Temperament of Scottish Terriers

Scottish Terriers are known for their alertness, intelligence and their independent and self-assured nature. It gained the nickname the 'Diehard' because of its rugged nature and endless determination. As a result it can be quite aggressive to other dogs unless introduced at an early age.While very loving, Scotties can also be very stubborn and aloof. Despite this they known to be very loyal to their family.They have a tendency to dig as well as chase a lot due to them originally being bred for hunting vermin.

I have spent the last two months trying to give you an informative and entertaining look at the history and geography of Scottish Terriers. It has been a pleasure to work on this blog and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Videos of Scottish Terriers

I also recommend looking up Breed All About It Scottish Terriers on YouTube which gives a very informative look at Scottish Terriers and their behaviour.

Some Geography

The Scottish Terrier originated from the Blackmount region of Perthshire and the Moor of Rannoch. They were specifically grown for hunting vermin. By the 17th century the Scottish Terrier had spread all over Scotland and began to be brought overseas to countries like France where Jing James 1 had sent six scotties as a gift for the French monarch. The Scottish Terrier became prominent throughout the world over the following centuries but were most abundant in the Scottish Highlands and the Island of Skye. They were particulary popular in Aberdeen in the late 19th century and as a result were often called the Aberdeen Terrier during this period.

Some History

The first written account about Scottish Terriers was recorded back in 1436 by Scottish writer Don Leslie in his book. Scotties had originally been bred to hunt vermin on Scottish farms. They grew in popularity in the 17^th century as a result of King James VI of Scotland sending six Scottish Terriers to a French monarch. The breed continued to grow and in the 1870’s a group decided to standardize the Scottish Terrier so as to be able to separate it from all the other terrier breeds. Today, it is likely that all Scottish Terriers are descended from a single dog, Splinter II who sired many show champions. The Scottie was introduced to the USA in the 1890’s but became popular between World War 1 and World War 2 and by 1936 was the third most popular breed in the United States. Though the its popularity has gone up and down it has a steady popularity with a large segement of the dog-owning public. The Scottish Terrier has also been in the White House at least three times being owned by Presidents such as Roosevelt and Bush. It is has won the prestigious Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show a total of nine times, the second highest amount in the history of the competition.