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A Study
of the Scottish Terrier Published by the Scottish Terrier Club of America |
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A Study of the Scottish Terrier General Appearance Last update - 1/12/02
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History of the Scottish Terrier The Scottish Terrier originated in the highlands of Scotland and is believed to be Scotland's oldest breed of dog. In those far off days, hunters kept packs of small terriers to rid the land of vermin. Dogs were selected for their gameness and hunting ability. Appearance mattered little to the practical Scotsman. All he required was that his dogs be fearless enough to attack any prey; small enough to fight their way back out, and hardy enough to withstand a rough life and rigorous climate. These were the attributes deemed essential in the early hunting terriers and they are still the attributes we look for today. For hundreds of years they were Scotland's own terriers, but sometime in the late 1800's, enough foundation stock had been brought south of the border to warrant a breed name and distinct classes for them at English shows. The first Standard by which they were judged was drawn up in England in 1880, and the first breed club devoted to their interests was the Scottish Terrier Club of England, founded in 1883. All present day Scotties stem from a single bitch, Splinter 11, and two sires, Eng. Chs. Alister and Dundee. From these three are descended all the show champions on both sides of the Atlantic, first through the two great sires of the 1930's, Eng. Chs. Albourne Barty and Heather Necessity, and later through the famous '3Bs' of the '60's, Chs. Bardene Boy Blue, Bardene Bingo and Bardene Bobby Dazzler. Scotties come to these shores in the early 1890's but it was not until the years between World War I and World War II that the breed saw any significant popularity. By 1936, Scotties were the third most popular breed in the United States. Although they did not permanently stay in fashion, they continue to enjoy a steady popularity with a large segment of the dog-owning public.
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General Appearance-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 fail are salient features of the breed. The Scottish Terrier's bold, confident, dignified aspect exemplifies power in a small package. The Scottish Terrier is a small but substantial, low-to-ground and active terrier, with a long head in proportion to his size, a rough coat, short legs, prick ears, and an undocked carrot-shaped tail carried vertically or with a slight curve forward. There appears to be a paradox created by the Scottish Terrier Standard which demands “symmetry and balance without exaggeration” in a breed with an 8” head and 4 ½” legs. The secret is to learn the correct proportions for the breed and to use those proportions to create a template. The closer a dog comes to that template, the more balanced and correct that dog is. There are several key features that distinguish the Scottie from his cousins, the Cairn and the Westie. One is his long, powerful head with its high-set ears and small, almond shaped eyes. Another is the deep, heart shaped body, with plenty of forechest in front and a big, powerful rear extending beyond the tail. A third is heavy bone and substance. The final feature, and sometimes the most difficult to assess, is Scottie temperament. The old English standard uses these words: “The dog should look willing to go anywhere and do anything.” It is because of this distinctive temperament that Scotties look their best when sparring. |
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