When choosing a Border Terrier puppy, it's important to find a responsible breeder who breeds for health and temperament. Look for breeders who do health testing on their breeding dogs to avoid inherited diseases. Meet the puppy's parents to get an idea of the puppy's eventual adult size and temperament. Border Terrier puppies should be lively, alert and confident. Avoid shy, timid puppies.
Choose a puppy that has been well socialized from an early age. Socialization teaches puppies to accept new experiences and stimuli without fear. A lack of socialization can lead to fearfulness or aggression later in life. The ideal breeder will have introduced the litter to a variety of sounds, sights, people and other animals. The puppy should be comfortable being handled from an early age.
When you bring your Border Terrier puppy home, schedule a vet visit within a few days. Your vet will make sure the puppy is healthy and set up a vaccination schedule. Your Border Terrier will need a series of puppy shots as well as regular vet checkups.
Puppy-Proofing Your Home
Before bringing your Border Terrier puppy home, take time to puppy-proof your house. Border Terriers are curious, active dogs who will want to explore and get into everything. Remove any dangerous or valuable items that your pup could damage or that could harm them.
Keep electrical cords out of reach or use cord covers to prevent chewing. Secure loose wires to baseboards. Place breakable items on high shelves. Remove poisonous houseplants or move them out of reach. Border Terrier puppies may try tasting houseplants.
Keep bathroom doors closed and put child locks on cabinets containing anything toxic like cleaners or medications. Use safety gates to block access to rooms or parts of rooms. Create an enclosed, safe play area using baby gates or an exercise pen. Make sure the puppy's crate and food/water bowls are in their designated spot.
Scan for small objects on the floor that could be swallowed like coins, buttons or Lego pieces. Check for holes or weak spots in the flooring where a puppy could become stuck. Fill any gaps around cabinets or appliances. Your goal is to minimize access to potential dangers and restrict your puppy to safe zones in your home.
Choosing a Crate
Crate training is highly beneficial for house training your Border Terrier and preventing destructive behaviors. The crate becomes their safe space and den. Buy a crate designed for the adult size of your Border Terrier to allow room to grow. The crate should be just large enough for them to stand, turn around and lie down.
Hard plastic crates are good for air travel or leaving in the car. Wire crates work well for leaving open at home as they provide better visibility and ventilation. Place a comfy blanket and some chew toys in the crate.
Choose a location like a quiet corner of the kitchen or living room. Avoid high traffic areas. Get your puppy accustomed to the crate slowly. Feed them in the crate and place treats and toys inside so they associate it with good things. Praise them for going inside.
Start with brief crating periods of 10-30 minutes. Slowly increase the length of time as they adjust. Limit crate time to the puppy's age in months plus one hour, as young pups have limited bladder control. Take your puppy outside immediately before and after crating. The crate should never be used for punishment.
Establishing a Routine
Puppies thrive on structure and do best with a predictable daily routine. Set up a schedule for feeding, potty breaks, training, play and rest periods. Feed your Border Terrier puppy at the same times each day. Schedule potty breaks first thing in the morning, after naps, after play, and before bedtime.
Puppies need 18-20 hours of sleep per day. Enforce nap times in the crate after meals and play sessions. This helps avoid over-tiredness and over-stimulation which can lead to behaviors like nipping. Adhere to the same bedtime every night. Take away food and water a couple hours before bed.
Try to stick to your routine as closely as possible, even on weekends and holidays. Consistency teaches the puppy what to expect. Putting routines in place now makes housetraining easier and lays a strong foundation for good behavior as your puppy matures.
Housetraining
Housetraining is one of the most important training goals with a new puppy. Start teaching them as young as 8 weeks old by taking them outside frequently. Some tips for successful housetraining:
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Take your puppy out first thing in the morning and immediately after they wake from naps. Puppies need to relieve themselves after rest periods.
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Go to the same designated potty spot each time. Use a command like "Go potty." Praise and reward with treats when they go in the right place.
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Stay outside for 5-10 minutes until they go. Supervise closely and if they start sniffing or squatting, interrupt and bring them back outside.
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Pick up water and food 2-3 hours before bedtime to help avoid accidents overnight. Take them out right before bed and first thing in the morning.
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Watch for signs they need to go like restlessness, sniffing or circling. If you suspect they need to go, bring them outside right away on a leash.
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Clean all accidents thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner to remove odors that might attract the puppy back. Never punish for accidents.
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Be patient and consistent. It can take 4-6 months for a puppy to be fully housetrained. Use crating and confinement when you can't supervise. Offer plenty of praise for going in the right spot.
Basic Obedience
Once your Border Terrier puppy is settled in, it's time to start basic obedience training. This lays the foundation for good manners and responsive behavior. Early training also strengthens your bond with your pup. Keep sessions brief, positive and fun. End on a good note before your pup gets tired or frustrated.
