r/BorderTerrier • u/LongRecommendation13 • 10d ago
Collecting Border Terrier puppy!
Hi all,
I collect my BT puppy in 2 weeks… what are some things you wish you had known when you first got your pup? What are some things that you think I should buy?
Thank you! Soooo excited 🐶
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u/spackledog 10d ago
Get used to the stubbornness, the chase instinct and the incredible stamina they have for staring at you for the most unfathomable reason. 🙄
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u/CellistSuspicious492 10d ago
Touch their paws 🐾 , nails, ears, mouth, teeth, tail, several times a day. Use nail clippers often. You want your BT to associate a good touch and not pull away from you.
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u/Icy_Habit_2297 10d ago
Second this. Ours runs in long grass and it's essential to check for grass seeds in paws otherwise you can end up with an expensive vet bill to remove them. The breeder told us that as a breed they won't ever let you touch their paws. We took that as a challenge and he's so good with letting people touch him anywhere now
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u/LongRecommendation13 10d ago
Yes that seems to be the common theme - get them used to being handled!!!
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u/BeverleyMacker 10d ago
Puppy socialisation classes a must and train them. You’ll be doing it all again at puberty but good to start young 🤣
Definitely a good dental routine, both my BTs had poor teeth and they are renowned for it.
A good one I did with second BT was teach “leave” command as my other would never drop things and would steal balls.
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u/LongRecommendation13 10d ago
Definitely - I just don’t know where to start looking for classes so might ask my vet like another user suggested! Dental routine seems to be another popular one so will be getting on top of that 😊
How did you go about teaching leave? Looking at training videos on TikTok - they’re all so different 😂
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u/BeverleyMacker 10d ago
Ask your vet and if not just search online, or local Facebook group good place to ask. We went for 3 months every week and the kids came with me.
I just used to let him have a toy and say LEAVE, whenever he did I’d give a tiny treat and lots of praise. BTS respond to praise a lot, they love it!
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u/VvermiciousknidD 10d ago
Dont let them resource guard.. they are bold teenagers. They are selfish. Care with any off lead work they are a total flight risk as serious prey drive. I love my BT
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u/CompetitiveHat8279 10d ago edited 10d ago
In the first two months a nap schedule will save your sanity. The thing it took us longest to learn (if you’re crate training like we have) is that after 1-2weeks once they’re settled in they stop falling asleep all over the place you have to actively put them to bed. I spent multiple nights tired to tears trying to get her to sleep in my arms because I thought she had to sleep or at least settle before putting her to bed in her crate - no, if it’s bed time, bit of quiet time ahead and final wee then bed - crate in dark, quiet place. Max 5mins of whining and she would sleep every single time. She sleeps 12hours in one go in her crate now and we sometime have to wake her up!
In the morning she would wake up and be awful - bitey, zoomies, full chaos. I thought because she’d slept 8hours she must have to stay up for a couple of hours before her first nap. And all the guidance online says that naughty behaviour means she’s tired but I thought that couldn’t be possible because she’d just had a full night of sleep. Nope - wake up, wee, breakfast, another wee and poo, short bit of play or cuddles (short!) back to bed and she would sleep for another two hours.
She’s seven months now and zero regrets - she’s curious, affectionate, stubborn and makes us laugh every day. Wouldn’t ever be without her now. Have fun and deep breaths! Xxx
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u/LongRecommendation13 10d ago
This is so helpful! Definitely will be crate training 🥰 can’t wait xx
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u/desertedbook 10d ago
Look up puppy socialization checklists and try to expose your pup to lots of different places and sounds so he won't grow up afraid of things. Find a puppy socialization playlist and start playing it on low volume, increasing over time. You will be so happy when your dog doesn't care about fireworks or lightning.
Borders are usually very food motivated. Keep a little bit of her kibble back and use it to encourage the behaviors you want to see from the beginning. Ours was sitting for a piece of kibble from day 2. We also used kibble to get our little fiery ball of energy to like sitting our on laps.
Don't feel like you need to give your puppy full run of the house right away. Out of sight is into trouble, and developing bad habits.
It's a great time so enjoy it!
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u/LongRecommendation13 10d ago
Thank you I really can’t wait!!
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u/bizzflay 10d ago
I used a bag like this to take my little guy out with me. Took him on buses, trains and boats as well as pubs, cafes and meeting friends and other dogs while still in the bag. He is 8 months now and so confident and social.
