Scottish
Terrier
History
The Scottish Terrier as we find
it today has been bred in purity for many years. He
is believed to have originated in the Western Islands
and the Highlands of Scotland. Those
that favor the "Scottie" prefer to believe
that the hairy beast described by Caius was the old version
of the Scottish Terrier. Un-trimmed, he would, indeed,
be covered with hair. Another very old type—perhaps
a prototype of the Scottie and the Cairn—crossed
with a shipwrecked Maltese, created the more glamorous
Skye that we now know. Rough coated
terriers lived and worked in the very far north of Scotland
where their foundation
Nordic breeds lived, so it
must be safe to assume that its ancestry is connected with
these terriers.
Very little is known about the breed before the end of
the nineteenth century, when they first appeared on the
show-bench. Although there was no mention of the breed
until 1859, that
year
Scotties
were
introduced as a class at a show in Birmingham, England.
Later, a number of other shows carried
this classification, but the dogs shown in these classes
were not Scottish Terriers, but Skyes, Dandie Dinmonts,
and Yorkshires. For a time, the Scottie was dubbed
the Aberdeen, due to the central locus of the breed in
that
area. It is certain the West Highland
White and Scottish Terriers are closely related, the ancestors
of both centralizing in the Blackmount region of Perthshire
and the Moor of Rannoch. In
1881, a standard was drawn and shortly after, a club was
organized. One scant year later, the Scottish Terrier landed
in Canada, where the breed is now firmly entrenched. The
first Scottie registered in the USA was Canadian bred.
After the breed's initial introduction, it became a common
sight.
Although no records appear to have been kept on the development
of the breed, their characteristics are much the same as
other earth terriers. John Naylor
is credited with being the first to introduce the Scottish
Terrier to the United Kingdom; his initial importation
in 1883 was of a dog and a bitch, "Tam Glen" and "Bonnie
Belle." He showed extensively and continued importing,
among his later importations being his famous dogs "Glenlyon" and "Whinstone." The
first Scottish Terrier registered in America was "Dake".
His sire was Naylor's Glenlyon. In December 1887, a bitch "Lassie" was
registered, bred by W. H. Todd of Vermilion, Ohio. Her
sire was "Glencoe," by "Imp. Whinstone ex.
Imp. Roxie." Here we find Whinstone figuring as a
sire. Now Whinstone was by "Allister," which
together with "Dundee" formed the two great fountainheads
of the breed. Whinstone sired CH. Bellingham Baliff which
was acquired by J. J. Litde, founder of the famous Newcastle
Kennels. Whinstone therefore was the forerunner and progenitor
of the Scottish Terrier as we know him today.
A strong and active dog which, as well as being terrier,
was also a working dog that would hunt among the rocks
and in the burrows to control vermin. Unfortunately,
this "killer" tendency sometimes extends to the
neighbor's cat or an unwary bird. Without proper firmness,
he can become a bossy brat and
even a biter, but consistent discipline allows his great character and loyalty
to shine.
It
is startling to some that Scotties are not always black.
That image has been
perpetuated
through Franklin Roosevelt's
Scottie, "Fala," as well as the famous Black
and White™ Scotch advertising. Early specimens were
often red with a black mask, and today a wide variety of
colors can and do occur.
The prominent eyebrows and mustaches
draw attention to the elongated head and give him a scowling
appearance.
Stripping takes care of the show dog coat, with pets usually
being clipped. Owners should be aware, however, that clipping
softens terrier coats and lightens colors, so if they change
their minds and decide to show their companion, a lengthy
process of coat repair is involved.
The
Scottie has been successful in the show ring all over
the word.
He has a strong following in the England, United States,
France , Holland and Germany,
as well as in South Africa
and Zimbabwe. |