The four key commands to teach first are:
Sit – Hold a treat at nose level and slowly move it over their head so they tip backwards into a sit position. Praise and give the treat. Repeat "sit" each time.
Down – Show the treat in your closed hand. Move your hand down to the floor in front of the puppy's front paws. They will likely follow all the way into a down position. Say "down" and reward with the treat when they comply.
Come – Call the puppy excitedly saying "come!" When they reach you, praise enthusiastically and give the treat. As this improves, practice coming from further distances and use a long lead for safety.
Stay – Have the puppy sit or down. Say "stay", take a few steps back and hold your hand out in a "stop" signal. Count out 10 seconds then say "okay!" and call them cheerfully to you for a treat. Build up to longer durations.
Use their daily kibble rations during these short training sessions. This improves focus while preventing overfeeding. As your Border Terrier puppy masters these basics, keep adding new cues like leave it, watch me and loose leash walking. Keep training sessions positive and consistent.
Socialization
Socialization continues to be critical through puppyhood and into adulthood. Early socialization lays the groundwork, but ongoing positive experiences are vital to prevent fear and aggression later on. Use these tips to properly socialize your Border Terrier:
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Introduce them safely to new people like neighbors and friends. Have guests offer treats and pet them gently. Teach children how to appropriately interact.
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Arrange play dates with friend's vaccinated, healthy adult dogs who have good temperaments. Supervise all interactions at first.
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Sign up for puppy kindergarten for vital socialization with new puppies and dogs. Choose a positive reinforcement class.
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Take them on car rides, outings and walking field trips to experience new environments and sounds. Go at their pace and keep experiences positive.
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Expose them gently to things like umbrellas, bikes, appliances and diverse surfaces. Pair with treats so they develop positive associations.
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Avoid forcing interactions if the puppy seems frightened. Go slowly allowing them to adjust at their own pace. Don't punish fearful behavior.
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Proper socialization prevents reactivity and builds confidence. But go slowly and avoid overstimulation during this critical development period.
Providing Enrichment
In addition to physical and social activity, Border Terriers need mental stimulation. Bored puppies often entertain themselves by getting into mischief. Prevent problem behaviors by providing daily enrichment.
Offer puzzle feeders and food-dispensing toys. These make mealtime an engaging challenge. Place portions of the puppy's kibble inside and let them manipulate the toy to release the contents.
Provide a selection of safe, interesting chew toys. Rotate different toys to keep things novel. Border Terriers love plush, rope and rubber chew toys. Supervise use of rawhide or other edible chews.
Hide treats or kibble around the house and encourage your puppy to hunt them out. Snuffle mats covered in hiding places for food also stimulate a puppy's natural scavenging instincts.
Offer new objects to investigate like cardboard boxes, tunnels or a baby pool filled with balls. Change up their toys frequently to add variety. Let them explore novel environments like a kiddie pool or sandbox.
Take your pup to new locations and let them watch sights like vehicles, joggers and squirrels when outside. Participation in sports like agility, nose work and obedience provides great mental stimulation once they are old enough.
Learning new commands on a regular basis exercises a Border Terrier puppy's brain. Short, positive training sessions will help them develop into an engaged, biddable companion.
Exercise Needs
Border Terriers are active, energetic dogs bred for hunting and working. They need significant daily physical activity along with mental stimulation. Different activities provide an outlet for their stamina and keep them fit and content.
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Daily walks – A 30-60 minute walk once or twice daily provides aerobic exercise and mental enrichment. Bring treats for practicing training commands too.
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Play – Interactive play sessions help release pent-up energy. Play fetch in a fenced area or tug with rope toys. Mix training into playtime as well.
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Off-leash exercise – Safely allow them to run off-leash in a fenced yard or dog park. Fetch, chase games and free running are ideal.
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Hiking & swimming – When they are old enough, take them hiking, trail running, camping or swimming. These activities appeal to their athleticism.
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Agility & other dog sports – Once vaccinated, enroll them in agility, flyball or nosework. These competitive outlets provide tremendous exercise.
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Puzzle toys – As noted earlier, puzzle toys and interactive feeders make them work for meals.
Young Border Terrier puppies need only brief play sessions. Increase exercise duration gradually as they mature to prevent overexertion on growing joints. Provide at least an hour of activity daily once they reach adulthood. An exercised Border Terrier is a well-behaved Border Terrier.
Grooming
While grooming needs are relatively minimal with Border Terriers, make it part of their regular routine early on. Handling exercises prepare them for being brushed and examined.
Use a pin brush or hound glove to brush their wiry coat once or twice weekly. Run your hands over their body as you brush to check for any lumps, bumps, or skin issues. Brushing removes dead hair and spreads the puppy's natural oils around their coat.