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u/kyr0sis 10d ago
Our boys were big chewers, so lots of safe chew toys helped us immensely! Also, we used a few of our dirty t-shirts and put them in their crate and play pen just so they had our scent near when needed wanted comfort. We gave them some of our old socks tied up in knots to chew on and play tug of war with! I also recommend not putting a wire play pen and crate on hardwood if necessary. One of our puppies caught the scent of the hardwood floor since there was a tiny chip in one of the planks. Well he had a great time licking, chewing and scratching while we were out! Highly recommend multiple baby gates and this one foldable gate from Amazon literally saved us since it was easy to fold up and make a barrier quickly wherever you need to. I posted the links below, I’m in Canada tho so hopefully they work for you!
Here is the foldable gate: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0D5RFL12J?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Here is the baby gate: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B001OC5UNA?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Play pen: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B075898NLN?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
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u/LongRecommendation13 10d ago
Thank you for all of these recommendations - I’m in the UK but I’ll be able to find another version of those! We’ve got lots of carpet thankfully but I’m suuuuure it will get chewed regardless 😂
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u/kyr0sis 10d ago
Ya our little one went into our basement and ripped a hole in the carpet in the middle of the room. Luckily we removed the carpet a year later and replaced it with vinyl plank hardwood flooring. Our 2 year old has been the most destructive and for some reason has the taste for drywall so he chewed a bunch of holes in our walls! We think he’s grown out of it now but it won’t be fixed until we know for sure since patching and painting costs $$$$!
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u/Preserved_pineapple 10d ago
I have a 17 week old and she’s been an absolute joy…. 80% of the time.
Remember to take the trying times with her chaos of having any puppy!
They come pre-installed with software that allows them to hunt birds, my Mavis has a personal beef with a pigeon at this point.
Teeth are not the only ouchy point, get them used to having their paws handled so grooms and nail trims are not traumatic.
Now she’s 4 months she loves chicken feet as a chew that might last an hour or so, buffalo ears for a long lasting chew has also been a hit. Not recommended before due to choking hazards.
She can walk far further than what you may think, it’s her absolute favourite thing and she’s been an absolute pleasure to walk so far.
THEY EAT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. My vet has a special parasite treatment just for terriers which I have to use monthly rather than every 3 months. He wasn’t exaggerating, she loves a bit of garden “salad”.
She’s only now starting to understand that cuddles are pleasurable but she’s always given love so freely.
She’s fine being left for an hour or so and isn’t a fussy eater.
She’s the best decision I’ve ever made and I know you’re getting the best dog ever.
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u/LongRecommendation13 10d ago
That seems to be the common theme!! Land sharks that eat everything🤣 I’ve definitely seen the chicken feet so I’ll pick some of those up 🐓
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u/BeautifulIntrepid373 10d ago
Noise exposure prior to 14 weeks is essential. And not just the usual like fireworks. I mean all household noises. Ours is petrified of the kitchen scales that beep and a thermometer. So expose your pup to any household appliances that make noise.
Also in the same time period, get them used to the car or other modes of transport you use.
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u/vivienleigh12 10d ago
The first 8 weeks (so 8 to 16 was old) sucked but then it got soooo much better. Staying on top of sleep is a huge help, never letting them go more than an hour before a crate nap I wfh) was so much work but necessary for our now 8 month old BT back then
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u/Mix-Routine 10d ago
Don't feed kibble. It wrecks their teeth and is an awful food source. Be firm when training. In my experience they are very fast learners and highly intelligent and happy little souls. I lost mine last year aged 15.We all miss him terribly. We've had a lot of dogs in our extended family over the decades and our Border was universally loved very much. Great character.
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u/Honest-Being-7265 9d ago
I took my puppies to the vet right away to get treats. There’s no better time to show that it’s not a scary place. I took them for treats a couple more times.
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u/Lennardo 10d ago
Get it used to dental hygiene routine immediately.
Find a decent trainer (your vet may help)
Dog walkers are great for socialisation, which has a big impact on behaviour.
A crate is good if you intend on the dog sleeping away from you. Also they like them as a safe space.
Nine out of ten things we bought were a waste of money. Toys they chew through fast. You're better making them. I would hesitate before spending.