The Border Terrier is an intelligent little dog with a self-assured, fun loving attitude. They are loyal to their families and make great family pets. Border Terriers were bred to be fox hunters for Scottish Borders, therefore they are active dogs that need regular exercise. If you own this breed as a pet or if you want to buy one as a pet, here is some information for you about this breed.
The Border Terrier’s coat is rough and wiry (and still, border terriers are hypoallergenic). It has two coats: the undercoat is thick and fine while the outer coat or topcoat is coarse and hard. This kind of coat makes the dog water-resistant. The color of his coat can be sandy to dark grizzle with tan markings on his legs, cheeks, chest, neck and muzzle. His whole body except for his head should be covered with a fine shading of black or grizzle hairs giving him a steel blue appearance known as ‘dead black’. His head should have tan patches above each eye from where it goes down to its nose bridge between its eyes which him an alert expression.
Do border terriers need to be stripped?
The coat of the Border Terrier is designed to protect him from injuries while hunting. Since he hunts in briars, thorns and thickets with tall grass for his prey (foxes), his coat can become matted with dirt if not regularly stripped. If you do not strip your dog’s hair once or twice a year, it will tangle and mat very badly which can irritate its skin under the coat.
Years ago, stripping was considered as only removing dead hairs by pulling them out with their roots (similar to plucking eyebrows). Today, however it has evolved into what is called shearing or clipping where the whole outer layer of the coat is cut close to the body giving this breed shorter appearance. This method prevents it from tangling, matting and helps your dog to stay cool in summer. This is just an option though since there are people who still opt to pull the dead hairs of their dog’s coat regularly if not strip them completely.
Either way, you should start this practice regularly so your pet will get used to it when he becomes more mature. You can tell if his coat needs stripping or shearing by touching it lightly. If you find that it has a spongy feel then that means that there are still ‘dead’ hairs on his undercoat which needs removing.
If your Border Terrier is healthy, free of allergies and is groomed properly, they do not need to be stripped every year
What happens if I don’t strip my border terrier?
If you don’t strip his coat regularly, the dead hairs will remain in his undercoat which can cause it to tangle and mat. If this happens, you should use a good detangler or conditioner and work it through the matted area with your fingers. You may also use a wide tooth wooden comb or metal greyhound comb. Be careful when using metal combs and take time and patience so as not to hurt him since he has very thin skin under all that hair. Brush the mats towards his tail gently but firmly until it is free of tangles then apply oil on them to keep them from tangling again .
What if I want my dog stripped?
There are different stripping tools available in pet stores such as stripping knives, rakes and combs which are used to strip dead hairs. These tools are available in varying sizes to fit the size of your dog’s body.
Stripping Nylon-Coated or Stainless Steel Comb is a good tool for beginners when learning how to properly strip your Border Terrier’s coat . It comes with long teeth on one side and shorter ones on the other, curved in shape with two different kinds of edges. Use it by starting below his neck then slowly working up towards top part of his body while depositing all the loose hair behind you every time you run it through his coat. You should take care not to miss any area or else tangling will start.
The Stripping Knife , unlike the stripping comb, is for experienced groomers who have been doing this practice regularly. In fact, it takes a lot of skill, time and patience to strip your pet correctly using this tool so you should only use if you are confident about what you are doing.
The Rake , on the other hand can be used all over your Border Terrier’s body but requires a very good grip. It cuts down dead hairs that stick up from his undercoat leaving a smooth surface behind. Just be careful not to brush too hard since these tools may cause irritation which will cause him to scratch himself raw – something that you definitely do not want – If he has dandruff or dry skin underneath his coat .
One way of knowing if his coat needs stripping or not is by parting it if you find that the parts are two distinct colors, then he certainly needs it. Otherwise, just pluck out dead hairs using your fingers or pull them out completely with their roots.
You should start this practice regularly so your pet will get used to it when he becomes more mature. You can tell if his coat needs stripping or shearing by touching it lightly. If you find that it has a spongy feel then that means that there are still ‘dead’ hairs on his undercoat which needs removing.
If your Border Terrier is healthy, free of allergies and is groomed properly, they do not need to be stripped every year
