How do you clean a border terrier? Here’s the Answer

How often should you bathe a border terrier?

Frequency of bathing your Border Terrier will depend on how much time you spend outside and how fast he gets dirty. Border Terriers require 2 baths, The first bath should be a general bath to get off the dirt and grime.

Generally, Borders do not require bathing. Daily maintenance and regular stripping keep the dog clean meaning that bathing is not necessary. Bathing can remove the coats natural oils and affect the coats texture and waterproofing. However, dogs do like to cover themselves in stuff we dont really want to bring into our homes! If the offending substance can not be brushed or wiped off it is best to rinse the effected area in warm water rather shampooing the whole dog. If bathing the whole dog is needed use a canine shampoo ideally one specially made for wiry coats.

Your breeder should be able to help you learn how to hand strip your Border or will be able to put you in touch with someone who can guide you through the process or do it for you. It is a job that most owners can learn to do for themselves and requires no more equipment than your finger and thumb, a comb and a pair of scissors. Many people will tell you that hand stripping is a job done whilst relaxing in the evening watching the television.

A Border Terriers coat should be harsh and dense; with close undercoat. They should have a double coat, consisting of a harsh top coat and a softer undercoat which together should keep them warm and dry whilst doing the job they were intended to do. To maintain the texture and colour of a Border Terriers coat they should be hand stripped.

A Borders coat is unlike a humans hair, and some other breeds such as poodles, in that it does not grow continuously. Each hair will grow to a certain length then will die and be pushed out by a new hair growing. This is why your Border will moult or lose hair. Eventually, the majority of your dogs coat will reach this stage. You will notice the overall length of the coat and that it is starting to part. Your daily brushing will also be removing much more hair. If you carefully pull a few of the top harsh hairs with finger and thumb you will find that they are easily removed. Your Border is then ready for a full strip. This will need doing a couple of times a year.

If you prefer to get someone else to strip your dog for you ensure that you find someone who is experienced with hand stripping Borders. Many Border owners have stories of dogs taken for hand stripping being clipped, if not all over, being clipped in areas such as under the neck, where it is easier and quicker to clip than hand strip. Clipping will change your Borders coat making it softer and less waterproof. The only parts of a Borders coat that should be cut are on the feet (between the pads and around the nails) and on the belly, where the coat is naturally sparse and soft and where there is no undercoat. No area with harsh dense double coat should be cut. This includes under the neck, on the chest, bottom, tail, legs and on top of the feet.

Frequency of bathing your Border Terrier will depend on how much time you spend outside and how fast he gets dirty. Border Terriers require 2 baths, The first bath should be a general bath to get off the dirt and grime. The second bath is targeted for the need of your dog , if your dog has allergies or sensitive skin we would suggest a Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo and follow it with a Tea Tree & Aloe Shampoo or Tar and Sulfa Itch Relief Shampoo. Do not use a heavy conditioner, but choose a light conditioner to keep the coats natural hard texture, Plum Perfect Cream Rinse or Rainforest Conditioner are light and will leave a clean fresh scent.

Playful and clownish, the Border Terrier is best described as a three-year-old child in a dog suit. Given his muscular build, the Bull Terrier can appear unapproachable, but he is an exceedingly friendly dog, with a sweet and fun-loving disposition and popular in the obedience, agility and show rings. The Bull Terrier can be all white (markings on the head are permissible) or colored.

The Border Terrier has a wiry weather resistant coat with a soft dense undercoat. The Border Terrier has a face like an “otter”. As with most terriers, the coat is usually hand stripped or plucked to insure the coat retains its harsh texture, color and does not become soft. Nails should be clipped, and ears cleaned every 4 – 8 weeks.

Alert, active and agile, the Border Terrier is willing to squeeze through narrow holes and sprint across any terrain to capture his quarry: the fox. This persistence made him an excellent working terrier back in England, and allows him to succeed in Earthdog, Obedience and Agility trials today. Known for his “otter” head and game attitude, the Border is medium-sized with a wiry coat that may be red, grizzle and tan, blue and tan, or wheaten with a dark muzzle.

The Border originated in the border country between England and Scotland and may be one of the oldest kinds of terriers in Great Britain. Purely a working terrier, the Border was bred to protect the stock of their owners. They had sufficient length of leg to follow a horse but were small enough to follow a fox to ground. Borders on the farm in the 18th century also had to find their own food, so they had to be good hunters to survive.

Grooming Guide – Border Terrier Handstrip – Pro Groomer

Their coat naturally repels dirt and, with weekly brushing and a wipe-down with a damp cloth when needed, it should stay fairly clean. When you do bathe him, use a shampoo made for the rough terrier coat to help maintain its texture.