August 2007 Featured Dog Breed – The Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Placing Second in Group at the December 2006 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship (held in Long Beach, CA) & recently recognized by Vogue Magazine’s William Norwich as the Summer, “It” dog for 2006, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier has received quite a bit of coverage for a breed that saw just 84 registered with the AKC last year.

One of the oldest terrier breeds in the world, origins of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier can be traced back to as early as the 1600’s, when gypsies and sportsmen living in the border counties of Scotland and England used them for hunting otter, badger, fox, polecat, weasels, and other vermin.

Evolving as a hardy, working terrier, the Dandie Dinmont developed unique, trademark attributes; providing him with the stamina required to hunt in harsh weather conditions and rough terrain found in the English-Scottish Border country.

His body, low and flexible, reaching but 10″ in height, is propelled by a strong neck, backbone, and hindquarters- allowing him to enter a den (and retreat) when necessary. To match, the Dandie Dinmont was equipped with a very strong jaw and rather large teeth.
Carried a tad above body level, the Dandie Dinmont’s tail is curved like a scimitar- the thick base growing thicker after approximately 4″ and then tapering off to a point again. Large, round, dark-hazel colored eyes provide the Dandie Dinmont with an almost soulful expression.

Most predominant of his traits is a weatherproof, double- coat- appearing in a pepper ranging from navy to a whitish-silvery hue, or a, mustard, varying from reddish-brown to a tan. A profuse, very distinct, soft, topknot marks the Dandie Dinmont’s signature trait, appearing silvery-white on the pepper and creamy-white on the mustard individuals. The topcoat appearing on the majority of the body grows to reach around 2″ long, almost feeling crisp- whilst the soft, undercoat linty and soft.

One of the oldest in the world, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club was formed in 1875; first recognized by the AKC in 1886 with the registration of, “Bonnie Britton”. While the essentials of the Standard created for the, Original Stud Book remain largely unchanged today, the American Dandie Dinmont Terrier standard also now includes a reference to movement in an effort to keep the purpose and origin of the breed more in mind.

Frequently referred to as the, gentleman of the terrier family, the independent, sensitive, and diligent, temperament of the Dandie Dinmont has two sides- though usually calm, affectionate, and dignified, he is a dedicated and tenacious hunter, when provoked. Relentless in the hunt, Dandie Dinmont Terriers have been reported to spend days underground; these instincts still present in the breed to this day.

With under 100 Dandie Dinmont Terriers registered, the breed ranked 144th of the total 155 breeds recognized by the US AKC during 2006. This drastically low number, along with the equally as startling low numbers registered in Europe last year, has caused the UKACK to declare the Dandie Dinmont a, “vulnerable native breed”.

Famous Dandie Dinmont owners have included: Bill Cosby, (co-owner of Hobergay’s Fineus Fogg, aka “Harry”) Queen Victoria, Agatha Christie, and Sir Alec Guinness.