The Scottish terrier breed has gained popularity among dog lovers with its short-legged cutie look and intelligent expression. With a recent best award in the show in 2010, they are now one of the most popular dog breeds at the Westminster kennel club Dog Show.
The breed goes with wide-set eyes, erect ears, and tail, marking some of the Scottish terriers’ most prominent outlook characteristics.
Inheriting their ancestors’ watchdog habits, Scottish dogs always keep a distance from strangers while maintaining a deep bond with their owners.
Therefore, the Skye terrier makes such a perfect companion for anyone who enjoys an intimate relationship and upbeat play with their pets.
Where did the Scottish terriers originate?
The Scottish terriers, with their famous name Scottie, were initially bred as a highland breed of terriers from the Scottish Highlands. They own such a balanced appearance with piercing brownish eyes, a wiry coat, and a soft, dense underlayer.
With their lovely appearance, the Scotties have soon become pets of many dog lovers worldwide, some of whom are celebrities and politicians like Franklin Roosevelt.
The dog breed’s working style is a character combination of independence, cleverness, and reserved attitudes towards strangers. Therefore, families and couples often prefer raising these breeds of Terrier for a loyal watchdog and a great friend.
What do Scottish terriers look like?
This breed standard is known for its appearance with a combination of short legs, a long-haired coat, and a well-built body, and a balanced appearance.
Scotties’ salient features include erect ears and tail, wide set eyes in almond shapes, a short velvety head, and a hard weather-resistant dense undercoat.
In general, a well-grown Scotties will weigh 19 to 22 lb for a male and from 18 to 21 lb for a female. In terms of height, it should be about 10 to 11 inches for both genders.
Compared with other long-haired dog breeds like a long-haired dalmatian or german shepherd, Scotties acquire a wiry double coat with longer fur on their beards, legs, and lower body parts.
Scottish Terrier’s coat shades come in different dark colors from gray, solid black to a mixture of black and brown, giving them a distinctive haired terriers’ look.
Are Scottish terriers good pets?
The terrier breeds obtain a fierce outlook characterized by their independence from the owner. They also tend to be aggressive when being around other dogs.
Unlike other dog breeds, Scottish terriers don’t demand much attention from their keepers. Contrary to the puppy schedule that requires a lot of caring time from the owner, the Scottie grows to be moody when maturing into adult individuals. Some only take to one person for all of his life.
The Scottie sometimes are likely to snap at small children, but they tend to get on pretty well with older kids when treated more respectfully.
For such traits, the Scotties are great house pets for families and couples with busy schedules but still desire a gentle and sometimes -quirky dog pet.
Do Scottish terriers like to cuddle?
As mentioned above, Scotties are incredibly independent and, therefore, not a lapdog you may want. Scottish terriers may offer you great loyalty, protection but they’d prefer having their own space sometimes.
As an owner of the breed, you will have to learn how to tolerate their stubbornness once in a while. They may hate the idea of owners considering them as pets, not companions.
Hard haired terriers can be trained but with extra effort and patience for their stubborn characters. Therefore, if you want a dog just for cheesy cuddling moments instead of upbeat ball games, then do think twice!
Are Scottish terriers ideal for families with small children?
The Scotties have an immense love for upbeat play, daily walks. Therefore, we often find them running around with their mouths open, ready to snap at everything on their way. If you are living with small children, your children will be likely to get bitten accidentally by Scotties.
The dog breed also has a sensitive character, allowing them to sense respect from the guardians. With unaware children, this dog type can mistake unintentional playing activities for humiliation. Your children then will face potential danger.
See more at: What You Should Know Before Accepting A Teacup Pomeranian Into Your Family
Do the Scotties require much time caring and petting?
With independence being their most outstanding trait, they only require extra routine care when small.
As adults, they love having their own space for outdoor activities. They prefer large ball chasing without demanding care from their owners. They can keep themselves entertained with such activities for hours.
Are the Scottish friendly pets?
