Dandie Dinmont Terriers

We own two Dandies, and they are the delight of our lives. We have Monty, who is six years of age, rescued from the pound October 8, 2002 at the tender age of one year old. We just adopted Sophie, our one year old girl whom we adopted on December 27, 2006. She was born on July 10, 2006. Monty's birthday is the one we gave him on the day we adopted him, Oct. 8, 2001, since he was one year of age at that time.

The Dandie Dinmont is an old terrier breed from the border area between England and Scotland. It was probably developed from the now extinct Scotch Terrier (not to be confused with today's Scottish Terrier), and the Skye Terrier. Raised mainly by gypsies and used by farmers to kill vermin, the Dandie Dinmont was named after the character in the famous novel "Guy Mannering" by Sir Walter Scott back in the 1800's. They still retain their talents for catching vermin. The Dandie has also been used for hunting rabbit, otter and badger. By instinct it has always been a great mouse catcher, and it is an enemy of martens, weasels, and skunks. An amusing-looking dog (long body, very short legs, toupee on the head), it has become a most sought-after companion dog.

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is longer than he is tall. The solid head is covered with a distinctive silky topknot. The legs are short and muscular. The head is large (but still in good proportion to the body) with a strong forehead, defined stop, and black nose. The teeth meet in a scissors bite and are large for the size of the dog. The 3 to 4 inch ears are pendant, wide near the head and tapering almost to a point. The hazel eyes are brilliant and lively, but not protruding, with a gentle, wise expression. The tail is from 8 to 10 inches (20-25 cm.) long and is carried with an upward curve. It is thick at the base and gets thicker for about 4 inches and then tapers. The unique, 2 inch (5 cm.) long crisp-textured coat contains a mixture of harsh and soft hair. The hair on the underside is softer than on the upper body, and the hair on the top of the head and upper ears is even softer and silkier. The breed comes in two colors, pepper or mustard. Mustard puppies are born dark brown and lighten into varying shades of red at adulthood. Pepper puppies are born black and tan, with a silvering gene. Adult pepper Dandies have the same coloring as the salt & pepper Schnauzer. The topknot and furnishings on pepper Dandies are silver and on mustard Dandies they are cream colored. Front dewclaws are removed when puppies are three or four days old.

The Dandie Dinmont is affectionate and fun-loving. It makes a great companion dog. Lively, plucky, determined and willful. Independent and intelligent. Bold yet dignified. Reserved with strangers and protective of family and home. Good with all well-behaved children and babies as long as they are raised with them from puppyhood. Dominance level varies greatly. Some males can be aggressive with other male dogs in the household. It is best not to keep two intact male dogs together. It should not be trusted with non-canine pets. It will be okay with cats that it is raised with from puppyhood. This little dog has a big bark for its size. They are not difficult to train, but allowance must be made for the fact that they can be very stubborn and not keen on obedience.

Height: 8-11 inches (20-28 cm.)
Weight: 18-24 pounds (8-11 kg.)

Life expectancy is 12 to 15 years.

A healthy breed, although hypothyroidism is not uncommon in the older dog. A few lines have had incidences of glaucoma and epilepsy. Dogs that are overweight and unexercised can have back problems. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is good for apartment life. They are fairly active indoors and a small yard will do. Do not let this dog off the leash in an unsafe area because it will take off after a cat or other animal.

Monty did this to me when I first got him. I was walking him down the street, and somehow the collar was looser than I thought, and there was a big dog down at the end of the block. Monty slipped out of the collar as if were butter, and took out after the dog. This dog was a pit bull variety, and really did not look friendly. I ran after him as quickly as I was able to, and finally caught up with him. I swooped him up just in the nick of time, because this dog was going after him! Monty seemed to show no fear. I got him out of the vicinity immediately! That was really a close call.

The Dandie Dinmont needs to be brushed regularly. They should have professional grooming. Dead hair should be plucked out once or twice a year. Show dogs require much more grooming. This breed sheds little to no hair.

However, after much experience with groomers, I finally purchased my own set of shears, combs, and brushes. I also bought a nifty item called a Mars Coat King. I'm not sure these are still available on the market, but they do an excellent job of getting rid of the mats and tangles that are severe. I do my own grooming, and this is not for the faint-of-heart. My Dandies are very stubborn, and strong-willed. Sophie is probably the worst of the two, but they both have their own ideas of how to be groomed (to not be!). I leave the clipping of the toe nails to the professionals, though. My Dandies are far too wiggly for me, and I don't have the ability to restrain them properly. However, the rest of the grooming I am easily able to do. After a nice clipping (and I know how I want my Dandies to look), and trimming with the scissors, they look as fine as any show dog. After their baths they smell much nicer too! It is only a matter of a day or so when my Dandies get back into the dirt and mud, and dried leaves, but at least they look cared for.

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