Description

The Scottish Terrier, also recognized as the Aberdeen Terrier is a strong little dog with small legs which can move exceptionally fast. It has a great personality, and is often called just the Scottie. The head of the Scottish Terrier is quite long in proportion to the rest of the dog and has a muscular neck and body, with short sturdy legs, which all contribute to its great strength and liveliness. The skull of the Scottish Terrier is long, a little arched and medium in width and has a broad body. The eyes are small, almond shaped and is set well apart while the ears are long, pricked, pointed, triangle in shape and is set quite high up on the head. The muzzle is about the equal length as the skull with a petite stop, narrowing slightly to the nose while the teeth meet in a scissors bite. The top line of the back of the breed is level while the tail is thicker at the base, medium in length which is covered with tiny, firm hair and is either carried straight or is a little curved.  The front feet are bigger than the back feet and the dewclaws may be removed. The dense, course, thin coat is as firm as bristles with a soft protecting undercoat that makes it weather resistant. The fur covers its whole body, especially its belly, legs and face; and the hair on its legs is so long that it reaches the floor. The coat has a unique contour with longer hair on the eyebrows, beard, legs and the lower part of the body which make them look dainty and has an average sized tail which sticks out directly. The common coat color of the breed is black, and can also be wheaten or brindle with a little bit of white fur in the chest. The height of a Scottish Terrier is around 10-11 inches (25-28 kg.) and its weight varies from 19-23 pounds (8½-10½kg).

History

The Scottish Terrier was developed in Scotland around the 1800s and before that, no other type of terrier was found. Every region bred a different type of the breed, which is how the five different terriers, as we know today came to existence. In 1917, the Kennel Club of Great Britain barred interbreeding of the breed so as to make sure that no other combination of breeds existed henceforth.

The Scottish Terrier was in the show ring for the first time in 1860 alongside other dogs that were classified as Scottish Terriers, but were also called by several other names. In those times, any terrier that was from Scotland was by default classified as Scottish Terriers. But, in 1883, attempts were made to make the Scottish Terrier a breed of its own. It came to USA in the 1880s but could not become popular till the years between World War I and World War II. The Scottish Terrier was initially bred to be an effective farm dog that could hunt den animals like foxes, rabbit, other, badgers and other wildcats and varmints. It was also considered similar to a farmer's assistant as it was expected to take care of the wild animals without any instruction by the farmer.

The first Scottish Terrier was registered in 1885, by the American Kennel Club while the Scottish Terrier Club of America began in 1900.There was always a dispute about what the actual breed should behave and look like, but finally in 1930, 4 dogs of this breed made a great impact in the show ring and as such, many breeders and families wanted them.

 Temperament

The Scottish Terrier is an alert, hardy, curious, brave, feisty, and very lovable dog with sufficient charm to make everybody love it. As a puppy, it is quite playful and friendly and is also very moody dog and so, it can be loving and playful one second and grumpy and snappy the next. It can also be very stubborn at times and thus needs a firm voice or hand to tackle them right from a young age or else, it will try to run the whole household as an adult. The Scottish Terrier is quite sensitive to correction and very well understands the distinction between praise and criticism. With a very gutsy attitude, this dog tries to challenge the owner if given a chance. Being friendly and playful as a puppy, it matures into a noble adult and makes a very good watchdog. The Scottish Terrier has a tendency to connect more with only one or two members of the family and are more loyal to them as compared to others. Being a very sensitive dog it acts according to its master’s behavior and moods and has very less interest in making friendship with people who are not family members. Though quite reserved, it loves to play with ball, go for walks and just dance around outdoors and even indoors.

Proper care should be taken that the dog is not allowed to develop the Small Dog Syndrome, where the dog regards itself as the pack leader to humans. This syndrome may cause varying degrees of behavioral issues, like being moody, stubborn, snappish, protectiveness and excessive barking. It is generally not a good dog with small children, and so the children must be taught how to exhibit leadership over the dog. All of the harmful behaviors of this breed can be reversed if the owner changes the way to deal with the dog. The breed needs all the members of the family to be confident, firm and consistent in their approach. Hence, the dog needs to be provided with a daily pack walk to strengthen leadership and burn both physical and mental energy. Till today, it still possesses a strong chase instinct and loves to dig. The Scottish Terrier is lightning fast and may even run away if it can and thus, this breed does best with a fenced-in yard.

Health Problems

Scottish Terriers are at risk of developing some types of cancer like bladder cancer, intestinal cancer, Malignant Melanoma Cancer of the eyes, skin or bowels and the Gastric Carcinoma Cancer of the intestines or the stomach. It may also develop Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the skin, Mast Cell Tumor or Hemangiosarcoma. Other health problems faced by the Scottish Terrier are Von Willebrand's disease, patellar luxation, Scottie cramp, flea allergies, skin and jaw problems. To prevent this breed from developing cancer, vets suggest keeping it away from herbicides, pesticides, cigarette smoke and enrich it with a vitamin-rich diet and exercise along with fresh air. The life expectancy of a Scottish Terrier is about 12-15 years.

Grooming

The Scottish Terrier has a long hairy coat that requires frequent brushing to avoid knots from forming and also to remove the dead hairs. Grooming of the hair of this breed should be done after every 6-8 weeks to continue its characteristic look and shape. It also needs professional trimming or haircut at least twice a year. It can be clipped or hand stripped depending on whether it is used as a dog for show or as a family pet. When this dog is clipped, its hair has a soft silky touch when the long wiry firm ends are cut off. While the body is clipped, extra attention should be given to its legs, feet and ears.

The Scottish Terrier can be given a bath whenever required with wither dry shampoo or a gentle dog shampoo and conditioner. Air-drying is quite good for its skin and hair rather than blow-drying. The nails of the dog need to be clipped and cleaned regularly and it is essentially important to keep its eyes and ears dry and clean.

Exercise

The Scottish Terrier needs exercise but due to its small size, much of its romping and exercise takes place indoors. It loves outdoor walks and enjoys cooler temperatures and hence enjoys spending time outdoors unless it's very hot. Due to its extensive digging capability, if it is kept in a fenced yard, it should be watched carefully so as to make sure that it doesn’t get out. Playing helps to take care of most of its exercise needs, but just playing cannot fulfill its primal nature to walk. It generally enjoys a good romp in an open area, such as a large fenced yard.

Training

Training the Scottish Terrier needs to be started at a very young age so as to impose in it what is expected from it. It can sometimes be stubborn about learning what the owner wants it to do, especially if it isn’t interested in doing so. Despite being stubborn, it still enjoys playing outdoors and even indoors and needs proper inspiration to ensure the want to learn. The owner or trainer should make sure that he praises a job well done and at the same time avoids negative enforcement to prevent it from getting an attitude. The trainer should be very consistent and firm with the Scottish Terrier and allowing it to walk on a leash is a very important lesson that should begin at a very young age. Due to its tendency to chase little animals and being great escape artist, they should never be off the leash when outdoors.