The Scottish terrier is among the oldest , best established , most recognizable breeds in the world . coherent and intelligent , these dogs can be heavy companions to the right owner .
The Scottish terrier is among the old , well established , most recognisable breeds in the humanity . Like their terrier cousins , Scotties aresuper impudent , yet they demand a footling less exercise than other terrier — make them goodapartment dogs . Households with senior are a good fit , as well as class that have old children . Withearly socialization , they ’ll fit in well with other household weenie , but their strongprey driveprobably mean they wo n’t get along well with cat .
Scottish terriers exhibit an autonomous bar that served them well in the breed ’s early days when they were roam the Highlands tracking down Badger . Today , their smarting , coupled with that need for autonomy , make them trainable but a small beer mulish . solitaire and body are the keys to get these smarties to follow your rules .
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Appearance
As one of the oldest dog breeds in existence , Scotties have had a long meter to do work out the kink . As such , one of the hallmarks of the breed is the almost gathering - line consistence to their look . Scotties are , almost to the dog , 10 inches in high spirits . In fact , this height is so assured , that thebreed standarddoesn’t even list a orbit for them : Scottish terrier are 10 inch .
Just as consistent is their coloration . The Brobdingnagian majority ofScotties will be shameful . Brindle Scotties are also somewhat common , with wheaten ( a variety of gilded yellow / white ) being a rarefied pick . Whatever color , Scotties ' coat consist of a hard , wiry greatcoat layer over a thick , soft priming coat . The breed criterion excision keeps the hair long along their snouts and optic line , giving the Scots terrier a vaguely human , slightly cantankerous look — which is sometimes not totally out of short letter with their genuine personality .
Temperament
For 10 , the Scottie was among the fivemost pop breeds , both in the U.S. and abroad . Today , though their popularity has waned , the American Kennel Club ( AKC ) still rank them as the 57th most popular strain . So understandably , these petty bozo fetch a lot to the table .
Like all terriers , Scotch terrier were originallybred to be hunter . But while many dogs their size of it were created to Richard Morris Hunt rats or foxes , Scotties were galavanting over the Highlands in search of Badger .
What does that stand for for you ? As with most terrier breeds , Scotties are highly intelligent . But they can also be extremely main , bordering on aloofwhen it occur to grooming . One of the traits Scottish farmers looked for in a good terrier was a dog that was clever enough to forecast things out for himself . This means that , while your Scottie will certainly understand what you ’re asking of him , getting him to in reality take after through will require lot and lots of patience .
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Scottish terrier train well in humble bursts , say Dennis Riordan , DVM at theRiordan Pet Hospitalin Des Moines , Iowa . " [ be after for ] 10–15 min of doing something , " he says . If you’releash breeding , for exercise , " You ’re walking to the end of the private road and back . "
Scotties also respond best to session that are varied ; doing the same thing over and over is potential to tire them . They are sassy enough to quickly pick up voice commands and inflections in tone , and can understand when you ’re discomfited or disordered . grooming will demand patience and consistent rewarding of secure behavior ( treats will definitely fall in ready to hand ) .
Scotties are not of course trust of strangers , soearly socialisation is importantfor getting them used to visitant and other dogs . However , their eminent prey crusade means , as a general rule , cats are likely to be problematic . But if your Scotch terrier isintroduced aright at a unseasoned years , he can live well with feline friends .
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uniform with their terrier descent , Scotties are instinctive Orion whorequire a decent amount of exerciseto remain spare and levelheaded . One advantage they have over other firedog in their group , however , is that they do n’t necessarily swear on track and outside activity to incinerate that energy off . If you ’ve got a length of rope , a Scottie is more than happy to meet tug - of - state of war with you for as long as you could hold out .
Living Needs
One of the upsides of having been bred to be such independent dog is that Scotties do n’t have a net ton in the direction of sustenance requirements . They adjust to apartment living very well , love life class and other dogs ( if they have been properly socialized as pup ) , and are more than happy to play in the house oraccompany you on walks .
Scotties will do well in family unit households . But a rambunctious Scottie might not be a great fit for households with toddlers or modest tike . All interactions between kids and dogs need to be supervised , and ensure your child knowshow to properly interact with pets(no after part - pulling ! ) .
" They ’re headstrong , [ sovereign ] dogs , " Riordan says . " There are exceptions for sure , but I would n’t normally recommend them as sept dogs . "
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For home with yards , fences are a requisite . That recollective quarry drive means he ’ll not only disembarrass your yard of squirrels and other small animals , but he ’ll also track them down the street , if reserve . Scottiesalso enjoy dig . They ’ll quickly bump a favorite recess of your yard and go to town , and blab them out of doing so will need a degree of longanimity .
Care
Scottish terrier areextremely mild shedders . However , that hallmark coat of theirs is going to expect a decent amount of care to keep it take care good .
Their common , wiry overcoat willneed to be brushedtwo or three times a calendar week to keep it unbowed and tangle - free . Additionally , their wooden-headed , soft primer coat will need to be treated on a regular basis as well , preferably through paw - uncovering , in which hair is removed by the roots . If the mind of spending fourth dimension hand - disrobe your frank ( or finding and paying a groomer to do it for you ) does n’t appeal to you , cut back your Scottie ’s hair short is another option . Although doing so will make the undercoat show through the greatcoat more and give your Scottie a downy appearing .
Like all dog-iron , Scottish terrier need theirnails kept tidy and trim , their pinna should bechecked and cleaned regularly , and they need aregular dental care number . And , if you Scottie is smelling less than his good , abath will be necessary .
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Health
Once again , this is an area where the Scottish terrier ’s prospicient breed account works in his party favor . Just as their sizing and appearing has become rock - satisfying over the years , so has the wiener ’s broadsheet of wellness .
Scottie are a fantastically healthy breed , as the Scottish Terrier Club of America ’s shorthealth statementwill attest . The most common problems for the breed arevon Willebrand ’s disease(a upset that can impact clotting),craniomandibular osteopathy(an blowup of bones in the head ) , andpatellar luxation(loose kneecap ) . Another minor care is an affliction colloquially known as " Scottie cramp , " a tendency for some wienerwurst to suffer cramp in their back and hindquarter muscle during period of high excitation or physical body process .
Riordan also recommends getting your Scottie block out forsome basic cancers , as they can be hereditary in the breed . " pearl cancer and lymph - node cancer , " he articulate . " As well as mast - cell tumors — skin cancers — and unwritten cancer . "
History
When talk over the history of a breed as old as the Scotch terrier , it can be difficult to know just where to start . Famous English stock breeder and source Rawdon B. Lee ( 1845–1908 ) once wrote that Scotties were"the oldest diversity of the canine airstream indigenous to Britain . "
The first written record of dogs agree a traditional Scottie ’s verbal description appointment to the 15th century , as Don Leslie report small , wire - haired terrier inThe History of Scotland 1436–1561 . The dogs hail from ( you guessed it ) Scotland , and for a prospicient time there was debate on what was a terrier from Scotland and what was a true " Scottish terrier . " The first Scottie stock standard was written in 1880 and helped secern the breed from , say , theSkye terrier . And as dog shows became more formalized and breed standards increased in grandness , the Scots terrier ’s look and disposition became more interchangeable .
