Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Don't let his big dark eyes and fluffy head of curls fool you. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier

is a confident and intelligent little terrier, brave and independent. He'd rather be sergeant of the house than be babied.

This terrier comes from the same area as the Border Terrier, the hilly border between Scotland and England. He is a tough little dog first written of as a breed around 1700. He was known for his skill in getting otters and badgers.

This delightful and entertaining dog is a clown as a companion. But as a terrier, he has his pride, and can sometimes seem shy or uninterested in strangers.

Dandie Dinmonts come in two colors, pepper and mustard. Pepper is various grays; mustard ranges from reddish brown to pale fawn. Both coats are lightest on the topknot and ears.

Excerpts from the Standard

General Appearance: A long, low terrier with a curved outline having a distinctive head with a large silky topknot.

Size, Proportion, and Substance: Height--8 to 10 inches at the withers. Weight--18 to 24 pounds.

Fun Facts

In 1814 Sir Walter Scott wrote an adventure novel called Guy Mannering, which became a popular sensation. The farmer, a unique and funny character in the story, was named Dandie Dinmont. His six dogs were Auld ("old") Pepper, Auld Mustard, Young Pepper, Young Mustard, Little Pepper, and Little Mustard. Since that time, the breed of dog has always been called Dandie Dinmont.

Excerpted from The Complete Dog Book For Kids © 1996, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.