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Scottish Terrier

The Scottish Terrier is Loyal and Protective

The Scottish Terrier (The "Scottie") originated in the Highlands of northern Scotland over three hundred years ago. He was bred to hunt a variety of small game and vermin, including foxes, otters, badgers, rabbits and rats. As a result of these hundreds years of breeding, he is a fearless, protective companion who concentrates all his attention on his family. 

He is a robust, strongly built dog, standing about ten inches tall at the shoulder and weighing in the region of twenty pounds. 

The Scottish Terrier is quite a popular choice in the USA, being 52nd in popularity, as shown by the 2010 registration statistics of the American Kennel Club

This is also a very popular breed in the White House, having been the pets of no less than three US presidents, F D Roosevelt, Eisenhower and George W. Bush.

Grooming The Scottish Terrier

The Scottish Terrier has a hard, wiry, weather-resistant outer coat and a soft dense undercoat in brindle, wheaten or black color, as shown above. He has a shaggy beard, eyebrows, legs and lower body coat. Being so tough and wiry, the coat needs regular brushing and clipping but there is very little problem with loose hair, because this breed is a very low shedder. 

Exercising The Scottish Terrier

The Scottie is a terrier, so he is full of energy and needs plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. He loves long walks (on a leash) or romps in a safely enclosed area, and playing ball games. Like most terriers, he can be aggressive to other dogs and will not back down. He is fearless and will take on dogs much larger than he, so he must always be on a leash when there are other dogs or small animals in the vicinity. 

Training The Scottish Terrier

Again, like most terriers, the Scottish Terrier can be stubborn and wilful and you must be determined and patient with his training. He is not a particularly intelligent breed, being ranked joint 65th, out of 79 groups, with "fair working/obedience intelligence and understanding of new commands". If at all possible, training should be started as early as possible, at the puppy stage, so that bad habits do not get ingrained. 

The Scottish Terrier's Temperament

He is protective and intensely loyal, with plenty of confidence in himself. He is an excellent watchdog, because he is constantly alert and has a very deep bark, sounding like a much larger dog. He is reserved and aloof with visitors but calm once they have been accepted into the home. He craves companionship and attention and should not be left alone for long periods of time. The Scottish Terrier is very strong and rugged for his size and he is probably not suited with young children. If he is raised and socialised with older children he will be like a favorite uncle!

Need To Learn More?
We can recommend this excellent downloadable eBook, written by Mike Mathews, who has over thirty years experience and extensive research into how to choose the ideal small dog breeds for your own individual lifestyle. This book carries a 60-day money back guarantee.