Trim their nails as needed, usually every 2-3 weeks. Introduce nail trims slowly with treats to make a positive association. Holding and touching their feet frequently gets them comfortable with having their nails trimmed. Use styptic powder if you nick the quick.
Brush their teeth 2-3 times per week to prevent gum disease and tartar buildup. Use a finger brush and canine toothpaste. Make toothbrushing into a fun, rewarding experience with praise and treats. Inspect their ears weekly and clean with a veterinarian-approved cleanser as needed.
Occasional baths are enough to keep their coat clean. Use a mild puppy shampoo. Positive handling from a young age leads to good behavior at the groomer's or vet's office. Pay particular attention to paws, nails and ears during grooming.
Managing Puppy Biting
Nipping and mouthing is common, though undesirable, puppy behavior. Biting and nipping are how puppies play and explore their environment. While it's normal behavior, it's important to curb biting for safety.
If your Border Terrier puppy bites or mouths your hands, legs or clothing, let out a high-pitched "Ouch!" to startle them, then redirect their biting onto a chew toy. Offer praise when they take the toy instead. This teaches what is okay to bite versus not.
Provide plenty of appropriate chew toys so your puppy has alternatives for chewing and biting. Rotate toys to keep things interesting. Offer especially enticing toys when they seem intent on chewing and biting you.
Ignore minor nipping if your puppy just wants attention. Negative reinforcement can encourage biting. Walk away or turn your back for 15-30 seconds when they nip. Return and praise when they are calm. Teach them
Use reverse timeouts. Leave the room while closing a door or baby gate to isolate your puppy for 15-60 seconds after hard biting. This social isolation helps teach biting makes play stop. Return once they are calmed down.
Be consistent and patient. Puppy biting takes time to fade. Avoid physical punishment or harsh verbal corrections which can make behavior worse. Redirect, ignore and reverse timeout are effective positive methods to curb nipping.
Preventing Separation Anxiety
Border Terriers frequently suffer from separation anxiety when left alone. They bond tightly with owners and can become distraught when separated. Fortunately, you can prevent separation issues starting in puppyhood.
Gradually get your puppy accustomed to alone time. Start with very brief absences of just a few seconds. Slowly increase duration to build independence. Give them a puzzle toy to make time alone more enjoyable.
Avoid making departures overly emotional. Calmly tell them "be back soon" and avoid prolonged greetings. This prevents anticipatory anxiety as they learn comings and goings are no big deal.
Ensure they have sufficient physical and mental exercise before absences. A tired puppy is less prone to get into mischief or become stressed when alone. Provide enrichment activities too.
Use calming aids like Adaptil pheromone diffusers or calming music. These can help ease stress when you leave. Anxiety wraps also provide a sense of comfort.
Crate train your puppy so they feel secure in their crate when you're gone. It should be a safe space, not a punishment. Give them a long-lasting chew toy to enjoy.
Ask friends or family to periodically check on your pup and keep absences brief at first. Ease into lengthening alone time and watch for signs of stress like destruction or elimination.
Preventing Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is when a dog shows possessive, protective behavior over items or spaces. It frequently leads to aggression when you approach them, like with food or toys. Resource guarding most often develops in puppyhood so prevention starts early.
While eating, periodically walk by and drop high-value bits of food in the puppy's bowl. Make pleasant associations with you approaching their dish. Teach them your presence predicts good things.
Give the puppy a delicious chew bone or toy. After a minute, say "Give" and offer a tasty treat in exchange for the item. Return it so they learn giving up objects results in good things.
If you need to take something from the puppy, trade for something better. Never take items by force. They should willingly give objects to avoid future guarding.
Provide separate feeding stations for puppies eating together. Pick up bowls after meals and keep high-value items put away to avoid squabbles. Teach "Leave it" for coveted objects.
By preventing rehearsal of guarding and teaching willingness to give up items, you can avoid resource guarding. Always trade, never forcibly take. Use conditioning to build positive associations.
Managing Jumping
Border Terrier puppies may start jumping on people to say hello. While it seems harmless in a small puppy, allowing jumping can lead to a big issue as your Border Terrier grows up. Implement these tactics to curb jumping:
Turn and walk away from the puppy anytime they jump on you. Ignore them for 15-30 seconds. Returning gives positive reinforcement they want.
Ask guests and children not to pet or acknowledge jumping. Mention the puppy has "four paw rules". Wait for them to settle and sit calmly before petting.
Reward desired behavior. When the pup has four paws on the floor, offer praise and petting. Teach them sitting earns your affection.
If the puppy jumps while you're preparing their food, walk away and remove the bowl. Wait until they are sitting politely before returning and placing the food down.
Avoid holding the puppy and letting it paw at you. Don't allow access to be at face level to kiss. Set the expectation all four stay on the ground.
Use command words like "Off" or "No jumping". Be patient and persistent – it takes time to break this habit. Jumping prevention in puppyhood makes the task easier.