Home › T › The Scottish Terrier

The Scottish Terrier

This is believed to be the oldest family of terriers in Scotland, although until recently he had not been so prominently brought forward as the Skye terrier, from the fact of his having been chiefly kept in the Highlands for killing vermin and hunting foxes IIO amongst the rocks in the mountains, where hounds were never seen. Until about the year 1874 he was spoken of as the Skye terrier, but owing to a newspaper controversy in which the advocates of the two varieties each claimed a right to the title, it was arranged that the longer-coated dog should be called the Skye, and the shorter the Scottish terrier. From that period the latter has become very much the more popular, and has been largely introduced into England. It was, however, some time before he settled down as the Scottish terrier, having been called respectively the Aberdeen terrier, the Scots terrier, the Highland terrier, the Cairn terrier, and the "Die Hard," the last-named appellation remaining with him, as so thoroughly representative of his character. He was introduced to us with a serious defect, inasmuch as he had bent forelegs, a malformation claimed by some Scotsmen as a sign of SCOTTISH TERRIER. purity of breed. This has to a great extent been rectified, and other improvements have been made in him; he is now not so long in body as formerly, and is of little value if his ears are not tightly pricked, notwithstanding that at one time, semi-erect ears were quite as generally seen; he is a game, hardy-looking terrier, very sturdy in body, on short legs, with great bone and substance, and immense teeth for so small a dog.