Living With the Dandie Dinmont

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

Living With the Dandie Dinmont

Anyone who lives with a Dandie or multiples of Dandies must possess two bones. The first is a strong backbone to maintain boundaries in the home as the Alpha individual. The Dandie, with his melting expression, can easily develop bad habits. Because a Dandie puppy is so “cute,” it is hard for a new owner to correct bad behavior. Don’t let that happen to you! The other bone is the most important: a funny bone. Through the years, I have managed to tap into my funny bone with all the antics the Dandies provide and want to share some of my favorites. Most show dogs have a very limited time in the show ring. Their roles as family members make them the memory keepers of our lives. They seldom forget the routines they enjoy with their owners. I am often asked if more than one Dandie can share their lives. One must remember Dandies are terriers.

They can pose problems if they are not taught from puppyhood how to get along with all the family members, including the household dogs and cats. A family took an older puppy into their home. As weeks went by, the puppy got into several tussles with their older Dandie. I received a phone call from the family, as well as the breeder of the pup. Long story short, the pup came to me for just a “few weeks.” That was three years ago! The first night he was here, I was dozing in my recliner when all of a sudden I heard a loud “No!” My husband had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck much as a mother dog does. He tossed him across the room into my lap. Seems the pup had growled at my “heartdog” Denison. It was probably lucky it happened when we were able to correct him immediately. Now a champion, he shares our home with two other Dandies and two Miniature Dachshunds. And who is the canine Alpha bitch? It is the thirteen-year-old rescue Dachshund! She only has to stare at him to correct improper behavior!

Though one may live with multiples, each dog must be given private time away from the others. Many of our national club members are very active in performance events. It is obvious these Dandie owners are showcasing our clever breed. Kudos to them! Several years before Earthdog trials came to AKC, I was active in the American Working Terrier trials. One of my friends had a Smooth Fox Terrier. Her husband had a construction company. He made a dig for us to practice in at a site. My husband dug a dig at our rural property. Her son dug one at her house, so we had three practice areas. One evening I loaded up a couple of rats and cages and my Dandie, Buckwheat. We worked in the cool of the evening. My command was, “Find the mouse.” My friend’s command was, “Get the rat.”

Both dogs were working well when we heard a police siren. Lo and behold, the siren ceased in her driveway. The police officer banged on her gate, hollered “Police,” and entered her backyard. “I’ve been called here with a complaint of cat killing,” he exclaimed. I immediately grabbed my funny bone! Seems one of the neighbors called in the complaint and was unable to decipher the “Get the rat” command. Luckily, the officer grabbed his funny bone! He was impressed when we showed him what we were doing. Living with Dandies affords us the time to share daily events with them. “The Dustman” loved to ride with me on errands.

I was driving a little sports car and I believe he was remembering riding shotgun in a former life. We went to the feed store for grain for the goats. The fellow who brought it out saw Dusty peeping around his seat. “Ma’am,” he shouted. “That dawg ain’t got no legs.” I told him I would take Dusty out so he could see he really did have legs! I shared the history of the breed and why he had short legs. The man enjoyed petting him and after a while, Dusty jumped back in the car. “Ma’am, I don’t want to hurt your feelings but do you know he has a bump on his back?” Enter my funny bone! I occasionally saw the fellow and he always asked about Dusty. ’Course, he has been gone for several years now, but he will always be my “dawg with no legs”! We do show our dogs. It is pretty obvious from their behavior they love the ring as much as the couch. Each and every one of my Dandies has brought me joy. And like any dog, they can put us in embarrassing situations. Possibly the most embarrassing moment came when I was showing Cruise. He was the kindest dog that ever lived and he loved to show. He won the breed at The Garden but was equally excited when he was invited to the Secord Gallery.

He greeted visitors as they came in and spent the afternoon doing tricks for cookies. Later, I was showing him in the group at an Oklahoma show and on the final go-round, my petticoat fell down around my ankles. I simply took my foot and tossed it out of the ring. Cruise wanted to retrieve it—I wanted the floor to open up and swallow us both! He won the group and went on to win Best in Show. From the crowd, I had to endure chants of “Will Strip for Wins.” A moment I’ll never forget, for MANY reasons. All our dogs mean the world to us. We all have stories to share. The proudest I have ever been of one of my dogs did happen at a show. Dusty was resting on a grooming table when a woman wheeled a young man with cerebral palsy into our setup.

She asked if her son could touch Dusty. The young man was very excited. His body and limbs were very spastic, as well as his voice being very loud and guttural. Dusty, along with his multiple titles, was a therapy dog with his TDI title. I agreed to let him touch Dusty. His mother wheeled him very close to Dusty. He roughly grabbed his topknot while squealing with delight. Dusty slowly inched forward and planted a soft, tender kiss on his cheek. Suddenly the boy became very still. His legs and arms were stilled and his voice transferred into a big quiet smile. His mom had tears in her eyes, as did I. This is why I love living with Dandies!