# Border Terrier weight



## sueandtoto (11 March 2009)

Our BT is just a year old and weighs 17lbs , which I thought was( and looks) about right ? , but on the Kennel Club website it says they should weigh 13lb - 15lb ! , seems a bit low , does anyone have a BT and what do they weigh


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## michaelj (11 March 2009)

Don't know what weight, shall have a look tomorrow!


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## DTMDAN (11 March 2009)

My border is much heavier than 15lbs! He is in my avatar and you can see he isn't exactly fat!  He is very tall!  I have noticed recently how tall he is.  He is a fully papered BT but there is definatly a big and small thing going on.

I suspect the KC figures are for the smaller dogs.

He's 3 and much nearer to 20lb than 15.  In fact once he is stripped I suspect he will look like a bag of bones.


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## sueandtoto (11 March 2009)

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Don't know what weight, shall have a look tomorrow! 

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Thank you


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## sueandtoto (11 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
My border is much heavier than 15lbs! He is in my avatar and you can see he isn't exactly fat!  He is very tall!  I have noticed recently how tall he is.  He is a fully papered BT but there is definatly a big and small thing going on.

I suspect the KC figures are for the smaller dogs.

He's 3 and much nearer to 20lb than 15.  In fact once he is stripped I suspect he will look like a bag of bones. 

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Gosh he has got long legs , bless  
	
	
		
		
	


	





Ted measures 15 inches to his shoulder , but they can go up to 16 inches apparently


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## Maesfen (11 March 2009)

You'll find that the original Breed Standard was written some time ago when nutrition wasn't as good as it can be now and it's never been changed, also the breed then, were proper working dogs so would be naturally trimmer than the normal pet now.  
You'll also find, at least up until a few years ago, the different regions would have different types; ie: stockier, leggier or shorter and so on.
One method of measuring their weight was to take a hand span behind the elbows and of course, the older judges would have been men usually (I'm talking pre '60s) who would have found it easier than some of  the women judges they have had since.  Some show people are still trying to keep to the proper weight standard, sometimes at the detriment of the dogs as the low weight is not a natural weight for them because now, they tend to be pets, there are very few that work - as they were meant to - any longer.
As long as your dog is healthy, active and not podgy or given titbits which are great weight gainers, then he should be fine; just don't let him get heavy as it will be hard to shift.
Hope that helps.


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## sueandtoto (11 March 2009)

Thank you , thats great info and makes a lot of sense , the lady who stripped him in November is also a breeder and did that hand span behind his legs and could almost do it (she had bigger hands than me) and just said he was a couple of pounds overweight , he was 20lbs then , we took him to his first BT show in December and I couldn't belive how thin some of them were  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 , anyhow wev'e got him down to a weight I think he looks right at , he's got loads of energy and shiny eyes and coat ,and with your info I feel he's ok


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## Maesfen (11 March 2009)

You're welcome!  We bred them for over 20 years and did a bit of showing too although haven't been for some years now and we only have one Border left now.
Do you not strip him yourself, it's very easy?  When his coat is ready, just get him relaxed, either on your knee or in front of the fire and just pluck out the dead hairs; it's very therapeutic!  Just trim up the inside of the hindlegs and back tummy with scissors, also if you brush the hair backward from between his toes and cut from toes upwards not across, you'll get the feet looking natural without any lines.  You'll save a packet too!


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## Native Speaker (11 March 2009)

Tugg weighs in at about 9 kilos (almost 20lbs), but he dosen't look as though he's overweight.  He's actually OH's dog, and he can just about span him.
I've got this to strip when the weather warms up (whenever that will be! 
	
	
		
		
	


	








), but as MFH_09 says, it's very easy to do.










I dealt with his ears  á few weeks ago as they got on my nerves, not his!  And I tidied up his feet just after I took these.

Not sure if I'm looking forward to all that flying hair or not!  One thing's for sure - I'll be covered from head to foot in BT hair when I'm finished!


