The history of the origin of the species, the external standard of the Scottish Scotch Terrier, characteristic features of behavior, health, care, features of training, interesting facts. These dogs are known all over the world. They accompanied outstanding people in life. Animals were not limited to the White House. They were the favorites of Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan. President Roosevelt's dog Faala was the most frequently photographed animal. Today the dog "Barney" is popular - the dog of George W. Bush. The list of historical figures who have loved Scotch Terriers is not limited to American presidents. They lived with both Queen Victoria and the Russian clown "Karandash". These are VIP-pets.
The history of the origin of the Scottish Terrier
“Heart of gold, athlete, gentleman, aristocrat. He can be your teacher and my teacher. " - this is how the English poet Hilton Brown wrote about the small dog that became the symbol of Scotland. A true specimen of canines from the British Isles used for hunting burrowing game. It got its name from the Latin word "ter" - land. The Romans called these dogs "earth dogs" or "terrariums" back in the 21st century.
The ancestors of Scotch tape lived in the mountains of North Scotland. The cold harsh climate has shaped their appearance. Their short and powerful limbs allowed them to move easily in fox and badger holes. Wool, tough as a wire, protected from thorny bushes.
The isolation of the valleys from each other over time led to the formation of several varieties of Scotch Terriers that gave rise to modern breeds: Cairn, Skye, West Highland White, Scotch Terrier. At first, this division was very arbitrary and the varieties did not even have uniform names. So the Scottish Terriers were called Aberdeen, since the city of Aberdeen was a recognized center for their breeding. There was also another name: "give hard terrier" in translation - stubborn. They received it for their character traits: fearlessness, determination and stubbornness.
To improve working qualities, representatives of different breed groups were crossed among themselves, and the resulting mestizos were attributed to different breeds - this only increased the confusion. Even in the middle of the 19th century, at exhibitions, in the ring of scotch terriers, dandy dinmondas, skyies or yorks were often exhibited, and the representatives of the breed were called skye terriers.
The injustice in relation to the beloved breed caused outrage among their ardent fans. In 1877, they sent angry letters to the English publishing house "Livestock Journal", offering to stop the disgrace. A heated discussion flared up on the pages of the magazine. The publishers of the magazine invited everyone to send a description of the exterior and character of a true scottie.
Captain Gordan Murray was declared the winner in this peculiar competition. His description formed the basis of the standard adopted by the English "Kennel" club in 1883. From that moment on, the Scottish Terrier breed began its new official existence. The oldest nurseries in Great Britain: Kennelgarth, Gayvin, Mayson, Lomondview, Tamzin, Stuane started breeding. The organizations became the founders of the breed's appearance and, thanks to their activities, the scotch tape from a shaggy "yard-terrier" and a hooligan with wool turned into a pet with the most extraordinary appearance.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Scottish Terrier was already widely known in many countries of Europe and America, but the sad fate of super-fashionable breeds bypassed it. As the founder of the Moscow Puppet Theater Sergei Obraztsov aptly said, Scotch Terriers are made for the soul, and not for fashion trends. Small and brave Scotties at different times attracted the attention of big people: Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Winston Churchill, Eva Brown, Vladimir Mayakovsky, George Bush, Ronald Reagan and many other famous personalities. And the little "Blot" - the constant companion of Mikhail Rumyantsev (the clown of "Pencil") is remembered by millions of people who are so far from dog breeding.
Ever since the funny black dog entered the arena of the Moscow circus, the name “Blot” has been attached to all Scotch Terriers. The popularity of the four-legged artist was so great that the descendants of the first "Blot"? who was actually called "The Knicks" accompanied the clown Pencil throughout his career. Rumyantsev's friend Sokolnikov brought him from England in 1936. And in 1939 the dog handler A. Mazover bought a scotch-terrier bitch in Poland named "Rauberz Masha". The heirs of this couple have delighted the audience of the circus for a long time.
Around this time period, several trophy scotch tapes from Germany, Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia got to Moscow and Leningrad. This small "team" helped the clubs to start selective breeding activities. And in the seventies, scotch tape occupied a high niche of popularity, which rightfully belongs to him to this day.
External standard and description of the Scotch Terrier breed
A dog adapted for burrowing work, stocky, short-legged, strong and agile.
- Head - long and dry, in good relation to the body.
