Loyal companion, friendly and a vermin controller, a Scottish Terrier is the perfect fit for you.
If exercise is not high on your daily agenda, then a Scottish Terrier might suit your household perfectly. While all dogs need regular exercise to stay healthy, this breed doesn’t go and go and go. Instead, a daily casual walk and sniff is what they enjoy. Scottish Terriers cannot swim.
They are friendly and loyal, although very independent. Training a Scottish Terrier can prove difficult and must be consistently reinforced. They have strong hunting instincts and will chase down all vermin. However, this means they don’t pair well with other small animals.
Fun fact: Scottish Terriers were loved by royals.
King James VI of Scotland and Queen Victoria were fans and kept them as pets.
A Scottish Terrier is also one of the most popular pieces in Monopoly.
Scottish Terriers are smart yet strong willed and make great watchdogs while still being family-friendly. They rarely bark and only when necessary. However, supervision with children is recommended, as if annoyed they may growl at boisterous young children. They can adapt to any space and fair well in most houses or apartments.
They have a short medium coat with minimal shedding. However their coat requires a moderate amount of maintenance such as brushing and trimming. Scottish Terriers are hypoallergenic. Known to be incredibly loyal, they are suited to small households and will often pick a favourite family member.
Scheduled six monthly health check visits with your vet are important to ensure that your dog is healthy and happy throughout all life stages. While overall they are a healthy dog with few problems, they can experience ‘Scottie Cramp’, or bone issues. Together with your vet, you can determine and maintain a preventative health care program based on the individual needs of your canine companion.
Size
A Scottish Terrier is a small sized breed weighing between 8 and 10kgs, with a height between 25 and 28cms.
Space
They can adapt to fit any sized house or apartment.
Energy Levels
Don’t expect a marathon runner here. Scottish Terriers don’t have boundless energy and while they love a game of fetch, they also love their downtime.
Difficulty of Training
An intelligent breed that can learn commands and tricks, but may also have ‘selective hearing’.
Family Suitability
Scottish Terriers are happy wherever their humans are, yard or no yard.
Compatibility with other Pets
Introduce other pets from a young age to encourage friendship. They are not suited to pocket pets such as rabbits.
Need for Company
Scottish Terriers love to be near their family, but can handle being left alone for short periods of time.
Hypoallergenic Dog Breed?
Yes
Coat and Grooming Needs
Scottish Terriers are moderate-maintenance. Brush them weekly to keep their coat looking healthy and trim regularly. They have a medium to long coat in black, brindle, cream, grey, wheaten or white.
Affectionate
They like to be nearby, but not too nearby.
Shedding
They shed a very small amount.
Tendency to Bark
Not particularly loud dogs, they’ll only bark at intruders.