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## sueandtoto (12 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
You're welcome!  We bred them for over 20 years and did a bit of showing too although haven't been for some years now and we only have one Border left now.
Do you not strip him yourself, it's very easy?  When his coat is ready, just get him relaxed, either on your knee or in front of the fire and just pluck out the dead hairs; it's very therapeutic!  Just trim up the inside of the hindlegs and back tummy with scissors, also if you brush the hair backward from between his toes and cut from toes upwards not across, you'll get the feet looking natural without any lines.  You'll save a packet too! 

[/ QUOTE ]

So many people have said it's easy , but he won't sit still and wriggles about  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 , and then someone said dont use scissors , then onother said do use them  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 , and in the end I booked him in, so someone else can do it !!

He's our first dog and has just fitted in with us plus one grumpy cat like a dream ! , we are going to start some agility this summer , can't wait


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## sueandtoto (12 March 2009)

albtinker - Tugg is gorgeous  
	
	
		
		
	


	





Bless him , Teds coat is getting like that


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## Native Speaker (12 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
 Tugg is gorgeous 

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  Thank you!  
	
	
		
		
	


	





Tugg still fidgets when he's being stripped.  Perhaps he's learned to live with it.  I have to say, though, if he gets too grumpy, I tend to leave off, and carry on the next day.  It can take up to four or five days to finish the job properly  
	
	
		
		
	


	




, but as I'm never in any real rush, that's OK.  It just looks funny having a partly stripped terror flying around the place. 
	
	
		
		
	


	





I dare say Ted will settle to it as he grows older, just as Tugg did.

There are some parts of the dog that you simply can't finish properly without scissors - feet, bum, willie (if there is one! 
	
	
		
		
	


	








 ).  I have to 'scissor' Tugg's whiskers, as he looks too much like a Schnauzer if I don't, and under his belly, where he is really quite sensitive.   
	
	
		
		
	


	





I'll post some before and after piccys, if you like.  And some of me, with my new coating of BT hair!!


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## sueandtoto (12 March 2009)

Oh yes that would be great  
	
	
		
		
	


	





Im looking forward to having him stripped , it's his first "proper" one , he was just tidied up last time  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 , so he will look quite different


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## at work (12 March 2009)

Sorry to say but from those photos I'd say he actually does look a little overweight. He is quite hairy though so it may be misleading. Has the vet ever commented (or been asked)? 

I do think we are all getting used to seeing dogs and horses (and people) that are somewhat overweight so it seems normal to us now, it doesn't mean it is good. I think breed standards should be a reasonable guide so long as the dog is within the height for the standard. Saying pets are different surely is only saying it is OK for pets to be fat and unfit?


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## Native Speaker (12 March 2009)

When we had Tugg castrated, his breeder said that he would fill out as he became older.  He's 10 now, and I think she was right.  He remains active, with at least three good walks a day, and sometimes follows when we are out with my cob and his wagon. 

He is NOT fed titbits or table scraps - and the vet is always happy about his weight when he goes for a visit.  My OH makes a point of putting the dog on the scales in the surgery with the vet present, and he's alway been happy with his weight.

I agree - the hair is probably hiding alot.  We shall see when he's stripped next month - far too cold here ATM.


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## sueandtoto (12 March 2009)

I just think he looks hairy  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 , once thats off he'll look a lean machine


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## Native Speaker (12 March 2009)

I think so, too.  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 But not as lean as your Ted - these young chaps do have the edge over the older guys when it comes to looks 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Oooohhh!  I forgot to say that Tugg also has a daily hooley around the place, which means we all have to stand to one side for a minute or two while he goes mental ........ 
	
	
		
		
	


	




  Very funny to wastch, though!


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## sueandtoto (12 March 2009)

Hehe Ted does that too  
	
	
		
		
	


	





He kind of tucks his back legs up so his back is round , and runs FLAT OUT round the garden, making this strange yapping noise  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 , its soooo funny !  
	
	
		
		
	


	









Ted says thank you , he does admit to being rather handsome  
	
	
		
		
	


	





He's too busy getting his beauty sleep to do anything at the moment


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