There are many things you might consider about your pup and shedding is definitely one of them, especially when considering what type of dog you want to adopt, whether you want to let them on the furniture, and how much you can expect to be sweeping up after them. There are some dogs out there who do nothing but shed, and then others that are hypoallergenic and don’t shed much at all.
This can have a big impact on your home and spare time, so it’s important to know ahead of time what to expect from your pooch.
Border terriers are a great dog breed being loyal, energetic, and playful, but you might be wondering just how much they’re going to shed.
Border terriers have a hair that’s in between hypoallergenic and shorthair, which can easily help us answer this question. This article will explain exactly why, but the answer is straightforward for the most part.
Yes, Border terriers do shed, but more mildly and less than shorthair dog breeds.
What To Expect From Your Border Terrier And Their Hair
There are a few different things that are going to impact why Border terriers do shed some of their hair, but why it doesn’t necessarily mean huge cleanup for you. Most people have had the experience of a dog brushing up against them and immediately being covered in fur, especially wearing any type of black or dark clothing.
Well, the good news is, with Border terriers this is not necessarily an issue!
Wirehair
Border terriers are not shorthair dogs meaning their hair continuously grows instead of shedding every time they grow a new coat. This is where a lot of the shedding comes from with shorthair dog breeds.
The longer-haired (wirehair) dog breeds do not need to shed their coat to replace old hair with new. This greatly reduces shedding.
This also means you will not normally have to lint roll your clothing every time you leave the house.
Small Dog Breed
Border terriers are a small dog breed typically only weighing 12-18 lbs. This is something to greatly take into consideration when reading through the following points listed.
Being a small dog breed decreases the amount of hair you will notice than if you were to get a medium to large size dog even with wirehair or a medium to large size dog with shorthair. Taking into consideration the size of your dog is going to help give you an idea of how much hair to expect on your floor.
Cleaning
Cleaning up after dogs who shed a lot can be a real pain. Border terriers will still leave a bit of a mess but vacuuming and/or sweeping once a week to bi-weekly depending on regular brushing of your dog should be enough to keep your home fairly free of unwanted hair floating around.
Depending on how often you decide to deep clean your home, hair shedding should not be a huge added toll on cleaning. Border terriers’ fur is also light and tends to clump together and being able to sweep up the large clusters in one go makes cleanup fairly easy.
Furniture
Because Border terriers don’t immediately shed on surfaces they brush up against or lie on, if you choose to allow your dog on furniture, they do not add a lot of extra cleaning necessity. Personally, I have a border terrier and vacuum our couch about once every 1 to 2 weeks and wash our blankets on a normal cleaning schedule.
Overall, I have not noticed much extra maintenance, personally, when it has come to cleaning up dog hair on things such as bedding, cloth furniture, or clothing. Border terriers do not shed in excessive amounts and most people, without allergies, would not likely notice dog hair when sitting on furniture around the home.
Allergens
Although all of this information may sound like Border terriers are hypoallergenic, they are not. They fall somewhere in between shorthair dogs who produce a lot of dander from shedding and hypoallergenic dogs who produce none at all with no shedding.
Because Border terriers do shed some hair, they do produce a small amount of dander. Personally, my significant other is allergic to dogs, but having a border terrier around is very manageable for them since the dog does not spend a lot of time shedding and leaving dander around.
It’s important to know beforehand that Border terriers do produce allergy-inducing dander, but also that it is significantly less than many other dogs, most being shorthair breeds.
Knots
One thing to consider when buying a dog with long, growing hair is that their hair care routine is going to be a little more time consuming. Yes, they definitely have less clean up than dogs who shed a lot, but they need a good hair-care plan.
Not properly brushing or washing your Border terrier’s hair can lead to excess shedding as well as knots that can increase hair loss as well as can be uncomfortable or painful to your pet.
Dust
As with adding any new living member to your family and home, whether it be a child or a dog, you are going to notice more dust around the house. With regular deep cleaning that you are most likely already doing, this will not add much extra work or stress to your routine.
You just may notice a bit more dust than you had before you got your new pooch. Border terriers are small dogs and should not be an added burden when it comes to dusting.
How To Maintain Border Terrier Hair
There are a few things you can do as a Border terrier owner to maintain your dog’s hair and help keep shedding inside the home to a minimum. Here are a few things that you can do regularly to help both you and your pup.
Regular Brushing
Brushing is a really great, quick, and easy way to reduce shedding inside your home! This is a good way to get any excess hair off your dog before they lose it inside the house.
Brushing about once per week should be enough to keep your dog’s fur maintained, sleek, and reduce shedding. This is necessary to keep your pet’s fur knot free, which, as stated above, can cause excess shedding and/or irritation to your pet.
Haircuts
Because Border terrier hair consistently grows instead of replacing itself, grooming is another necessity. You can cut your dog’s hair on your own; however, this can also be time consuming and difficult.
Personally, our recommendation would be to schedule a grooming appointment when you feel it necessary for your canine buddy to get a good washing, cutting, and grooming. There is not a set schedule for this and is completely up to your discretion.
Washing
Along with trips to the groomer, it is never a bad idea to give Fido a bath at home. This will keep their fur clean and sleek, making it easier to keep up with good brushing habits, which all come together and lead to less shedding inside the home and less mess for you to clean up!
Border terriers are small enough that they can easily fit into in-home baths and showers, or you can make a fun summer activity of it with a hose in the backyard! Brushing is recommended before bathing to reduce hair clogging inside drains or excess hair coming off during the bath.
Air Purifier
If you’re worried about dust, dander, and hair reducing the air quality inside your home, an air purifier is a good way to keep the air inside circulating and everything smelling fresh. This is a smart additive to any home with a pet.
Allergens
If you are worried about you or someone in your home or a visitor is going to be allergic to your Border terrier, all the above steps can be taken to reduce allergens and make living or visits great for everyone involved. To decrease dander allergens, brush your Border terrier once a week, bathe them once a month, and run an air purifier to keep air circulated and fresh. Dusting regularly will also help.
So, no a Border terrier isn’t a hypoallergenic dog, but don’t rule them out if you’re willing to put in a few extra steps so a Border terrier can find a loving home with you.
Yes, Border Terriers Do Shed
But we don’t think this is any reason to immediately rule them out of the running if you’re looking for a new companion. There are many reasons why and how Border terriers spread their hair around, but there are also a lot of great and easy ways to maintain a home with a Border terrier.
Enjoy their adventurous, spunky, and loving nature without having extra stress about how often you need to vacuum or if they were caught sleeping on the sofa. Fear not! Shedding happens, but it happens less when Border terriers are involved.
