Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Description:
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a work dog, has a robust body build, it has short legs and a beautiful head that is decorated with a big silky pompadour. The round eyes of this dog have a wise and sweet looking to them. The exterior line of this dog is curved, it is double coated; the under coat is soft and the outer is hard. The colors these dogs come in are mustard or pepper. The mustard colored ones can be anywhere from reddish brown to a light tawny color and the pepper colored ones from blackish blue to light silver grey. This dogs height is around twenty to twenty eight centimeters from the wichers down and the length should be five centimeters less that the double of its height. The weight for a work dog is around nine to twelve kilograms. The head structure of this dog is rounded and wide between the ears, which are lowly inserted. The size of the ears is around eight to ten centimeters long. The muzzle of this dog is long and strong, the cheeks narrow towards the front. The neck is muscular and well set on the shoulders, the body is long and flexible and the tail's length is around twenty to twenty five centimeters and has a scimitar shape. The front legs should look short and well developed. The hind legs should be slightly separate but not too much that they interfere with the way the dog walks. The coat of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier can be distinguished by its hairy and brush stroked look since the hard and soft hair mix together.

Ideal owner:
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier isn't such a popular dog but it is an excellent choice if you are looking for a good companion dog and or show dog. It has such a peculiar look to it that it always turns heads. This dog can sometimes be stubborn and since it is after all a Terrier is can be very territorial. It has very strong hunting instincts so don't be surprised if it takes off to run after a poor little squirrel. Training must begin at a young age because it can turn into a biter and can be quite a problem for visitors and neighbors. Don't treat this dog rudely but make sure to be consistent and firm with the training you give it.

Growth:
A Dandie Dinmont Terriers weight at birth is around 225 to 280 grams. When it is three or four weeks old it should weigh around one kilogram and a half. According to breeders the rhythm in which they grow varies from one litter to the other and from one puppy to the other. At birth the Dandie Dinmont Terrier has a smooth and dark coat; the pepper colored ones are born with a fire color or black, and the mustard colored ones have black spots on their body, ears, tail and muzzle, and a golden color on their heads. It will be necessary to do a stripping on the puppy's coat around the age of twelve to fifteen weeks to make possible the growth of its double coat. The hard coat of this dog needs about two or three months to grow and stripping will be necessary during this time. The right type of coat should feel crispy to the touch and is mixed in with soft hair. a puppy needs to be brushed every day during the first year of its life to avoid knots from forming and to give it its correct look. At around nine months this dog reaches its full height but the chest continues to widen until around eighteen months of age, in the case of some males its chest will continue to widen until it is two years and a half. These dogs don't usually have problems with their teeth but some of the ones that have shorter snouts are prone to not having molars and premolars. The pompadour on this dog's head will grow and become whitish or silver around one year of age. At adolescence this dog requires more exercise then it does at adulthood. Like all dogs, this dog enjoys going out on walks with its owners. 

General health:
This dog is prone to having back problems, as do many other breeds that are short. The way to avoid it is to choose a puppy that has been well bred and avoid it from climbing stairs, jumping and doing other activities that will cause too much impact on its back, this obviously includes not allowing it to become overweight. There have been incidences of hip dysphasia, and excessive ossification of long bones. One of the most frequent lesions that occur is tearing of ligaments. The older ones might also get arthritis. Ear infections are frequent and it is necessary to keep this in check. Although this dog does not shed, it is still necessary to groom it frequently and it needs to get done professionally. The life span of this dog is around thirteen years or more.