The Scottish Terrier And Its Style
Scottish terriers are very stylish and aloof dogs and they are fondly called Scotties. They have short legs and they are of British origin from the highlands of Scotland. Scotties are very lively and used for advertisements in Scotland. They are not very friendly dogs and are very loyal to their owners and treasure their privacy.
Cairns, Westies and Scotties bear similar physical features. The Cairns and Westies are related to each other. The Westies are white in color and Cairns may have any other color than white. Westies are an outcome of a cross between Cairns of western Scotland and white dogs. Scottish Terriers are not very friendly when compared to the Cairns and Westies - their heads and bodies are longer and they usually have a coat that is darker.
Scotties belong to the Terrier category and these dogs adapt well both to living indoors as well as outdoors. Their coat is short and thin. The color of the coat may be steel, black, grey, sandy or wheaten and the coat is likely to be either a mixture of two colors or brindled. Scotties weigh between eighteen to twenty pounds and may be about ten inches tall. The temperament of these dogs needs to be controlled by constantly praising them, they adapt to the environment of the house where they live in easily.
Scotties may suffer from VWD (Von Willibrand's disease) which is an inherited disorder. They are also prone to skin and flea allergies. These dogs may also suffer from Jawbone disorders and epilepsy. Scottie cramps cause hindrances in their movement and they could also be prone to Cerebellar abiotrophy which is a neurological disease that progresses at a slow pace with a loss of coordination.
The coat of these dogs needs to be looked after well in order to sustain the look and the feel. They may require professional grooming at least twice a year to keep their coat healthy and strong. Their hair should be combed few times a week and the Scottie may require a hair cut once in a while. Stripping is the method used to remove the dead hair of your Scottie and this is preferable to electric clippers which make the coat unattractive. Scotties love to play with toys that make squeaky sounds as well as with balls. When taken for a walk in public places they must wear a leash.
The origin of this breed is not very clear. The French King received Scotties from King James I of England as early as the sixteenth century. Then later on Cairns, Westies and Scotties were all called Scotch Terriers. Though the Dandie Dinmont was initially said to be closely related to the terriers, later on they were put into a separate breed based on their physical features that were very different.
Terrier dogs that were initially bred in Britain were trained to hunt mice and rats that ate grains. These dogs were very brave and their strong coats helped them protect them against different climatic conditions and rough terrain.
Think before you get yourself a Scottish terrier as these dogs require a lot of care and love. You will need some initial training in order to look after the dog well. These dogs are very loyal and will take care of your entire family. They go to the extent of putting themselves in danger in order to protect their owners. A Scottish terrier is the first choice of many dog lovers.