Scotch Terriers associate themselves with aloofness and reservation towards strangers. They have a tendency to bark and growl at anyone they find dangerous. However, they find joy in strolling around your house’s territory as a part of their instinct as a watchdog.
With their guardians, Scotties offer unwavering loyalty and faithful companies whenever you want to spend time with them in outdoor games.
Some of the games preferred by this breed include chasing games, scent work, rowdy wrestling matches, squeak toys, moving object catching, etc. You can also have your pet join the Kennel Club for it to hang out with other dogs.
Are Scotties hard to train?
A Scotties often impress their potential owners with its intelligent expression, tenaciousness, and stubbornness. With such personal qualities, this dog breed usually takes obedience as an optional choice.
When they are free of the leash and out of owners’ control, it is crucial to prevent your Scottie from getting away with its breaches of respect.
When training for your breeds of terrier, keep in mind that scolding only makes things worse. Scotties often have hearing issues; yelling at your puppy while making commands will ruin your instruction attempt.
Scotties are also pretty sensitive to scolding; continuous yelling will make your boy shun away from your training session. Indicate your dissatisfaction clearly, and try to ignore your Scottie. This will help it realize its mistake and remorse by itself.
You shouldn’t require your Scottie to follow a specific command without gently guiding it by practical action. After teaching your Scottie, you can ignore him and walk away.
One last thing, never hit your dog. Your dog’s affection and trust bond with you will be broken entirely once you punish him with physical actions.
Related post: Top 10 Harnesses for Pomeranians: Best Harnesses
What are the common health issues Scotties often have?
This dog breed often encounters genetic predispositions; therefore, it is important to note any concerns occurring in its lines for increasing its life span.
When intending on adopting a dog from a terrier rescue, a health guarantee on puppies is the first thing to check out. You also should have your puppy from a reputable breeder.
A Scottie can get some dangerous genetic health concerns, including neurological problems, blood clotting disorder, cataracts, cancer (brain, bladder), etc.
Craniomandibular osteopathy often happens when Scottie is in its puppyhood with abnormal jaw growth types of signs. The situation can be painful, but it will gradually resolve itself when the dog grows up.
Another health care condition that only happens with Scottie is Scottie cramp. Dogs with such health concerns will react to stress with bizarre symptoms in walking and running patterns.
Some dogs may succeed in adapting to the predispositions with a stress-coping mechanism. However, in some severe cases, the dog may need meditation or some treatment options.
Cerebellar abiotrophy is also a detrimental health care problem for Scottie, with its symptoms similar to that of Scottie cramp. However, these predispositions are more severe and dangerous, for there has been no cure.
Therefore, your Scottie needs to be purchased from a reputable breeder with vaccination qualifications of its quality.
You should also have it checked up regularly for any potential types of signs. With such health dangers, you’d better keep your pet in close watch for any strange problem that might occur.
What do Scottish terriers eat?
For adult Scottish terriers, excellent dry food provides a healthy diet that can be mixed with water, frozen food, or broth. Your Scottish terrier may take a liking to cooked eggs, cottage cheese, fruit, and vegetables.
Therefore, if you wonder “can dogs eat kiwi” then it will be a yes for Scotties. But the amount should not be more than 10% of its daily intake.
Top-quality, brand name puppy food will be another choice for Scottish Terrier puppies. You also need to limit the amount of table food. Overeating can lead to vitamin and mineral shortages, bone and teeth issues, certain highly finicky dietary habits, hair loss, and obesity.
You should also clean potable water and frequently make sure to wash food and water dishes for bowl hygiene.
Having your dog’s diet amount balanced and bowl hygiene will help your Scottie grow well. It also helps minimize chances of getting bad health conditions.
Last words
Scottish terriers are amazing friends! For their intense dedication and unwavering devotion, the breed makes a constant companion and brings pleasure, joy (for it once won the Kennel Club’s show), and affection to the lives of people fortunate enough to own a Scottie.
However, Scotties has a distinct temperament from other dogs’ breeds and are not appropriate for every household. This article then has provided you with some of the most useful information concerning even the questions like. We hope that now you have your own choice of pet dogs.
