The unusual-looking Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a small exterminator that is courageous but dignified. They are well-made for the rigors of agricultural life and will easily adjust to city life. Dandies are little friends with huge personalities. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier’s physical characteristics include a large head covered in copious amounts of silky white hair, long, dangling ears that practically point in the air, big, round eyes that are bright and expressive, a long, low torso, and short legs. The two spiciest hues for the crisp body coat are mustard and pepper, which range in color from reddish brown to pale fawn. Dandies are small watchdogs that weigh no more than 24 pounds and have a loud, baritone bark. While they adore playing and cuddling with children, dandies are not as excitable as some tiny canines. However, they exhibit the typical courage, independence, and willfulness of terriers. The finest results for doodle owners come from encouraging, inspiring instruction.
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
independent / proud / smart
Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.
Height
8-11 inches
Weight
18-24 pounds
Life Expectancy
12-15 years
Breed Traits & Characteristics
Shedding Level
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.
Coat Grooming Frequency
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.
Drooling Level
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.
Affectionate With Family
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.
Shedding Level
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.
Coat Grooming Frequency
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.
Drooling Level
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.
Openness To Strangers
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!
Playfulness Level
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.
Watchdog/Protective Nature
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.
Adaptability Level
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.
Trainability Level
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!
Energy Level
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.
Barking Level
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.
Mental Stimulation Needs
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.
About the Breed
What To Expect When Caring For a Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.
Health
A Dandie comes closer to being disease-free than many other breeds, yet no breed is fully immune to disease. The breed is generally in good health, with the exception of a tiny minority who acquire lymphoma. To prevent any potential issues, ethical breeders do genetic testing on their breeding stock. Like all breeds, Dandies should have their ears periodically examined for indications of infection, and their teeth should be brushed frequently with toothpaste made for canines. To ensure the dog has a long and healthy life, regular trips to the vet for checks and parasite management are recommended.
Grooming
Even though the Dandie Dinmont Terrier doesn't shed, he still needs to be groomed. At least a few times a year, dead hair must be removed from his coat. His breeder can perform this by hand, or the owner can learn to do it using a unique stripping instrument that the breeder suggests. To keep the coat looking tidy, long hairs can be removed regularly from it using the thumb and fingertip. To prevent matting, the Dandie will also require daily brushing. The toenails should be cut at least once a month, and maintaining the ears should be part of routine grooming.
Exercise
A quick stroll or possibly chasing a ball across the yard for about 30 minutes, twice day, will be sufficient for a Dandie. He should always be on a leash or enclosed in a secure fence when outside. Even the most well-trained Dandie will flee if given the opportunity to pursue what they believe to be prey because they were bred to hunt. The majority of Dandies will thrive in a domestic setting with modest exercise. Dandies are not designed to run great distances due to their long and low physique, thus owners hoping for a jogging or bicycling buddy should not choose this species.
Training
Dandies are huge dogs with a small physiques who are hardy and dignified. You will achieve great outcomes if you have a lot of patience and choose a rewarding strategy. They are sturdy, small dogs that are "rough-and-tumble," full of activity, but also incredibly adaptable and eager to please. Like other terriers, they can be independent, headstrong, and overconfident in their abilities to handle any situation. It is crucial that you properly teach the Dandie so that you can take charge in emergency situations in addition to having a companion with decent manners.
Nutrition
The age (puppy, adult, or senior) and breed of the Dandie Dinmont should be taken into consideration while choosing a high-quality dog food. Watch your dog's calorie intake and weight level because certain dogs are prone to obesity. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Give table scraps infrequently, if at all, and steer clear of cooked bones and items with a lot of fat. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian.
History
In or about 1700, the terrier that would later be called the Dandie Dinmont first appeared in writing. A “rough native terrier owned by border hunters in the Cheviot Hills between England and Scotland,” the breed was noted for being particularly effective at eliminating four-legged poachers like otters and badgers.
The best-known novelist from Scotland, Sir Walter Scott, was a fan of the kind. Dandie Dinmont is a farmer who owns a pack of curious-looking pepper and mustard terriers in his 1815 novel “Guy Mannering,” which he wrote.
The real-life James Davidson, who kept a pack of working terriers named Old Mustard, Young Pepper, Young Mustard, Little Pepper, Little Mustard, and Old Pepper, the “immortal six” still revered by Dandie enthusiasts, served as the inspiration for Scott’s fictional Dinmont. According to legend, every Dandie alive today can be linked to an animal by the name of Old Ginger who was descended from Old Pepper.
These bright-eyed, long-backed earth dogs, still the only AKC breed named for a fictional character, came to be known as “Dandie Dinmont’s terriers” in recognition of the publicity the breed gained from Scott, who nicknamed it the “big little dog.”
Royals of the 19th century were intrigued by dandies, including the French monarch Louis Philippe, who maintained a pair of spoiled dandies as part of his courtly retinue. One of the oldest breed organizations in the world, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of England was founded in 1875.
