The Dandie Dinmont Terrier, a short-legged dog with a longish body and round, expressive eyes, poses a striking look indeed. Its USP lies in the top knot on its head made with strands of hair, taking its cuteness to another level.
The breed gets its name after Dandie Dinmont, a fictional character in Sir Walter Scott’s famous novel Guy Mannering. As per the book, Dandie Dinmont kept a pack of six working dogs, Old Pepper, Old Mustard, Young Mustard, Young Pepper, Little Pepper, and Little Mustard. “Pepper” and “Mustard” are the breed’s colorations at present, while the farmer’s name eventually became the identity of the breed.
Besides a loyal family pet, the Dandie excels to the stature of a confident watch and guard dog, intimating its masters with a loud baritone bark of any impending danger.
Was used for hunting badgers, and otters
Written history of this breed obtained, and they were known to be owned by the Allans of the Holystone village in England’s Northumberland
The breed received recognition outside its native land through Sir Walter Scott’s novel Guy Mannering
The Kennel Club of UK formed
Formation of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club (DDTC)
Attained the American Kennel Club’s recognition
Recognized by the United Kennel Club
The Scottish Dandie Dinmont Society merged with Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club
Their numbers in the United Kingdom had drastically declined, with 21 puppies registered only, 18 of which were male.
There was a slight increase in the numbers of these dogs.
The Kennel Club registered 151 puppies in total, the highest in the last 10 years
These active dogs need moderately high exercise to keep fit and in proper shape. A 20-minute walk once or twice a day, with sufficient playtimes like a ball game within a fenced yard or garden, would for sure suffice. Since they are low-built dogs with a longish body, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier cannot run for prolonged hours, so avoid over-exercising them.
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier has a double coat, soft, waterproof undercoat, and a hard, silky outer coat forming into a top knot on its head. So, these low shedding dogs need regular grooming to look clean. Brush them at least four times a week to prevent their long coat from getting matted or tangled. Use a pin brush or medium-toothed comb for the purpose.
Stripping their coat three to four times in a year, either manually or mechanically, would help them appear neat and tidy. You could also pluck a few of its long hairs from its coat gently using your forefinger or thumb or even take a groomer’s help in this regard.
Do not forget to trim your pet’s toenails once a month and clean its eyes and ears at least once a week.
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier’s diet should comprise good quality dry dog food, either homemade or store-bought. When going for commercially manufactured ones, Zignature and Primal Freeze are the preferred options.
The Dandie Dinmont terrier is sweet and intelligent. Still, at the same time, they have a mind of their own, ending up being stubborn and independent. Small dog syndrome is another trait one could find in them, trying to challenge any big dog that comes in its way, forgetting its small size. So, impart command training since its puppy days. In this way, your dog would eventually get disciplined and lessen its willful behavior.