- Muzzle. The transition from forehead to muzzle is smooth. The teeth are large and white. Canine teeth are linear. Scissor bite.
- Nose. The nose is large and black.
- Eyes the Scotch Terrier has almond-shaped, small size. Set wide apart. The superciliary arches are pronounced. The eyelids are pigmented in black. Eye color - from brown to black.
- Ears graceful, sharp, erect.
- Neck - strong, muscular.
- Frame broad, with strong, dry muscles. The chest is developed: wide and deep. The back is straight. The loin is convex. The abdomen is straight, maybe a little tucked up.
- Tail slightly longer than short, tapering towards the end. Set on erect or slightly curved. They are pulled out of the burrow by the tail and the dog does not feel pain.
- Limbs the forelegs are short, straight and massive, while the hindquarters are strong, set wide apart, with elongated, muscular tibiae.
- Paws in the form of a vault, the anterior ones are larger than the posterior ones. The pads are convex, developed. The claws are powerful, black.
- Coat scotch tapes have a tight-fitting coat with a short dense undercoat and a coarse dense top coat. The longest: in the area of the muzzle in the form of a mustache, eyebrows and beard, on the body and limbs in the form of pants.
- Color. Three types: black, wheat, brindle or mixed (alternating black and beige hairs with different shades.)
Scottish Terrier personality
His popularity was promoted not only by the original appearance, but also by the peculiar character that was called by dog breeders - "terrier ego". Behind the appearance of a prim gentleman, Scotty hides the soul of an adventurer who is ready to mischief. Having passed the way from a burrowing hunter to a pet, the terrier did not relax at all. These are the smartest dogs.
Animals behave very independently, but if you make contact with them, you will not find more obedient pets. They never impose their own society. If you call them, they will gladly respond to your request. But if you do not want to communicate, they will not interfere with you.
Even an extraordinary situation cannot be confused with Scotch tape. Many terriers do not know what a wild animal looks like, despite the fact that they retain their stubborn character, agility and dexterity of their ancestors. To turn a terrier into a salon dog means to deprive him of the properties inherent in nature itself, to offend the very essence of a dog.
Although they have strong, short legs, their energy is in full swing. Without hurting themselves, they can share it. Their fiery temperament will baffle even hounds. It is worth letting them out onto the meadow, and they rush with the speed of the wind. All canines love to run in the fresh air. Despite the beautiful show woolen outfit, at heart they remain rural and country dogs.
Scotch is one of the few breeds with a sense of humor, and capable of pranks in relation to fellows. With neighbor's dogs, they can just play naughty. Although nowadays they are kept as companion dogs, their hunting instinct makes them chase birds and cats. They will not harm them, the main goal is to catch up with them. They behave decently with children.
They are infinitely loyal to their master and are ready to accompany him anywhere. Their big heart will give him everything, without a trace. They will share both joys and troubles with him. The little compact doggie has the nature of a lion. His innate tact and courtesy, combined with self-esteem, earned him the reputation of a gentleman's dog. They are brave and independent. They are distinguished by intelligence and the ability to make decisions on their own. It was he, a miniature hunter of the Scottish Highlands, who defended the right to become the national breed of Scotland.
Scottish Terrier health
Scotch tapes have been living for more than 14 years. In Scottish Terriers, the tail is the main barometer of well-being. Basically, when you feel good, it sticks up. The worse the dog feels, the more the tail goes down.
They have allergic diseases and seizures. It is known that the cause of seizures can be any stress, and the manifestation of emotions of joy and fear. Traditional veterinary medicine offers drugs like Valium. But large doses of the drug are harmful to the liver of pets. They can be treated with acupuncture, which has very positive results. The treatments work well for the immune system and muscles. In doing so, endorphins are released and the stress goes away.
Scotch Terrier Care Tips
Accustoming to all procedures should begin from puppyhood, because this dog is "serious".
The breed's coat is one of the most attractive aspects of the breed. The strands over the eyes, the beard and the long dewlap, give them a funny and grumpy look - which makes them not reflective. They owe much of their original appearance to the skillful hands of a groomer - a dog hairdresser. However, there is no talk of an impossible mission. Although many people think that way.
