[SamanthaStanley]

Totally right! Border terriers love to go down holes on the trail of rabbits. When I was a child we actually had to leave my Mum on Maiden Castle and go home without her because the border terrier (Meggie) had gone down a hole and wouldn’t come out. She waited for four hours before the dog eventually rejoined her and she could go home. I’ve heard tales from other owners about the master local hunt being called out to dig the terrier out. They have a little wild side about them that means they can’t resist locking onto a trail!

Love Sam x

[SashaGarrett]

My hair dresser has a border terrier (Maggie) and enjoys updating me on her progress everytime I go in, I admit to often just tuning him out at that point but he has trained her to follow the same commands (hand signals) normally used with gun dogs and they do agility training together.

[OrchardFelts (Roz)]

Always wanted a border terrier but was advised against it for the reasons already mentioned - I now have two rescues, a collie/terrier cross and a springer spaniel. We have had them for many years and both have been really difficult to train and I am only just beginning to get confident in them being off lead! May as well have gone for the border terrier!

I would recommend taking advice from someone who really knows their dog breeds to find one that would suit your lifestyle and unless you have a lot of time and patience steer clear of rescues! Love mine but they are very hard work.

[karenscraftybitz (Karen Ellam)]

We have thought long and hard about a rescue dog Roz @OrchardFelts
It would be lovely to give a needy dog a loving home, but I just think we lack the experience. We are total novices.

I wouldn’t discount it for the future though.

well i better get cracking on my home improvement list before we even think of looking for a pup.

I do have a totally enclosed medium sized garden which would be fab, but I need to get the fence on one side reinforced at the bottom where it has decayed quite badly (neighbours side)

Karen x

[SamanthaStanley]

I like the idea of talking to people who have owned the different breeds because there is an awful lot that is not in the books. The books just tend to limit themselves to the breed spec, which is not always the same as the experience of owning that breed. I would say that because of my family experience I can only really talk with authority on the subject of terriers and their little quirks.

Having said that, I’ve had recommendations from other people on cockerpoos as being easy to handle. Of course, as a cross, you can’t guarantee that they will all be standard, but from those I have spoken to they seem intelligent and trainable, and not too “lap-dog” like.

Sam x

[SamanthaStanley]

You might find your neighbours are keener to have a new fence when the puppy arrives.

Sam x

[EileensCraftStudio]

I’ve had dogs all my life all different kinds mongrels and predigree dogs.

Dogs give a lot of love but like children they take a lot of time to care for and can mean certain holidays are out of the question.

Also you find you have to vacuum far more often lol.

Mine’s fast asleep at the moment he’s more of an evening dog that’s the time of day he’s most awake and wants to play.

Be aware you might find yours likes to follow you into the bathroom mine does. He’s knows how to open doors so if I’ve not locked the bathroom door he’ll open it and stroll in.

Border terriers are deer hunters btw. They might be small but they were breed to jump up onto the back of deer. My friend has two and the first time her 15year old took them out on his own they did just that run off after a deer and jumped up onto its back. So if you have deer near you you’ll have to work hard on the recall or kept on leads.

Terriers hunt by smell so they’ll have their noses to the ground most of the time and if they find an interesting scent they’ll be off.

They also like most terriers, love investigating holes and hiding under brushes. They’ll try to squeeze themselves through gaps/holes.

You’ll have lots of fun but puppies require patience and lots of energy and time, be prepared that it might chew your precious things especially when it’s teething and loses it’s baby teeth.

[JackBentleyKnitwear]

Congratulations, there is nothing quite like getting a puppy, if nothing else they get you to appreciate the lay ins you may be used to, hehe, no seriously it is a wonderful life change. We have friends with Border Terriers and they walk everyday with them, the dogs seem to go on forever, they were also part of a training team we were with and did incredibly well, learning quickly, with clickers and without. Our trainer used low fat treats to teach the dog manners. We have 2 wonderful Brussels Griffons and are hoping to collect a 3rd in August. Dogs can be very addictive.

[Fellside]

I’ve had BT’s for about 18/19 yrs now, and for me there is no other type of dog.
But they are not for everyone, they are essentially a working terrier bred to go to ground after Fox. So as expected they do tend to have a high prey drive, if its running/ flying the chase is on. They are a fun character and excellent hill walking companions, though sometimes a flexilead is required.
Another thing to mention is coat care, they are a double coated breed and usually need handstripping a couple of times a year. Contrary to some info on the web, they do moult expect dog hair.
Do your reaseach and find a good responsible breeder, Borders have suffered in recent years becoming very popular and not all breeders are doing a great job🙁 I have met some real horrors in the last few years who neither have the temperament or looks of a BT.
Whilst I have more than one at a time, for a new dog owner I would not recommend 2 pups at once.They can be very hard work, leave a gap of a couple of years inbetween for your sanity😀

[OhButtonMe]

We currently have a jack Russell who come from a rescue home. We got him at 11 weeks apparently his original owners said he wasn’t trained so didn’t want him some people are really stupid.

