“People love dogs. You can never go wrong adding a dog to your story” Jim Butcher. Owning a dog is amazing, especially a Scottish terrier.
Being the member of a Terrier clan, Scottish terrier breeds are equally as adorable as the other members of the Terrier family. These short legged dogs were bred for chasing and hunting badgers and rats. Due to their ‘never give up’ attitude, they are also known as ‘Die hard’ breed of dogs.
Their compact size and minimal maintenance makes them the perfect choice of dog for many people with varying lifestyles. But, they can be a little challenging when it comes to training. They, during early times, worked without any sort of directions given by their masters.
Design to dig, Scottie loves to play anything that is challenging. They can be aloof sometime but shows abounding love towards their family.
Table of Contents
Scottish Terrier Pictures
Scottish Terrier Facts
Average Height: 5-10 inches.
Average Weight: Male: 19-22 Pounds ; Female: 18-20 Pounds.
Life Expectancy: 12-15 years.
Dog Group: Terriers.
Colours: Black, wheaten and brindle
At A Glance
Size (2/5)
Scottish terrier are short legged dogs with compact body frame. TheScottish terrier weighs around 15-20 pounds with height 8- 10 inches. Scottish terrier puppy comes with very tiny body dimension and doesn’t gain much of height and weight throughout their life time.
Affection Level (4/5)
These playful little creature loves to show affection and feel the same, but have prey instincts like other terrier members. Scottish terrier can act aloof and are introvert towards strangers, which makes them good watch dogs. They are deeply connected with the family.
Apartment Friendly (5/5)
These munchkins, comes in a very compact and convenient size which makes them worthy for apartments. Scotties also, can adjust in any kind of lifestyle (in an apartment or in a house with yard). Keep them away from pools, they aren’t good swimmers and can drown.
Cold Weather Tolerability (4/5)
The double layered coat makes it easy for the Scottie to tolerate cold weather and breeze. Scottie also has Highland as their native origin, so, they are used to such climatic conditions and will do decently well with coldness.
Hot Weather Tolerability (3/5)
Dog breeds with thick and layered coat, tend to have excessive body heating issues. Because Scottie’s inner owner layer of the coat is not as thick as the inner layer, they do okay-ish in hot weather. It is advised to only get them in places where there is moderate climate.
Barking Tendencies (4/5)
Scottish terrier dog shows aloofness towards strangers, and are very protective about their home and family and hence has a barking tendency, just like the other terrier members. They may have a small body, but their high tone bark can scare off anyone who passes by.
Cat Friendly (3/5)
The gentle and loving Yorkie poo dog are good chasers and love to chase anything they see, specially pets smaller than them (not that there are pets smaller them them!!). If brought up with cats from the puppyhood, they’ll make good friends.
Dog Friendly (4/5)
Yorkies are fairly noble with other dogs, too. They like to play around with them and often wants to start a rustling game with the bigger dogs. He is one brave of a breed. They have gut bigger than their size!
Exercise Needs (4/5)
Even though Scottish terrier has tiny legs, they still need consistent walks and exercise of 20-30 minutes on a regular basis. Because Scotties were used as farm dogs, they are agile and active. They may not become your jogging partner but likes stimulating games and task.
Grooming Needs (4/5)
Scottish terrier has thick and layered coat, covering their frame. They need regular combing and occasional bathing. Bathing too often will damage their beautiful plum hair. Scotties also requires intense grooming sessions as they have hair growing tendencies same as other terriers.
Playfulness (4/5)
This breed of dog is a lively and a playful companion. They love to dig grounds with their tiny paws and loves challenging games and tasks. They were bred to look after farms, so, they are very active and likes to get treats for any achievement from their owners.
Trainability (2/5)
Training a Scottish terrier can be a little hard-hitting. They like their owners to be as active as they are, and likes to play games that are challenging. Scottie can get bored easily if the owner shows no interest towards their training and hence the pooch can become more notorious.
Intelligence (4/5)
With their charming appearance, Scotties are equally smart and intelligent. They also inherit prey drive qualities, and make excellent watch dogs. They have superb agility and rugged character. As listed by AKC, Scottie holds the rank 65 out of 137 in intelligence.
Mouthiness (3/5)
Almost every dog has the habit to chew and nip everything around them. Scotties are hunting dogs, so, it is very common to see chewing and nipping tendencies in them. They also, chew or gently bite their owners in a playful way. Their mouthiness can be controlled with the help of proper training.
Price Group (4/5)
This diehard breed of dogs can cost you something around $700-$5000, excluding of the grooming, health visits and lifestyle expenses. They pricing also varies with the type of breeder. A professional breeder will charge you no less than $900 for a healthy puppy.
