Scottish Terriers World Wide

A Scottish Terrier makes a loyal family pet. They do not need a large garden but do enjoy being taken for walks. They can be a little rebellious when called. They first like to play a bit before they will come to you, but will adapt with training. They can be shy of strangers until they get to know them.

Scottish Terriers are small dogs but are unafraid of starting a fight with dogs three times their size.

Scottish Terriers (Scotties for short) originate in the northern part of Great Britain. Scotland was an independent country originally with it's own King and Queen until a royal marriage united Scotland with England. Much of the Scottish countryside - though beautiful - is mountainous and wild. The hardy Scottish dogs were capable of digging rabbits, rats and foxes out of burrows amongst the rocks and under thorn bushes where bigger dogs would be unable to go.

The word terrier comes from the Latin "terra" or earth. They like to dig in the earth! Sometimes they would go so deep into burrows that the hunter had to pull them out by their tail. Their shaggy coats kept them warm in the snowy winters. Nowadays it's fashionable to clip the Scottish Terrier's coat short on the back leaving a beard and shaggy eyebrows. The eyebrows help to keep the soil out of the eyes when digging. Some Scottie owners like to leave a "kilt" (skirt) of long untrimmed hair hanging down at the sides of their body, but this can be impractical as it catches on thorns and gets dirty. Many people prefer to cut the hair short.

Scottish terriers have short legs, but often display great speed by running round in circles!

Colour: Black, wheaten (a reddish gold), or brindle. NOT white! If you are looking for a white Scottish terrier, it's probably a west highland white terrier, a similar, but different breed.

Black Scotty & white Westie

The black dog is a Scotty; the white dog is a West Highland white terrier.

The Scotties look more "Scottish" if they wear a tartan collar. Tartan - a woven check material- is still worn occasionally as the national dress in Scotland

Gun cumadh Dia an Glaic a Laimh a-chaoidh thu,
(Scots Gaelic: May you always be in the palm of God's hand)

This black Scottie belongs to Neil Greyling. Caught red-handed stealing a CD!

"You shall not steal!"

Exodus 20, 15

Scottish terrier, brindle, ready for a fight

Brindle Scottish terrier showing long hair on legs

Above:

Gelitaru Shooting Star of Woefkardoes, aka Mc Duff, a brindle Scottie, belonging to Marina Booysen

Scottish Terriers are brave dogs! They were bred to unearth, lay hold of, and kill small wild animals. They will stand up to animals far bigger than themselves, and will probably be the ones to start the fight! Let's be bold like Scotties and fight for that one thing that is worth fighting for:

"Fight the good fight of faith! Lay hold of eternal life!"

1 Timothy chapter 6, 12.