Scottish Terrier

Coat and looks how to spot one

double coat, harsh and wiry

A weather-resistant double coat with a short, dense, soft undercoat under a hard, wiry, tight outer coat. It is usually hand-stripped and shaped to give the classic Scottie outline with beard, eyebrows and leg furnishings. The body is low, compact and thick-set on short, strong legs, with a long head, small pointed prick ears, dark deep-set eyes and a thick, carrot-shaped tail held up or with a slight curve.5374

Personality what they are like

A self-assured little dog with a big personality. It is loyal, clever and brave, yet reserved and dignified, often keeping a slight distance from strangers while being warm and playful with its own family. It likes to make up its own mind, so training works best in short, varied and reward-based sessions. It has a keen terrier drive and will alert its household to anything unusual.56834

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. The Royal Kennel Club suggests up to 1 hour a day and Hill's around 20-40 minutes. Scotties enjoy brisk walks, a run in a secure area and chase games, and like mental challenges as much as physical ones.746

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

The wiry coat sheds very little. Brush a few times a week (The Royal Kennel Club lists daily grooming) and plan professional stripping or trimming roughly every 2-3 months to keep the shape of the head, beard, legs and tail.4673

Home where they are happiest

Adapts to both town and country living and needs only a small to medium garden. As a natural digger, it needs secure fencing that also goes below ground level.746

Company who they like around

Forms strong bonds with its family and prefers being with people to being left alone, though it is not a clingy dog. It does best with calm, respectful children. It is selective rather than gregarious with other dogs, so early, steady socialisation helps.643

The story where it all began

The Scottie comes from the Scottish Highlands, where short-legged, tough terriers were kept to follow foxes, badgers, otters and vermin into their dens. Early writers grouped several Scottish terriers under shared names such as Skye, Cairn and Aberdeen Terrier, and the nickname 'Diehard' goes back to an Earl of Dumbarton, whose terriers were famed for their grit. In the late 1870s breeders led by Captain Gordon Murray and S. E. Shirley settled on a distinct type, the name Scottish Terrier was adopted in 1879, and the first written standard (drafted by J. B. Morrison) appeared in 1880 in Vero Shaw's Illustrated Book of the Dog. A breed club followed in England in 1881-1882 and in Scotland in 1888. The AKC recognised the breed as early as 1885, larger numbers of Scotties reached America from the early 1890s, and the Scottish Terrier Club of America was formed in 1900. It became hugely popular in the 1930s, helped by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's dog Fala, and around that time a fashion for solid black coats took hold, although early Scotties were more often brindle, grey or red.29375104

Recognised by the official bits

FCI

Standard No. 73, Group 3 (Terriers), Section 2 (Small sized Terriers); definitive acceptance 18 Oct 1954; current standard published 13 Oct 20101

The Royal Kennel Club

Terrier Group; not a vulnerable native breed; breed club founded 18827

AKC

Recognised 1885 (Terrier Group)10

UKC

Terrier Group; recognised 19343

Popularity AKC rank 57 of registered breeds13