He come with a crate as he was usto it we now have the create under the stairs with a baby gate further up so he has more room.

We have over the years had a real mix of breeds and I think I would be lost without a dog in the house.

Good luck

[karenscraftybitz (Karen Ellam)]

I’ve spent all day researching… My head feels abit swimmy lol.
Thank goodness for the Internet and its wealth of knowledge.

I’ve just been reading about hand stripping @Fellside I will probably visit the groomers to see how it’s done. Do you do it yourself?

Aww I love Jack Russell’s @OhButtonMe
It makes me cross when I read stories of people giving up after the puppy stage when training doesn’t go to plan. So sad

Your dogs are beauties @JackBentleyKnitwear I bet your really excited to pick up your new addition.

Thanks for the heads up on how high border terriers can jump Eileen @EileensCraftStudio
I’m amazed to think they could jump to such heights but looking at them they have got quite long legs.
I may have to do something about my lower fence panels at the bottom of the garden. There’s a step up by the shed and this might be enough for him to attempt a break out

I’m a little nervous of bumping into loose dogs once he’s ready for some good woodland/countryside walks.
Many times we are greeted by dogs not on leads and it can be quite daunting if they are bigger breeds.
I have to say all have been lovely and friendly and have said hello and moved on, but I wonder what will happen when our little dog is with us.

We have a lovely gardens and estate near to where we live with a beautiful lake. All dogs have to be kept on a lead so I’m hoping to start off there with some socialisation skills.

It’s all very exciting, but quite daunting at the same time.

Karen x

[EileensCraftStudio]

The thing with meeting other dogs when your walking a dog it’s all about has your dog been socialised with other dogs.

This should start early but not before it’s had it’s injections and don’t forget to have the dog chipped.

Ours dog as a puppy had loads of puppy friends and loved to meet other dogs until he was attacked on 3 separate occasions then he became a scarried cat and would run away if he saw a dog he didn’t know which made it hard to walk him even on the lead.

So we had to spend extra time re socializing him again with strange dogs. He’s not a small dog and some people think he’s part pitbull which he’s not. He’s very strong and all he wants is a friend to run with him and walk with him.

Now he’s happy to go places again to where there are other dogs and will even go up to strange dogs. He’ll run off though if he feels threatened. no matter the size of the other dog.

He’s been to the pet service now 3 years in a row and ignores all the cats, the ducks, rabbits and breaded lizard. He’ll allow the dogs to greet him and will even greet them now rather than try to run away.

It wasn’t easy for us for about 18months with him being so afraid of other dogs.

He still rather not have a strange dog walking behind him he wimpers and puts his tail under and lowers his body to the ground and pulls hard to get further ahead where he feels safer.

Puppies and young dog need loads of opportunities to be socialized both with other dogs and people. The more they have happy meeting in different situations the better.

Be aware that when dogs meet on leads and want to play you’ll have to make sure you don’t allow to much lead as they can get tangled in each other leads and can be hurt both by the tangled leads and this can cause a dog to bite, but frighten etc etc.

We don’t allow playing just sniffing and walking. staying to heel, no playing on leadsl. Lots of praise when they get it right and the No bad dog when they get it wrong. Excited voice to get them to come to you. Deeper voiced slower commands when they are doing something wrong. If you sound scared or excited the dog reacts the same way.

If you sound cross and are trying to get a dog to come back to you it will not want to come back if you sound angry. Be excited and they’ll come back because they want to join in the excitement.

[GreenwoodMakes (Rachel)]

@karenscraftybitz

I’m a little nervous of bumping into loose dogs once he’s ready for some good woodland/countryside walks. Many times we are greeted by dogs not on leads and it can be quite daunting if they are bigger breeds. I have to say all have been lovely and friendly and have said hello and moved on, but I wonder what will happen when our little dog is with us.

There is a “yellow dog” campaign trying to get underway in the UK - well worth a look for nervous, scared, etc dogs.

Home - Yellow Dog UK

Monty is deaf so doesnt hear dogs approaching and can get spooked - he is not aggressive I just want people / dog owners aware of this when I am out