Scottish Terrier

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated August 17, 2009)

There is no recorded history of the Scottish Terrier prior to 1879, the year they were first exhibited as a distinct breed. The following year the dogs known in the present-day pedigrees were firmly entrenched as true show Scottish Terriers. The antiquity of the ancestry of the breed is unassailable as it is certain that the Scottish Terrier owes its origin to the Highland Terrier. From the Highland Terrier came the various Scotch breeds; the Skye, the Cairn, West Highland White Terrier, and even the Yorkshire.

In Stonehenge's The Dogs of the British Isles (1867) no mention is made of Scottish Terriers, but the illustration facing Chapter Five, "terriers not being Skyes, Dandies, Fox or Toys," shows a picture of a dog, seated on a barrel, holding a rat in his mouth. The dog bears a remarkable resemblance to the modern Scottish Terrier, but is given no breed name. He is described as a good, rough-and-ready dog, rough headed, lion hearted, never to die in debt, and equivalent to about two dozen rat traps!

The Scottish Terrier is stable and steady. He is alert and spirited, displaying great love and gentility with people but sometimes aggressiveness with other dogs. He has been nicknamed the "diehard" due to his rugged and powerful demeanor.

The coat is rather short, about two inches with a dense undercoat while the outer coat is intensely hard and wiry. The height for the Scottish Terrier should be about ten inches for either sex with the weight varying from 18-22 pound.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

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