About Scottish Terrier
Scottish terrier are one of the five member of the Terrier family. They have tiny body structure but have strong bones and will power. Their beautiful curled hair coat gives them an elegant and exquisite appearance.
This little dog breed was featured in a Disney Story named “Grey friars Bobby” and gained heaps of popularity afterwards. They also have been spotted in the arms of famous personalities like Hitler’s wife and England’s King James I.
They are strong mortals which easily adjusts according to the scenario. Being an active breed of dog, it is not recommended to leave Scottie alone at home for long hours or they’d get too shy or too mischievous around outsiders.
Black, wheaten and brindle are known Scottish terrier colors.
Where Scottish Terrier Dog Came From?
Originally from Scottish highland, these dogs were bred to hunt and look after farms. They are one of the oldest breed of dog in Scotland. Usually known by their unique features and tiny body frame, Scottie makes a perfect companion dog. This breed of dog bas discovered by John Naylor.
The Scottish terrier breed of dog were initially used for chasing and catching ratters. Later, they were spotted in pictures with Hitler’s wife, Eva Braun and 32nd president of The United States. The first import of Scottie in America was during early 1890s. After that, they were seen in almost every family.
They navigate and explore on the basis of sound and scent of their prey, which is property of majority canines. They also are designed to dig and hence are called Earth dogs.
They are widely loved, accepted and known as hunting dog, for they are feisty and highly agile, making them perfect choice for a family who wants a watch dog and a companion.
Size
Scottish terrier is a tiny breed of dog and are usually considered as hunting dog, which makes them a perfect watch dog with a lot of alertness. A Scottish terrier size, during their puppyhood, ranges from 5-6 inches. During adulthood, their height reaches up to 10 inches.
They have petite slender body frame and minimal body weight. Scottish terrier weight usually ranges from 16-20 pounds for a healthy dog. They look small but are highly active and playful and also known as earth dogs for their digging ability.
Scottish terrier or Scottie also are apartment friendly due to their compact size and are usually friendly with the family members. With their beguiling eyes and playful nature, they have attracted many owners towards them. The cute size, shiny coat and gorgeous eyes, charming personality, altogether, makes them an excellent choice of dog.
Trainability
Holding the rank of 65 out of 137 in intelligence, Scottish terrier is an independent breed of dog. He is highly energetic and constantly need something thrilling in his routine.
Throughout their life, they require either professional training or they can be home trained. Because they are .3of dog, they need to get trained from an early age or can behave impish. Scottie likes to get involve in challenging and exerting tasks of at least 20-30 minutes, to keep themselves happy and sound.
The owners of Scottie have to be equally active and creative with the task, as this breed of dog tends to lose interest easily if the task is not challenging enough.
Having no one or nothing around them can lead to bad Scottish terrier temperament. They can even suffer from separation anxiety, if kept alone for a long. Keep them a company always!
Suggested: 10 Basic Commands For Training Your Dog.
Grooming
Grooming of a Scottish terrier is not as challenging as training them, but needs efforts. Scottie has thick, double layered hair coat over them and require occasional trips to a professional groomer.
Due to their hairy appearance, many may think ‘Does Scottish terrier shed?’, and the answer is yes, of course! But, Scottish terrier shedding is very minimal as inherit low danger, low shedding quality, which makes them hypoallergenic.
Scottish terrier hypoallergenic quality will save your doctor visits and make them perfect for owners with allergies. For they are independent breed of dogs, they usually keep themselves decently clean.
Scottish terrier grooming consist of regular brushing of the coat to get rid of tangles, brushing of teeth once in a week, nail clipping when required and occasional hair trimming (specially around the eyes and their funky beard).
Market shampoos with sulphates washing of the coat? Here, is an easy DIY dog shampoo tutorial for your champ!
Common Diseases
Targeting the Bones
Most small dogs are prone to diseases of bones as they hurt themselves easily. Disease such as patellar luxation (misplacing of knee joint) are bound to happen to dogs with sensitive bones or with small body frame. Treatment is surgery and maybe medication afterwards.
Craniomandibular osteopathy is a disorder where there is odd growth of the skull bones. Symptoms starts to show up during the age of 4-8 months. Symptoms can be: swelling in jaw, unable to eat, drooling, getting feverish every other day etc. This disorder usually slows or goes away after they get into adulthood. No such treatment, but anti-inflammatory are advised to reduce the pain.
Targeting the Blood
Von Will brand’s disease is an inherited blood disorder where the blood loses its ability to clot when required. Symptoms includes excessive bleeding while injury or surgery, nose bleeding, gum bleeding and intestinal bleeding. No such cure expect for blood transfusion from a normal dog. Dogs with this diseases are not to be used for breeding.
