Border Terrier puppies are adorable with their innocent looking eyes that your heart can just melt. There’s nothing that gives more joy than a newborn puppy at home. As much as you excited about your puppy, you should be equally excited about your upcoming duties and responsibility.

Having a newborn Border Terrier, taking care of them and understanding their behavior in each stages of their development is not easy. However, in this article you will read everything a Border Terrier go through since they were born up to one year.

The Neonatal Stage: 0 to 2 Weeks

When a Border Terrier puppy is born, you will obviously hold them in your hands. However, the puppy will not respond to human stimuli as they are almost devoid of senses. Their eyes and ears will be fully sealed until the end of the second week.

Newborn Border Terrier Puppies. Image Source – Instagram.

Border Terrier puppies are totally helpless, they will rely on their mother and littermates to regulate it’s body temperature. They can only use their front feet to drag themselves to their mother or littermates.

Most importantly, if a Border Terrier pup is abandoned by it’s mother or littermate then you will have to keep them warm and bottle feed them.

Transitional Stage: 2 to 4 Weeks

During these weeks, Border Terrier will go through some serious development phase. Your puppy’s hearing and seeing sense will gradually develop. Between two and three weeks, your Border Terrier puppy will start to stand up and walk a bit.

3 Weeks Old Border Terrier Puppy. Image Source – Pinterest.

Their teeth will start to appear and the baby Border Terrier may also want to taste their first ever solid food. The puppies will start exploring the surrounding, playing with their litter mates, running and jumping around. It is a bliss to witness the behavior growth at this stage.

Socialization Stage : 4 to 12 Weeks

Your Border Terrier puppy will now start looking like much dog-like than the younger selves. The puppies will now become more playful and mischievous. They will now start to control the bowel as they move away from their place. Border Terrier now can have solid food as a diet.

From this stage, you will have to now take over the responsibility of keeping the surrounding clean as many mother dogs will start losing interest on cleaning their pup’s mess ups. Many puppies can have worms inside their belly by this week. The baby Border Terriers will now be stronger enough to jump out of the whelping box and try follow the mom whenever she leaves.

10 Weeks Old Border Terrier Thriving in Her New Home.

As this stage is called socialization stage, you need to strictly socialize your puppy to other animals and human as well. The more your Border Terrier are properly socialized the more it gets easier when they enter the ‘fear’ stage. During their fear stage, you have to motivate them and encourage them more to overcome the phase.

On the eighth week, you can start training Border Terrier as this is the right age to start with some basic commands. By this week, your pup is more familiar to the surrounding and it’s owner. You can start with basic commands such as, ‘sit’ and ‘come’ followed with a hand gesture. You can also start potty training but it needs much patience. Nevertheless, you should always remain clam and motivate your pup with some positive reinforcements.

Ranking Stage : 3 Months to 6 Months

Of course! it’s ranking stage. Your Border Terrier will know try to dominate you. However, you should teach your pup who’s the alpha of the house. They should be taught the difference between submission and dominance during this stage.

You may see signs of confidence and independence in your Border Terrier. This is the right time to show your dominance attitude towards him with close attention and regular training. When they reach the age of four months old, you can start advance training your pup at home or you can even send them to puppy classes.

Adolescence : 6 to 18 Months

Adolescence is here. Your little Border Terrier will not remain so little from now on, as their puppy face is gone. They are more likely to be an adult dog. Many Border Terriers will develop sexual behavior. If you want to neutered the dog then you can start at this stage of their development.

Your dog will loose their baby teeth and will face another teething phase. So, make sure you give them chewing stuffs and toys in the period. In addition, you will have to increase the training time for your Border Terriers according to their diet.

An Adult Border Terrier. Image Source – Orvis.

Even if your Border Terrier may seem grown up physically, they might behave like a puppy. Enjoy while it lasts! Your Border Terrier might continue the mischief that might want you to pull your hair off. But, handling with patience is all you have got.

When Should You Vaccinate Your Puppy?

Vaccinating your puppy helps him to stay away with many diseases. Not only your Border Terrier that is safe from catching diseases, but you are also safe and the people around you. Thus, here is a clear vaccination schedule that you must consider.

  • 6 to 8 Weeks – Distemper, parvovirus
  • 10 to 12 Weeks – DHPP (vaccines for distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus)
  • 16 to 18 Weeks – DHPP, rabies
  • Every 1 to 2 Years – DHPP
  • Every 1 to 3 Years – Rabies (as required by law)

How Much Do Vaccination Cost?

It depends upon how many vaccines you are going to give them. Moreover, it sometimes depend on where you are living, in the rural or city area. On average, the vaccines may cost you somewhere around, $75 – 100.

What Diseases Can Puppy Vaccination Prevent?

  • Canine Distemper
  • Canine Parvovirus
  • Kennel Cough
  • Rabies
  • Lyme
  • Leptospirosis

To conclude, always expect for surprises when your are raising a puppy. Enjoy the development stage with your Border Terrier.

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