Description

Scottish Terriers come in Black, Brindle (of any shade) or Wheaten.

Height: 25- 28 cm high at the neck

Weight: 8.6 – 10.4 kg

Life expectancy 12 – 15 years

Their coat is a double one. The outer coat is harsh, dense and wiry, the undercoat short, dense and soft. These coats make a weather-resistant covering for the dogs and provide warmth and resistance to wet. Another reason for such a thick coat is protection for the dog in their original work, hunting. A mouth full of hair was often the only protection provided for the skin when attacked.

Scottish Terriers were used to control vermin such as the badger and fox. Dogs were selected for their gameness and hunting ability. They had to be fearless enough to attack any prey, small enough to go down burrows, strong enough to fight their way back out and hardy enough to withstand a rough life and rigorous climate.

As with all breeds of any antiquity, the origin of the Scottish Terrier is unknown. All that is known is that in the 1700’s, in the Western Highlands of Scotland and the islands of Hebrides there existed a terrier on short legs with a rough coat. The breed was first called the Aberdeen Terrier, after the Scottish town of Aberdeen. George, the fourth Earl of Dumbarton nicknamed the dogs “little diehard” in the 19th century. It was not until 1879 that the breed was officially recognised as the Scottish Terrier. They are closely related to the Skye Terrier, the Dandie Dinmont, the Cairn Terrier and the West Highland White.

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