Scottish Terrier Breed Description

Appearance and Size

The Scottish terrier is a thick set, muscular dog that exudes power, symmetry and balance. Small and compact, the Scottie has a long head, which is carried proudly. The eyes are deep set under prominent eyebrows. The ears are pointed and carried erect and his short tail is carried erect. The adult Scottie is low to the ground but a man’s clenched fist held upright should just fit beneath his chest and the earth.

For the novice dog person, the West Highland white terrier and the Scottish terrier are often confused. Though their body appearance is similar, their hair coat gives them away. Westies are always a shade of white. The Scottie is never white.

The outer hair coat, wiry, hard and weather resistant, is about 2 inches long. The undercoat is dense and soft. To keep the coat tangle free, twice weekly brushing is recommended. The Scottie is most often black but brindle, gray, sandy and wheaten are also possible.

The hair coat of the Scottie is trimmed into a distinctive look. The hair on the face is left long in the form of a beard. The legs and lower body is left long and the top and sides are trimmed short.

The adult Scottie stands 10 to 12 inches at the shoulder and weighs 18 to 22 pounds.

Personality

The Scottish terrier is a bold and dignified dog. Willing to go anywhere and do anything, the Scottie is not one to give his love freely. He will usually sit back and survey the scene before making a decision. Very intelligent but with a streak of independence, the Scottie can be hard to control around squirrels, rabbits and even some cats.

The Scottie does have a tendency to be territorial and some have dominant personalities. A few can be aggressive toward other dogs. Early socialization will help the Scottie learn to accept other dogs and even cats. With a strong innate hunting instinct, the Scottie may take off chasing small creatures so one should never be trusted off lead.

Though not a gushing breed, once the Scottie becomes your friend, he is yours for life.

Scottish Terrier
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Scotland.

SPECIAL SKILLS: Hunting dog, for foxes and rabbits and other small prey, and family pet.

SIZE: The shoulder-height is 25 - 28cm (9 3/4 - 11 in) and the weight 8.5 - 10.5kg (18 3/4 - 23 lb).

COAT: The coat is hard and wire-haired. The Scottish Terrier or Scottie, as it is commonly known, is bred as plain black, broken black with high-lights, and wheat.

CARE REQUIRED: The coat needs to be hand-plucked by a professional about twice per year; the chest, legs, and head are usually clipped. Between the plucking sessions the hair should be regularly brushed and combed. Remove any food remnants from the breed and moustache regularly. Show dogs require more intensive grooming.

CHARACTER: The Scottie is straightforward and sober, becomes, very attached to its family, is vigilant, noble, sporty, and sometimes has a mind of its own. Keep it mind that it loves to dig.

TRAINING: For the right handler who is consistent this aristocrat of a dog is easy to train. Remember, though, that for all its loyalty to you, this is an independent dog. Training needs to be founded on mutual respect.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: The natural inclination of a Scottie is to get on well with other household animals and its own kind. Provided children do not treat this dog as a toy and don't pester it, they will get along together. Much depends upon the puppy's social training.

EXERCISE: The Scottie will adapt its exercise demands to the circumstances where it finds itself living.

The Scottish Terrier is a small, compact, short-legged, sturdily built dog of good bone and substance. His head is long in proportion to his size. He has a hard, wiry, weather-resistant coat and a thick-set, cobby body which is hung between short, heavy legs. These characteristics, joined with his very special keen, piercing, ''varminty'' expression, and his erect ears and tail are salient features of the breed.

The Scottish Terrier's bold, confident, dignified aspect exemplifies power in a small package.