The Dandie Dinmont terrier is a one - of - a - sort dog in looks and in personality . Learn more about what it takes to live with this gamey , silly stock .
have a go at it as the " gentlemen of the terrier group , " the Dandie Dinmont terrier is an tender social butterfly with a distinct doggy hairdo that ’s gruelling to omit .
Originally bred to " go to priming " after otter and Badger , this Scotch pup ’s hunting days are far behind him . In fact , dude areexceedingly rare today , and you might not ever see one outside of the show annulus . But if you ’re favorable enough to have one in your family , you ’ll have a devoted , happy companion .
Appearance
The Dandie Dinmont is no running - of - the - mill terrier . They come in one of two colour — mustard or pepper . Pepper pups can range from a " non-white bluish black to easy silvery gray,“according to the breed standard , while mustard Dandie Dinmont terrier can range from a red-faced - brown to light dun . Their coat is wiry with lighter , silky fur on their legs and underside .
But what really stands out about this breed is the large , pear-shaped head . The Dandie Dinmont terrier ’s domed noggin is complete for housinghis big brainand athletics a fluffy tuft of impossibly soft fur ( nonesuch for head pats ! ) . This silklike head hair is also abstemious in colour , matching the whisker on his bottom .
Dandies are also rather stalwart , stand up only between 8–11 column inch while count up to 24 pounds . There ’s a natural bend in their bodies ( according to the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of America(DDTCA ) , " there are no true lines " ) . Floppy ears cast their wide chief and declamatory , dark hazel heart nail their one - of - a - sort look .
Temperament
Along with their unique visual aspect , Dandie Dinmont terrier also blow a charming and funny personality . Sandra Hickson , Judges Education and National Specialty Chair at the DDTCA , says they can be quite gamey and terrier - ish thanks to their origins as four - legged varmint control , but they also make capital house dog .
" They ’re have sex as ' the gentlemen of the terrier grouping , ' " she says . " And so while they ’re glad to go out and do whatever kind of activity you wish to do , they ’re also really happy sleeping on the couch next to you . "
Dandies are happy pups andmake not bad family dogs . They typicallyget along with catsand other dogs , especially when introduced andsocialized at a young geezerhood , and adore kiddos most of all .
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" They really do like childrena great deal , " Hickson tell . " They like mass a lot . Just in cosmopolitan , they ’re really social . "
Dandies can be placid than most of their terrier cousins , especially whentrained from a young years . But thatdoesn’t think they do n’t barkat all — in fact , Dandie Dinmont terriers are known to fathom the alarm when they see a squirrel , hear someone go about their home , or if they ’re bored ( giving them set of toyswill keep ennui at bay ) .
Living Needs
Though they ’re described as little man , Dandie Dinmonts are still terriers . And because they were in the first place spawn to Leigh Hunt varmint , that inherent aptitude still stay unattackable inside them today . Hickson read it ’s probably not the good idea to bring a Dandie Dinmont terrier home base if you have hamsters or Numida meleagris pigs , and you may count on your pup to settle on on the neighborhood wildlife .
" They will go nuts if there ’s a squirrel in the backyard , " she says . " Or if you ’re walk and you see a squirrel go up a tree , they will turn a loss their mind . If you have moles or gophers , be devise for there to be a crater in the backyard while they go hunt for it — because they will . "
Because of thisstrong prey drive , it ’s important to keep your Dandie Dinmont terriersafely in a palisade - in space(always under your supervision ) andon a troika during walk . Alwaysmake sure he ’s microchipped , too , in case he does dart off .
A Dandie can fly high in virtually any live on situation , include apartments , as long as he generate an chance to stretch his wooden leg outside every solar day . Their use needs motley — Hickson says some might desire torun around an agility coursewhile others are content with snoozing on the couch all day — buta day by day walkshould keep most Dandie Dinmont terrier well-chosen .
Care
One major perk of sustain a Dandie Dinmont terrier at home plate : You wo n’t have to apply a lint roller before leaving the house . Their trenchant hairdo ( a hard jacket and fluffy furnishings)don’t really shed , though they are not considered to be a"hypoallergenic " breed .
But just because the fur wo n’t fly does n’t think of their care routine is hands - off . In fact , grooming a Dandie Dinmont terrier is a fairly convoluted process . Hickson aver these pupsneed to be brushedevery other Clarence Day depend on your Dandie ’s specific coat .
" frump that are brushed and go on up stay cleaner and flatness less , " she says . " So if you’re able to take 10 second a day and brushing [ him ] , it ’s really skilful for the frankfurter and it ’s practiced for bonding . "
Dandie Dinmont terriers also need regular slip to the groomer . you may opt tohave them hand stripped(where dead fuzz are removed by the solution ) or clipped . Hickson says if you choose to pass on strip your Dandie , you ’ll call for to take him to the groomer at least once a calendar month . snip his pelt , on the other hand , should be done every six to eight weeks ; he also wo n’t keep the same mustard greens or Madagascar pepper color with regular clippings .
Along with grooming upkeep , yawl take tohave their nail trimmedandteeth brushed regularlyto stay healthy .
When itcomes to grooming , these brainiacs are eager to please the people they enjoy , but they can be a bit main - given and think they know best .
" experient ownersare preferred to get this breed commence on the right track , " pronounce Chyrle Bonk , DVM , veterinary writer withHepper . " They may also have a small second of a ' braggy dog in a little body ' issue … and will need a short direction to tell them what they can and ca n’t wield . "
But withpositive reinforcementand uniform training , Bonk say these pups are adequate to of see quickly .
Health
The typical Dandie Dinmont terrier life-time is a rich 12–15 year , and they’reincredibly healthy dogs .
The only inherited condition Dandies can be susceptible to is glaucoma , whichcan cause cecity . TheCanine Health Information Center recommendsall Dandie Dinmont terriers complete annual eye exams . allot to the DDTCA , the club is " committed to extirpate [ glaucoma ] completely , " so verify your Dandie Dinmont terrier stock breeder has test their dogs for the term .
Aside from glaucoma , Bonk sayslymphoma seems to be slimly more commonin Dandies than in other wiener breeds .
History
Though the Dandie Dinmont did n’t become hump by name until the 1800s , the terriers were record as a distinct stock in the former 1700s , agree to the DDTCA . They in all probability descended from dogs found along the England - Scotland border . The frankfurter were popular with family and group of travelers for their hunt artistry ; Dandies were cognize to be effective exterminators of rats , George Fox , otter , and badgers .
harmonise to the DDTCA , the Dandie Dinmont terrier is the only dog breed named after a literary type . Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott publishedGuy Manneringin 1815 , and the novel boast a Fannie Farmer describe Dandie Dinmont who owned six of these little terrier .
A existent - life farmer appoint James Davidson had a fondness for the breed and gather up the frankfurter ( and key out them all either " Mustard " or " Pepper " ) . Because he resembled the Fannie Merritt Farmer inGuy Mannering , Davidson ’s Friend lead off calling him " Dandie Dinmont . " The name lodge — not to Davidson , but to the scrappy little dogs .
But despite their prospicient account , the Dandie Dinmont terrier is n’t a breed you ’ll typically observe at the hot dog parking area . The United Kennel Club classify the terriers as a " vulnerable native breed . "
" There are not that many breeders in the U.S. , so if you decide that you desire a Dandie , please be patient , " Hickson says . " It ’s going to be unlikely that you ’re going to find one instantly . You ’re plausibly going to have to wait several months and be on someone ’s waiting tilt , but they are really deserving your patience and endeavour because they are a cracking breed . "
