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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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Temperament - The Scottish Terrier should be alert and
spirited but also stable and steady going. He is a determined and thoughtful
dog whose "heads up, tails up" attitude in the ring should convey both fire and
control. The Scottish Terrier, while loving and gentle with people, can be
aggressive with other dogs. He should exude ruggedness and power, living up to
his nickname, the "Diehard.'
"No judge should put in Winners or Best of Breed any Scottish Terrier not showing real terrier character in the ring." These are the final words of our breed standard and would indicate the degree of importance that breeders place on temperament. It's too bad that as judges, you miss seeing the broad and complex character that is the Scottish Terrier. You miss out on the rolling eyes, the sighs, the smiles, the selective deafness and all of the other myriad aspects of Scottie behavior that both enslave and exasperate their breeders.  The old English standard has these words, "The dog should look willing to go anywhere and do anything." It is because of this distinct tempera ment that you cannot see Scotties at their best without sparring. What one should see is a confident, dignified, tough little dog who won't back down from a challenge. When sparring, the dog should collect himself and appear on full alert, tail and ears up with excitement. He may stare down his opposition of look away, as if to give the other dogs the opportunity to leave with their dignity and their hides intact. If the other dogs don't back down, he may start a ruckus, but he should return to control when asked to do so by his handler. Sparring should never make a Scottie uncontrollable. After sparring, a Scottie should walk away with an air of strength, and firmness to signify confidently that he has asserted his superiority like a gentleman. |
Penalties - Soft Coat; curly coat; round, protruding or
light eyes; overshot or undershot jaws; obviously oversize or undersize;
shyness or timidity; upright shoulders; lack of reach in front or drive in
rear; stiff or stilted movement; movement too wide or too close in rear; too
narrow in front or in rear; out at the elbow, lack of bone and substance; low
set fail; lack of pigment in the nose; coarse head; and failure to show with
head and fail up are faults to be penalized. NO JUDGE SHOULD PUT TO WINNERS OR BEST OF BREED ANY SCOTTISH TERRIER NOT SHOWING REAL TERRIER CHARACTER IN THE RING. This section is specific and unequivocal. Up to here we have analyzed all of the penalties except shyness and timidity, which are unforgivable in the show ring. In the show ring, the Scottish Terrier should proudly carry head and tail well up-especially when gaiting or in (lose proximity to another Scot. The penalty for failure to display this terrier characteristic is dearly stated in the lost sentence of the Standard - the dog should never be advanced to Winners or Best of Breed. Failure to do so, however, is not a disqualification or cause to excuse the dog from the ring without other valid reason.
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