Terriers of the Border Region
In the Border Region between England and Scotland we have 4 recognized Terrier breeds developed for fox hunting and badger digs described in the Historical Function of Terriers. To rid their farms of foxes as well as members of the weasel family which includes otters as well as badgers, farmers used what was first known as Terriers of the Border Region.
Today two of these breeds' standards still reflect the quarry these terriers were originally bred to hunt. So the Border Terrier has a head 'like that of an otter' and the Dandie Dinmont has a 'long, low weasely body'.
We shall discuss these 4 breeds in two sections divided into pairs because of the close connection in their origin.
This wonderful woodcut from half a century before the English Stud books began, was captioned Fox Terrier 1806. Undoubtedly this was because this dog was used for fox hunting. But the dog pictured clearly depicts Border Terrier breed type and proportions. So when the Breed Standard was written more than a century later, its working heritage was reflected by its opening words which state that the Border Terrier is: 'essentially a working terrier capable of following a horse' whilst the Lakeland Terrier still contains the word 'workmanlike' in its general appearance.
Bedlington and Dandie Dinmont Terriers
Bedlington and Dandie Dinmont Terriers are among the oldest show breeds appearing in the First English Stud Book published in 1874. Apart from modernizing the coat, their breed type has never significantly altered. With both breeds developing in counties adjacent to the English-Scottish border, the significant similarities of general body shape, coat colour and silky topknot common to both breeds indicates some mixing of blood. But it appears their development was historically separate.