Scottish Terrier Breed Origins and Caracteristics
Description:
Very compact and muscular, the Scottish terrier has an abundant amount of wiry hair and weighs around nine and a half to eleven kilograms (the females generally weigh around half a kilogram less). The body of this dog is solid and powerful looking for its small size. The skull is long and medium size in width with a black good size nose; square leveled jaws and the correct mouth closure. The ears should be small and stick upwards, highly inserted in the head, should be pointy, should have short and should feel velvety to the touch. The eyes are pretty separate, have an almond shape, and a very shape and intelligent expression. The neck is muscular and should have a moderate length and the shoulders long and inclined. The chest should be wide and long, and should descend well between the front legs. The body of this dog is moderately short and its ribs are well arched. The hind legs should be well angled and should look very strong for the size of the dog. The hindquarters should look very thick and wide; the ankles should be straight; the front legs should be straight or slightly curved and the elbows should never be open. The paws are round and thick and the toes should be well arched and together. The extremities should be short and the depth of the chest give the Scottish terrier a peculiar movement in which the front legs slightly incline inwards. This dog carries its tail vertically or slightly curved. The tail is never docked but left natural. It is double coated, the inner coat has short, dense and soft fur; the outer coat is wiry, dense and hard.
Ideal owner:
Those that own a Scottish terrier will tell you that it was not love at first sight, but rather that living with one is what convinces you that it is a hell of a dog. The Scottish terrier for some reason believes that it is a big dog and it does everything very bravely and imprudence at times. It is very independent and this is why it is difficult to obedience train it, it usually learns very slowly and often times it takes awhile to teach it to do its needs outside of the house. This dog tends to be a very inflexible fellow and can be somewhat serious; it seems to know that life is a serious thing and that it must be taken with dignity. It is very adaptable and loves working; and is very sensitive when it comes to gifts and reproach; it enjoys being around children that are well educated; and prefers paying attention to those it chooses.
General health:
The Scottish terrier is a very small, hard and resistant dog. It is very resistant to diseases and very tolerant when it comes to pain. This dog enjoys life and likes to shoe its strength and delight when it is happy. The owner will need to be careful to not over feed it, because an excess of weight can lead it to have back problems. Stair climbing and similar activities should be avoided during the first year of its life and when it is older as well. Several hereditary diseases can affect this dog including Von Willebrand and jaw problems. Both however are rare. Hyperkinetic abnormality known as Scottish spasm is specific in this breed and it is believed to be a recessive trace in this breed. This disease manifests itself with sporadic spasms and rigidity of the muscles, the back and the tail. The symptoms can show up at the age of six weeks. There is a treatment for it though. Thyroid problems, hematoma of the ear and allergies are frequent but can be treated. Achondroplasia, deafness and loosening of the retina sometimes occur as well. Renal disease and several types of malignant tumors are the worst worries in this breed. The life span of this dog is around twelve years however some live longer. The care of the coat requires stripping that should be done professionally.
