Celebrate the Scottish Terrier

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, July 2013 issue.

Celebrate the Scottish Terrier

Scottie owners are a breed unto themselves and like their dogs they never back down. Scottie owners nearly always come back for more and seldom change breed preference. I think some of us would “go underground” before giving up “our breed.” Having had several other breeds through the years, I found myself saying “He’s just not a Scottie!” Scottie owners are a special clan of folks who gather at the first drop of a hat. You will see them en masse at Highland Games, Scottie ephemera collector’s conventions, rallies such as the one in Door County, and, of course, at AKC events. Wherever this multicolored breed goes, people always turn to look. As one famous author said, “There is no Scottie of a bad color.” Wheaten is acceptable, not white. A wheaten Scottie may look like it has a variation in body color. If the coat is clippered, it will be much lighter in color all over.

The darker shade of a wheaten coat is in the tip of the hair that grows after stripping. I just read somewhere that if given a choice, people will choose a white dog over a black or dark-colored one, BUT NOT ME. Maybe that is one reason why the registrations for our breed are down 60% in the last 10 years. Or is it legislation, housing rules, subdivision covenants, more people working all day with no time for a dog, rules against fences, breeders declining in numbers or fewer litters, or any number of things? And maybe it is a reason why some people want only the wheaten color. What a bleak outlook for one of the most wonderful and intelligent breeds on the planet! It is never a good idea to breed for color as being important.

We must trust Mother Nature to provide us with the joy of this multi-colored breed. Let fashion dictate black as it may in the game of Monopoly, but revel in the shades of all the variations! An acquaintance who has Bloodhounds also had one Scottie bitch. She is one of the few in our breed to have earned a tracking title alongside the hounds. I asked how she accomplished this and was told that once she broke the bitch from digging holes while tracking, she was able to follow the trail well. It is amazing how strong the earth dog instinct is in this breed. They don’t call Scotties “die hards” for nothing.

They are highly tolerant of pain and very stoic. It is also said that often an older Scottie exhibits no symptoms that they are near death until one day they stop eating and go peacefully. Scotties often have a stubborn streak, and I think that persistence is due to their strong hunting qualities of being intent on following the prey into a hole or den. They can be sometimes a challenge if the person training doesn’t understand that quality. A Scottie is very focused, but a reward of something that is edible will almost always shift their attention to the request. The average Scottie will always try to convince you he is starving. Weight watching is almost always needed with this breed. Some people who show in conformation bulk their dogs up confusing fat and muscle.

Proper conditioning is always preferable. Most Scotties do not like their feet touched or handled and will jerk the leg back in disapproval. On the exam table at a show, it is occasionally seen when the judge checks front legs. And try to keep the toenails short! What a struggle of wills. Their nails are heavy and large for their size. Digging breeds like a Scottie need a slightly longer toenail than most breeds, but not so long as to curve or click when walking. Sidewalk walking can help keep them in proper length as well as the rough terrain in Scotland once did. “A Scottie is a big dog in a small package” is often used when describing their character. They are extremely strong for their size. Being a full-sized dog on dwarf legs, it’s also important to remember heavy bone when selecting breeding stock. Recently, a lady very experienced with Kerry Blue Terriers helped us at a show to take Winners Dog back into the ring for BOB judging. She was almost dragged around the ring by our boy!

I don’t know who was more surprised, her or me! As Captain Jocelyn Lucas notes in Hunt and Working Terriers (1931): “Working terriers means, in sporting parlance, a terrier that will go to ground on fox, badger, or otter, and not merely a dog that will kill rats or hunt out rabbits.” How true for our undaunted Scottish Terrier! As a Scottie digs differently than many breeds, throwing dirt between its front legs rather than out to the side, the hole being dug is very narrow. They do not turn in the hole, but rather use those huge teeth that they have to lock onto the varmint. The firmly rooted tail allows them to be dragged out of the hole by the tail, and if the prey is not already dead, it is finished off by the “Scottish Highlander” as in old days, or the modern earth dogger today as the dog backs out of the hole. At dog shows today, spectators are often shocked by seeing a Scottie lifted by the tail. There is a funny saying of unknown origin applied to Scottie character: “What I have is mine, what you have is mine, and what I see is mine.” They never hesitate to let their humans know this.

Of strong character, a Scottie is also very sensitive to punishment. They cannot be forced to do much of anything, and if scolded severely, they may sulk under the couch and not come out. A treat may bring them out, but they may be unforgiving for some time. Too severe and you may create real aggression. If my old Scottie bitch shows her teeth, it is only to smile. Her granddaughter smiles so much it causes her to sneeze. Often taken with this breed as a sign of aggression, it is a peculiar thing they can do when very pleased and when the owner comes home or talks to them sweetly. To check for aggression one must look at the eyes and ears. It is not hard to distinguish. This funny trait seems to run in families. But to understand a Scottie is to know that they do not like the top of their head patted, probably because they think it makes them submissive.

But they will always enjoy having their neck or cheeks scratched. With people they know well, they will sometimes do a doggy “ummm” of approval if their head is rubbed. But strangers should go with open hand palm up under their muzzle first and to scratch the neck. It is a proper Scottie handshake, and earns respect. Judging a Scottie is to bring hands open palms upward first then rotate to touch the sides of the head, then lift with one hand under the muzzle while touching the head to feel stop, look at eyes under that long brow, examine teeth, and gradually move to other parts of the head. We often have obedience and rally trials for Scotties, and most like to be indoors for that. To sit and stay can be trained with patience, but with a Scottie outdoors, the hunting and digging instincts are often too overpowering, and off they go.

The STCA has obedience and rally in the ballroom of the Sheraton Bucks County on Friday morning of the Montgomery weekend. I once saw a dog who was showing in conformation act like he wanted to eat the dog beside him in the ring, but this same dog won top titles in obedience keeping his absolute cool off lead! It is due to his keen intelligence that he can learn, remember and discern every situation. The energy of a Scottie goes along with his strength of character and body. Scotties tackle whatever situation they are involved in with a level of high energy and enthusiasm. To watch a Scottie in agility is to be thrilled and amazed at how fast they can run on those short legs. Sparring in the show ring is a display of character, and often judges are not fond of it because exhibitors often get too close and there is snarling. Bad behavior in public is “bad press” for the breed.

If done well and correctly by those who know how to control a situation and exhibitors who follow the rules, it is a beautiful sight to behold. Scotties have been owned by prominent world leaders such as US Presidents Roosevelt, Bush, and Eisenhower—even Hitler owned Scotties. Their strong character is reflected in the dogs they owned. The joy of showing a Scottie is knowing that you have your best buddy on the end of the lead, or running with you in Agility or any other event. Even a walk or run in the park is a thrill with this keenly intelligent breed. If you can work out a true partnership as kindred spirit, your Scottie will be brilliant and happy by your side.