Dandie Dinmont Terrier

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a small-sized Scottish breed belonging to the terrier family. Characterized by an elongated body, these dogs possess a distinctive look owing to their prominent topknot of hair on the head and a substantially unconventional ‘scimitar’ tail. Their long pendulous ears hanging close to the cheeks, bestow them with an adorable appearance.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier Pictures

History

While the absolute genesis of the breed is difficult to zero in on, it emerged as a distinct terrier type during the 18^th century.  The Dandie Dinmont Terrier was bred and employed by farmers in the border regions of Scotland and England during the 1700s due to their efficiency in hunting badgers and otters. It is often claimed that the breed is perhaps a cross between the Skye Terrier and the Scotch Terrier. At an earlier point in time, they were commonly known as Catcleugh or Hindlee Terrier besides their other names, Pepper or Mustard Terriers, as James Davidson, the father of the breed, liked to call them.

Breed Details

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier was first registered in 1888 with the American Kennel Club.

They suffered a major setback during the Second World War, as a number of kennels were disbanded and dogs destroyed due to the scarcity of food and manpower.

The Bellmead Kennels was one among the several kennels that took the initiative of re-developing this breed after the war, and continued doing so until the early 1900s.

This kennel bred a dog named Bellmead Delegate who went on to become a noteworthy sire and winner of many dog shows.

Currently, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier has unfortunately made it to the list of one of the endangered and rarest breeds, on the verge of becoming extinct.

Mike Macbeth, President of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of Canada, as well as a Terrier specialist has been instrumental in fighting against the extinction of this purebred dog.

Temperament

Despite its small size, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier is incredibly tough, bold and brave making for a brilliant watchdog even though having a docile nature as compared to other Terriers.

It has the potential to be a good companion dog with its loyal, devoted, playful and bright personality.

These dogs can also be extremely affectionate with small children provided they are raised with them since puppyhood.

They may get along with other dogs and cats provided they are raised with them. However, owing to their natural hunting instincts, they cannot be trusted around puny creatures such as hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

Since they are small, calm dogs with a hunting, outdoorsy tendency they are suitable for a livelihood in apartments and country homes.

They are likely to develop Small Dog Syndrome wherein they become increasingly disobedient, stubborn, aggressive, and may also start to suffer from separation anxiety.

Training

Dandie Dinmont Terriers are intelligent breeds, but if not trained right, may turn into aggressive, willful, obstinate creatures. In their case, motivation and positive reinforcements work best as they may not respond well to shouting or corporal punishment.

• Stranger Anxiety: The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is to be trained since puppyhood to reduce their  hostility towards strangers unnecessarily and help them distinguish a friend from a foe. The Dandie Dinmont puppy is to be socialized with strangers who frequent their homes so they do not bark uncontrollably at regular visitors.
• Obedience: Since they are independent by nature, they may be reluctant to obey commands. So it is essential to train your dog to respond upon hearing commands such as ‘No’ or ‘Stop’. When he successfully obeys commands, reward it with treats.
• Destructive Habits: To eradicate destructive behavioral characteristics like digging engage them in interesting activities throughout the day.
• Leash Training: Leash training is essential since they are inquisitive and have a tendency to hunt; therefore, letting them off their leash can be risky as they may start a blind chase out of the blue.

Feeding

It is important to feed this dog quality, high- protein food that is not too high in fat. His food portions should be monitored depending on its activity level and age. He should ideally be fed with 1 to 1.5 cups of dog food a day. He may also be given lean meat.

Interesting Facts

• The Dandie Dinmont Terrier was named after a fictional character of the same name in Sir Walter Scott’s novel Guy Mannering(1814).
• It is the sole breed to have brands of whisky and tobacco, a boat as well as a train named after it.
• This breed is so rare that it has made its way to the Kennel Club’s list of Vulnerable Native Breeds.