We spend a fair amount of time with the “little brown dogs” (LBDs) that are better known as Border Terriers. They are a bit complicated for a terrier, but conformation and temperament make them one of the most useful of the true working terriers. (Kindly notice the emphasis on the word “useful.” I avoided “versatile.” And for good reason.)
The breed has always been popular among Conformation dog show folk because of its size, personable disposition, and ease of maintenance. It’s a healthy breed and attractive to the show folks. On the other side of the coin, the breed has a style of hunting that makes it valuable to folks who dig to their dogs. Like other working terriers it has grit, but it is slower and more sensible in its underground pursuit, and the Border’s “charge and parry” style of confrontation means that it gets injured less often than the hardier terriers. Earthwork is the very essence of the Border Terrier, and both its temperament and its conformation reflect that singular purpose. For its part, the Border Terrier Club of America (BTCA) has done more than most parent clubs to ensure that the breed retains both the necessary conformation and the desired temperament for serious earthwork.
Many of the terrier breed owners are well divided into those who work their dogs and those who show them. You can’t really blame them. The AKC (American Kennel Club) shows take time, money, preparation, and a multitude of other demands. Working terriers are seldom primped and polished, and are shown mostly in the conformation classes at terrier trials. The dogs, though, are not as divided in purpose as their owners and more than a few of them can adequately perform their breed’s purposeful function and survive, if not excel, in the Conformation ring.
One such LBD is GCHS GEMSTONES GUNS ‘N ROSES AT UPS ‘N DOWNS RI NAP NJP MXE4 SXE5 EE4 CA FCAT4 ACT2 ACT2J SWN SCA SEA SHDN RATCH CZ8P CGCA CGCU TKA ATT FDC VHMA VSWB SDI LI-II TBII UC1-I UC2-1 UC3-1 TLIIX TLIIIX3 ULIIX ULIIIX3 SVB VL-S MULCH MTLCH. She’s known to most of us as just “Rosie.” That’s too many letters after her name for me to fully digest (and I don’t know what most of them mean) because my own relationship with Rosie is based more on respect for her being very, very good at her predestined vocation, being a true working terrier.
Although we had probably run into each other before at Earthdog tests or at Conformation shows, I first noticed Rosie when she and her owner, Linda Steinhoff, attended a New York City rat hunt that we held to benefit Take the Lead. We held these hunts around Westminster time in order to give the visiting show dogs a chance at the real thing on the streets. They were always well attended, but as one might expect, the interest level among nationally ranked show Champions was seldom ferocious. In 2021, our hunt was held on June 10th, the night of the Border Terrier National Specialty, which was being held in New Jersey. Several Borders signed up, but I was seriously surprised when Linda and Rosie showed up at 10:00 p.m. after what had been a very long day at the National. (For her efforts that year, Rosie won an Award of Merit).
What followed that night will remain in my memory forever. Teamed with very experienced Jagdterriers, Jack Russells, and Patterdales, Rosie’s ancestors guided her to dispatch eight rats, entirely on her own. Most dogs have a learning curve, but Rosie knew instinctively how to catch and dispatch a rat quickly and efficiently. She had equal skill in catching rats “close in” and her legs, long enough “to follow a horse,” enabled her to make several good running catches. She was a team player, but that night she was the star of the team. Even the hard-bitten “black dog” terriermen were impressed.
It is our custom to take pictures of visiting dogs with the entire “catch of the night” without regard to who caught what. After all, it’s a team effort. At the end, though, I had to have a picture of Rosie with her eight departed rodents, knowing that she alone was responsible for this incredible debut performance. We’ve always had a good number of outstanding LBD ratters, some of them internationally famous, but for her first trip the record was Rosie’s alone.
Fast forward a bit to June of 2025 and the BCTA National Specialty in Longview, Washington. At the very respectable age of nine years old, Rosie was entered as a Veteran. To the BTCA’s credit, its Veteran Classes are competitive for Best of Breed and are usually chock-full of worthy seniors. Still, the regular classes were populated by many outstanding Border Terriers who are a force majeur in Terrier Group rings across the country. It is seldom difficult to find a high-quality Little Brown Dog to reward.
Rosie, who lives in central California, has attended other Nationals and received attention in the form of Awards of Merit, Versatility awards, and the like. This specialty, being held on the Pacific Coast, was “a must” for this great veteran.
The breeder-judge of this year’s BTCA National Specialty was Amanda Pough. Amanda was literally born into the breed and her mother’s Bandersnatch dogs are well known in both the Conformation ring and at Earthdog Tests and Den Trials. I couldn’t help but wonder whether Amanda had any previous knowledge of Rosie’s many accomplishments. “Not a bit,” said Ms. Pough when I called her. Her first real meeting with Rosie was in the Veteran Bitch class along with seven other entries. Amanda said that she “looked like she could do the job…,” without knowing that Rosie actually could do and had done it pretty darn well.
This breeder-judge knows well how to span and pelt a Border Terrier as required by the Breed Standard, but even more, she knows how to apply the information gleaned from those procedures. To a show dog, those qualities are a matter of propriety, but to a working terrier they are the difference between life and death. While many go through the motions, few apply the results with any degree of accuracy.
So far, this article may seem to be a tribute to a unique Border Terrier named Rosie. In fact, I hope it will be more than that. Many purebred dogs retain the instinct to perform their predestined function. Some don’t. In Rosie’s case, she is backed by an indefatigable owner-handler who gives her the opportunity to shine. No less notable is a parent club that places working ability at the top of its versatility programs.
The AKC works very hard to conceptualize and implement working simulations, (such as Hunt Tests, Field Trials, and Earthdog) that will encourage more dogs to realize their ability to function as intended. In most instances there is not enough individual participation to warrant development of a major program, and the challenge is referred to the appropriate parent club. A number of those clubs have met the challenge (Airedales is just one additional example) while others have gone ahead to reward breed versatility, whether related to the breed’s purpose or not.
We want to recognize Rosie for the stellar accomplishments of superiority at earthwork, ratting, and winning the National Specialty at nearly nine years of age. We also want to recognize that Rosie is not alone in retaining both conformation and performance ability and that many dogs of many breeds share the same abilities. What sets Rosie apart is an owner-handler who recognizes and develops her dog’s potential and a parent club that prioritizes the singular function of the breed and goes the extra mile to provide opportunities, incentives, and rewards for excellence in both areas.
So, “Curtain up! Light the lights! We’ve got nothin’ to hit but the heights!” There are a lot of Rosies out there that are waiting for your coaching and encouragement. There are puppies yet unborn that are depending on you to identify and include performance ability in your efforts as a preservation breeder. There are so many opportunities to develop and display excellence. It’s not always easy, but Rosie is living proof it can be done. Congratulations, Rosie, you’re a great canine ambassador.
