A Study of the Scottish Terrier
Published by the Scottish Terrier Club of America

A Study of the Scottish Terrier
* Cover Page
* Special Notice
* Credits
* History of the Scottish Terrier

General Appearance
Size, Proportion, and Substance
Head
Skull
Nose
Teeth
Eyes
Ears
Neck, Topline, and Body
Chest
Tail
Forequarters
Hindquarters
Coat
Color
Gait
Temperament
Penalties
Scale of Points
How to Judge the Scottish Terrier
Breeders Guide

Last update - 1/12/02
 Content Provider:
     Jim Orsborn
Copyright © 2002 STCA

 

Five key elements must be present for the Scottish Terrier to have correct substance:
· Heavy bone. Despite its small size, the Scottish Terrier has heavy bones, especially in the legs.

· Powerful muscles. A Scotties body should never feel Soft, but instead should feel hard and muscular all over, but particularly in the hindquarters.

· Good ribs. The ribs should spring outward from the spine and then curve inward, forming a body that is nearly heart-shaped if viewed in cross-section. The ribs extend well back on the body.

· Short, broad loin. A Scottie should never have a waist. A little extra length of loin is more tolerable than a short thin loin.

· Deep brisket. Viewed from the front, the Scottie's body should appear to be slung between the two front legs, rather than sitting on top of them. The brisket extends below the elbows. Viewed from the side, the forechest should extend well in front of the point of shoulder.
If the back is shortened at the expense of good ribs, nothing is gained; such a dog will be too narrowly built and lack the desired strength and substance.
Dorothy Caspersz

The brisket should be wide and deep. From the front, the chest should appear to be slung between the two legs, rather than set on top of them.

The forelegs should be big and muscular. When you grasp the leg, the bone should feel round, not flat. The feet should be big with firm, arched toes. The controveisy over straight versus slightly-bent forelegs has existed since the first article was written about the Scottish Terrier and is not likely to be resolved here. The Standard allows for a slight toeing out. When judging, perfectly straight forelegs and pasterns are less essential than a muscular neck, sloping shoulders, a deep brisket well in front of forelegs, and a broad chest. On the other hand, this part of the Standard shouldn't be used as an excuse to put up a dog who is down on his pasterns.