Please remember that although they might be small and cute they are not a mamby pamby lap dog - they evolved with the ability to kill foxes etc and are still equipped to do so.

 They are not generally an obedient breed (no terriers are) and this can be frustrating if you have previously owned another breed of the more biddable kind e.g. Labradors etc. That's not to say they cannot be trained, they can, for example they are easy to housetrain and excel at fun activities like agility, tracking etc.

They need to be well socialised from an early age with different breeds of dog, this is essential, if not they can become aggressive towards other breeds when they get older.

Although you can strip their coats a couple of times a year thus reducing the amount of moulting, you will still get a fair amount of dog hair on your clothes, carpets and furniture. For some reason people think that because they are stripped they don't moult - they do!

The most common telephone call and email I get, is from people seeking advice because they have a Border Terrier who runs off when they are being exercised. Yes, some Borders exasperate their owners by doing this and so do many other breeds of dog. You must either train him to come to you, if not, don't let him off the lead away from home as he will more than likely get run over, become stuck underground, be stolen, or shot if he trespasses onto farmland and chases livestock

Border Terriers love human company and hate being left unattended for several hours a day, they can become very destructive if left to their own devices so don't consider this breed if you don't have the time for one (this applies to most dogs!). Getting two to keep each other company isn't the answer either, they will still destroy things, but twice as fast!!

One thing you do need is a well fenced garden, they are renowned for escaping through the smallest gap if left unattended in a garden, even for a short period of time.

On the whole they are generally a healthy breed and several Breed Clubs have implemented a Health Survey to ensure that owners and breeders are aware if anything starts to develop within the breed. The most recent report suggest there is low incidences of cataracts, deafness, infertility, tail defects (kinks) aggression, heart defects & seizures.

These points are not designed to put you off the breed, but to point out the worst scenario and to prevent you from buying a breed of dog that dosn't suit you, it also helps to prevent a dog from being re-homed when six months down the line you realize you have chosen the wrong breed. This breed has many admirers in fact, it is now the tenth most popular breed in the UK, so it must suit some people, for the sake of the dog you buy, lets hope that's you.