Targeting the Nerves
You think your dog getting stressed or overstimulated is harmless? You’re wrong! It can lead to Scottie cramp, which can lead to arching of the backbone, disproportionate legs etc. Reaching to the severity of this cramp, dogs can have trouble in walking or can even lose the ability to walk. No surgical processes are involved, just some vitamin E tablets, diazepam or Prozac and you’re good to go.
The above listed diseases and disorders may not be major but can have an impact on lifestyle and Scottish terrier lifespan.
Feeding
Scottish terriers, despite being small sized dogs, are highly energetic. They always will be needing challenging exercises and walks in order to keep their mind and physique healthy.
It is recommended to feed the highly energetic Basenji with 1-1.5 cup of high quality dry food with good and needed nutrition value. Be careful during their mouthing period as they will chew up everything that catches their eye. Provide them with chew toys that won’t hurt their soft gums.
NOTE: The amount to be fed to Scottie also depends on metabolism, food intake, appetite etc. Dogs are individuals like us and has different level of appetite.
Don’t get overboard while feeding your Scottie, as they are active breed of dogs and don’t do well with obesity. Feed them just the right amount of dog food with required nutrients and keep them active.
Suggested: Senior Dog Food
Scottie getting bored of the same dog food taste? Here are some mouth water homemade dog food recipe. Thank us later!
Vaccination And Care
To shield your Scottie from any disease before it infects is the standard way – you must vaccinate Scottie at the age of 6, 10 and 14 months to prime them with antibodies and neutralize infectious organisms.
They have small frame, making them low maintenance dog. Sure, they do have long hairy coat but they keep themselves pretty tidy, just require few trims around the eyes and around mouth if the hair are irritating them. They are also immune to a lot of fatal diseases which saves you money.
Yet, yearly vaccinations must be scheduled for your champ forDHPP, Bordet Ella and Rabies, and a monthly check up and consultation is mandatory for Scottie’s hair in case of any parasite or ticks infestation.
Vaccination can be really confusing. We suggest you read our Guide To Dog Vaccination for a better knowledge.
Monthly Expense Estimation:
Scotties are widely adored, Feisty and independent breed of dogs, who has gained popularity in recent times. The average Scottish terrier price can range anywhere from $800-$1500. The price differs as per the breeders. Known Scottish terrier breeders will charge you more ($1000-$1800), and are professional at breeding.
These diehard dogs are prone to multiple diseases which may get a little heavy on your pocket.
Yearly vaccinations will cost you between $100 – $300 . Other expenses such as supplies, training, spay, food etc. will cost you around $500-$800. They overall can be counted as a quite high end dog breed.
Scottish Terrier Behaviour:
- Cats: Scotties are hunter dogs, hence are not suitable for homes with smaller pets like cats, hamsters or rats. Their pray instinct take over them whenever a smaller mammal catches its eye. If brought up together with a cat from a young age, they may or may not do fine, but are big NO for houses with other smaller pets.
- Dogs: No! Just like a true terrier, they get aggressive with other dogs, especially of same sex. They can get into serious troubles due to their protective nature. If brought up together since puppyhood, Scottie will do fairly well with other dogs.
- Children: Scotties act like a Nanny to the children. However, don’t like any kind of teasing with tail or hair. They are not recommended to be kept in a house with small toddlers who makes too much noise. They go excellent with kids with manners.
Overview
Originally bred to hunt, Scotties interests people with their convenient size, coiled curly coat, dreamy eyes and feisty nature. Yes!
They are strong willed breed of dogs with a lot of dynamism and are Professional Diggers, as they were used to hunt vermin.
They love to get involved in challenging sport and other activities and heartbreakingly introvert towards strangers. They love anything which challenges them, or else they tend to get bored. Sassy, right?
Their hypoallergenic tendencies and small body frame, makes them perfect for a condo life. Easy to train, they are good for first time owners and are also apartment friendly.
Something Fun About Scottish Terrier!
- Scotties are born diggers, as they were bred to dig and find vermin.
- They are also named ‘Diehard’ because of their ‘never give up’ nature. They are super feisty and full of bravery.
- Scotties are almost like celebrities. They’ve been spotted in the arms of several celebrities and Fala (owned by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt) is the only presidential dog so honoured!!
- They are one of the oldest breed of dog in Scot Highlands!
Hey!
You made it till the end of Scottish terrier. Hurray! Tell us which qualities caught your eye and which one didn’t or share your Scottie story with us, in the comment section below.
Do share it with people who have this dog or who want to get this breed!
Happy Petting to You Guys!