A hard, non-shedding coat requires regular clipping and trimming - plucking out old wool so that it does not interfere with the growth of new one. In nature, dogs do not need such manipulations. Because when an animal moves in the forest, dead hair remains on the branches of trees and bushes. The terrier removes it by itself. For our city dogs, trimming is necessary, otherwise the animal itself will resemble a bush. A hygienic grooming is carried out twice a year, which is necessary to maintain healthy skin of the dog. For beauty, the dog is sheared once every two months. Then she will always look elegant.
The first trimming is done at 4 months. Eyebrows, beard, skirt and tail are the main decoration of Scottie. The care of wheat wool is more thorough. Grooming is done in one go because irregularities and transitions will be visible, and the color will look uneven.
The main tool used is a plucking knife, called a trimming knife. In fact, this is not really a knife, as it does not cut the wool, but only grabs it with its teeth and makes it easy to remove. The same procedure can be carried out with your hands. Many do this to make the cover less dense. Since we are talking about already dead hair, the dog does not experience any pain. In order not to tire the dog, it is important to tighten the skin well.
Comb them with a slicker with fine teeth. Then they gently pass through the wool with a comb so that not a single tangled hair remains. Then you should pluck out the upper part of the neck, gradually moving to the lateral surfaces (to better highlight the zone of the shoulder blades), the dorsal surface and sides, and the tail. Longer hair is left at the tip of the tail. The lower part is processed with scissors.
Trimming the Scotch Terrier also involves cutting on certain parts of the body: in the head area where the cheeks, crown, ears (on the outside and inside) and the lower part of the neck are. You can cut with a machine, both manual and electric. Hairdresser's scissors trim the hair at the edge of the ear (to give it a pronounced shape), the eyebrows are taken apart into two locks (an accurate eye is needed so as not to cut off the excess). Now the entrance is thinning scissors, which serve to clean up the trimmed and trimmed parts (cheeks and tufts of hair at the base of the neck).
As for other features of care:
- Ears. To reduce the accumulation of dirt and the ear canal not so clogged, the hairs inside the ear need to be plucked. This will improve ventilation in the ear canal and will have to be cleaned less often.
- Eyes. If dirty, wipe them with soothing agents. To do this, you will need a soothing decoction and cotton pads. Wipe your eyes only towards the inner corner.
- Teeth. To prevent plaque build-up, they need to be cleaned regularly. Prevention is better than cure. Purchase a variety of natural and artificial chew bones for your pet.
- Claws. If during walks they are not grinded, they must be cut. The manipulation is carried out as the claws grow with special scissors.
- Feeding. Scotch tapes are fed with both natural food and ready-made concentrates. It all depends on the preferences of the breeder. Solid food and canned food should only be of high quality. Natural food is 80% lean meat and 20% fiber. But no matter what your pet eats, you should enrich its diet with vitamins that are appropriate for the age and state of the dog's body.
- Walking. Terriers are walked as standard, twice a day. But dogs are active, and they need physical activity and active games. Try to walk them with fellows. So they can run and play. If possible, take them out to canine baiting stations.
Scotch Terrier training and interesting facts
Contrary to popular belief, Scottish Terriers respond well to training. You need to work with Scottie only on natural instincts and interest. This increases the culture of the dog's behavior in the city. Most of all, you need to pay attention to the "stop" command, which stops the pet at any second. Command "fu" or "no", so that the dog does not work with a vacuum cleaner on the street.
Energy and unusual appearance have become their hallmark. Their images are often found in comics and advertisements. During the Great Depression, they were drawn more often than other dogs.
Purchase of a puppy, price
Before you become the proud owner of this breed, you must remember that their coat must be given due attention, otherwise your dog will look unsightly. They also need to be trained with the nuances of this breed.
To get a well-grown scotch puppy, you only need to contact professional kennels. As a result, you will get a dog with a stable nervous organization, with all the planned vaccinations, swallowed up, meeting all breed standards.
At this time, the popularity of Scotch Terriers in Russia is gaining momentum. The cost of a puppy depends on many factors. First, you must decide what you need a pet for. If you want a show class puppy for show or breeding activities, then you have to fork out. When you just need a pet and a friend, you can buy a puppy with slight deviations from the exterior - it will cost less. The average cost of a scotch terrier puppy is from $ 400 to $ 1000.
Learn more about the features of the Scottish Terrier breed from this video:
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