HISTORY
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is an old Scottish breed whose origin dates back to the early 18th Century Owned originally by gypsies they were known as the Pepper and Mustard Terrier their popularity, for many years, limited to the border country between England and Scotland They were much prized for their hardiness, hunting prowess and amiable disposition It was only in the early nineteenth century that the breed acquired greater popularity along with its rather whimsical name. Indeed, ‘Dandie Dinmont’ was in fact the name of a character in Sir Walter Scott’s novel GUY MANNERING (1814) whose pack of six pepper and mustard terriers were described vividly It is recorded that Walter Scott was so taken with the breed, he himself owned several during his lifetime
ORIGIN
Much uncertainty exists as to the actual origins of the breed, though most agree that it shares some common ancestry with the Bedlington Terrier, the Skye Terrier and Scottish Terrier.
APPEARANCE
The Dandie is a very distinctive sturdy but weaselly little dog, unlike other Terriers he has no straight lines, indeed he should have a long back which is low at the shoulders, rises over the loins and then drops gradually downwards to the base of the tail. His head should be large, domed and covered with a soft silky top knot,
his ears should be long with tasselled ends and his eyes large and soulful. The Dandie comes in two colours - Mustard and Pepper and his coat should be crisp and piley being made up of a mixture of soft and harsh hair of about two inches long. The height of a Dandie should be somewhere between 8 and 11 inches at the shoulder and his ideal weight somewhere between 8.5kg-11.5kg.
CHARACTER & TEMPERAMENT
The Dandie Dinmont has been described as the most placid, docile and gentle of all Terriers He is prone neither to snappiness nor yappiness and indeed has the bark of a much larger dog He is exceptionally good with children, being very affectionate and gentle; a Dandie is more likely to reach up lightly for a pat than jump up at you and bowl you over. The Dandie does not require extensive exercise as long as he has a sufficient garden to play in and the odd walk down the street. Whilst intelligent he is not always the most obedient of dogs and will, if allowed, go about his business in a rather aloof manner. The Dandie on the whole has an amiable disposition toward other dogs and is not prone to initiating conflict, however, if roused he can be a fearless opponent and an excellent guard of property.
CARE AND GROOMING
The Dandie is a hardy little dog, he has few common
ailments though due to having large eyes and a profuse
top knot of hair he can suffer from some eye
irritations if not regularly groomed and checked. His
coat requires some trimming and grooming, primarily to
remove loose and dead hair that can cause matting and
to retain the distinctive Dandie features such as top
knot and tassels. The Dandie does not moult so his body
coat either needs to be stripped by hand or clipped
approximately 2-3 times a year. Like all dogs his toe
nails need trimming regularly.
