Meet the Scottish Terrier: Power in a small package
“Whitney” GCHS Hedge Hill I Will Always Love You At Devonwood
The “Scottie,” with its dignified beard, upright tail, and broken coat, is one of the most iconic terriers. Bred to dig into burrows and dispatch vermin, it combines short legs with a powerful body and a fierce independent streak. Scotties are loyal, reserved with strangers, and often act like they’re running their own little kingdom. With a thick double coat and a mind of its own, this breed thrives with confident owners who appreciate both its dignity and its dry sense of humor.
Judging each breed of dog requires knowledge on the part of judges to appreciate what sets that breed apart from all others, i.e., what its breed-specific traits are. In Scotties, the differences between them and their close cousins (Cairns and Westies) involve primarily the body structure, movement, and head type. It is essential that Scotties have deep chests and fairly low-slung bodies. They are more rectangular than Westies. Due to their deep chests, they have “wrap-around” front construction which is not evident in Cairns and Westies. It seems that one of the most prevalent faults in Scotties is dogs that are out at elbow (it is possible to put one’s fingers easily between the elbows and chest wall). Breeders face a real challenge in attempting to overcome this structural problem. Because Scotties are heavy-bodied and low-slung, they move differently from other short-legged terriers. I like to think of their movement as jaunty, with a swagger that sets them apart. It should be structurally impossible for them to single-track.
Obviously, heads in Scotties differ greatly from their cousins’ heads. Due to their heads being longer and more narrow, Scotties also have ears that should be set closer than those of Cairns and Westies. One danger in breeding for narrow heads is that they can become too long and slim, an example of exaggeration that I see in numerous breeds. The mentality of “more is better” can affect all breeds negatively if allowed.
“Judging the Scottish Terrier” by Lydia Coleman Hutchinson SHOWSIGHT July 2013
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