Scottish Terrier
The Scottish Terrier, popularly called the Scottie, is a breed of dog best
known for its distinctive profile.
This dog is one of five breeds of terrier that originated in Scotland. The other
four are Skye, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont, and West Highland White Terriers.
The Scottish Terrier's nickname is "little diehard", given to it in the 19th
century by George, the fourth Earl of Dumbarton. The Earl had a famous pack of
Scottish Terriers, so brave that they were named “Diehards”. They were supposed
to have inspired the name of his Regiment, The Royal Scots, "Dumbarton’s
Diehards".
This breed is a small but resilient terrier. The Scottish Terrier is fast and
has a muscular body and neck (a typical neck size is 14 inches), often appearing
to be barrel chested. These dogs are short-legged, compact and sturdily built,
with a long head in proportion to their size.
The Scottish Terrier should have large paws adapted for digging. Their ears are
are erect and tail are salient features of the breed. Their eyes are small,
bright and almond-shaped and dark brown or nearly black in color.
The Scottish Terrier's height at withers for both sexes should be roughly ten
inches, and the length of back from withers to tail is roughly eleven inches.
Generally a well-balanced Scottish Terrier dog should weigh from 19-22 pounds
and a bitch from 18-21 pounds.
The Scottish Terrier typically has a hard, wiry, long, weather-resistant outer
coat and a soft dense under coat. Their coat is typically trimmed and blended,
with a longer coat on the beard, eyebrows, legs and lower body — traditionally
shaggy-to-the-ground. The head, ears, tail, and back of the Scottish Terrier are
traditionally trimmed short.
Their usual coat color ranges from dark gray to jet black. The Scottish Terrier
with 'Wheaten' (straw to nearly white) or 'Brindle' coats sometimes occur, but
should not be confused with the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier or West Highland
White Terrier.