Does it ring the bell? Don´t bother if it does not, it is no wonder. This dog is quite unknown in the Czechoslovakia and we can meet him only seldom in the rest of Europe. He stays loyal to his homeland – England. To reveal his identity we have to leaf through the dictionary. Border means edge, borderline, boundary line. None of these expressions are suitable for us, there is nothing but for searching further. And here it comes! This word really has the second meaning. The border means Scottish-English borderland. It is a hardscrabble part of an insular realm where several breeds come from. One of the much widespread shepherd dogs called bodercollie, who the Englishmen do not consider to be an autonomous breed, belongs here. The Border terrier was bred here from the beginning of the 18th century. However, he was not officially acknowledged till our century. He is said not to change during the time. He is always as tough, nimble and fierce dog as he was. Raw thick coat protects him not only against bad weather but also against an injury. Even the most prickly bush does not stop him, he possibly runs through the hedge – he does not give up untill he finishes his work. The standard wants him to keep up with a horse run even now, when one HP does not mean much. He evidently used to accompany a rider on his long rides. During hunts he used to run with the pack and drive away a fox from a hole where it was looking for salvation. And he is also said to be an excellent guard. 

So much praise at once – and almost nobody knows him on the continent! He has not probably spread here because of his unspectacular appearance and mainly because his way of hunt and usage differed on the continent from those English ones.

                                                                                                                               Ivo Vaculik - Vyberte si pejska,  1972