History and Origin: The first named terrier, possibly the oldest of the terrier breeds, with its roots in Scottish history. The ancient white Talbot hound was crossed with rough coated local dogs in the 15th century in order to provide the dogs protection from the harsh Scottish weather. Renowned in the 16th and 17th century as a hunter of badgers, otters and foxes. In his novel, Guy Mannering, Sir Walter Scott included a fictional character, a farmer, called Dandie Dinmont who owned these dogs. The book was successful and royalty and nobility desired to own the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of Scotland is the world’s second oldest breed club. Numbers dropped drastically during the great wars and still remain low compared to other terriers. The breed was recognized by the AKC in 1888. Because of low registration numbers, the KC currently has classified them as a vulnerable native breed.
General Appearance; All curves, long and low and has been described as ‘weasely’ Short in leg with back line that is not level but rather is low at the shoulders, rising slightly over the loin and then falling to the root of the scimitar shaped tail. Head large and powerful, with domed forehead and unique silky topknot. Large, round, expressive eyes, nose black, teeth strong, pendulous ears. Height 8-11 inches Weight 18-24 pounds in good working condition.
Coat care and Colour: Body is covered with a coat that is not wiry or harsh, about 2 inches long, and referred to as piley with 2/3 crip coat growing through 1/3 soft undercoat. Legs have feathering and head is covered with a soft white topknot, . Ears are feathered at the tips. Colours are pepper ( dark bluish grey to light silver) or mustard (reddish brown to pale fawn) The Dandie is a non shedding breed. But it will need regular hand stripping to maintain a proper coat. Pet specimens may be clippered but this does dramatically alter the correct texture of a Dandies’ coat. Regular brushing is required to remove debris and any tangles.

Feeding; quality kibble fed once daily as adults
Training and Obedience: be kind but firm. Dandies are intelligent and learn quickly but bore easily which can be interpreted as stubbornness. Do well with owners who know how to motivate and when to stop excessive training. May excel in barn hunt or scent detection. Can receive basic obedience but be cautious in strenuous agility..
Activity: Short term back yard play will suffice for exercise and never off lead outside of a fenced area. Their ancient hunting instincts will cause them to chase anything perceived as prey. Despite their short legs they are muscular with unlimited energy for jogging or hiking. Not a good breed for cycling. Due to the longer back, and until maturity, care should be taken with stairs and jumping from higher elevations like beds and furniture.
Temperament: A sweet and affectionate breed, good with children. A delightful house pet. Exceedingly loyal, they love their families and are not at all demanding. Not noisy but do have an impressive bark when guarding.