Scottish Terrier
Learn about the temperament and personality of the Scottish Terrier. Discover what he's like to live with, his traits and characteristics and how he generally behaves. And look at lots of Scottish Terrier photos.
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Scottish Terrier Temperament
The Scottish Terrier is a lot of personality in a little body: brave, curious, feisty, and opinionated. He's the only breed to live in the White House three times. Before they got into politics, these spirited dogs were bred to hunt and kill vermin on farms. Today they still possess a strong chase instinct and they still love to dig. They also love to chew and will ingest dangerous things that require surgery to remove. So a "Scottie" parent has to supervise those infamous Scottie teeth closely! Also, be aware that a bored Scottie will chew your entire house. The Scottish Terrier is lightning fast and will run away if he can. This breed does best with a fenced-in yard, and invisible fences do nothing to deter this dog if he sees a squirrel he must have. They are an active breed and they love to play outside. They need moderate amounts of exercise and make ideal walking companions. They cannot swim, and if you have a pool, you will have to take care to keep your Scottie away from it. They make great watchdogs and will be sure to announce an approaching stranger. They will also announce an approaching squirrel or passing bicycle. They love to lie on the back of the couch and stare out the window, occasionally barking at things that interest them. They are aloof with strangers and can show aggression to strangers they deem suspicious, and this can include young children. They can be agitated by the quick movements and unexpected noises of toddlers and Scotties can be nippy. Sometimes they think it is a game to chase toddlers and knock them down. They do much better in a home with older children, and you will need to be cautious if young children come to visit. They can be aggressive toward other dogs, but can usually learn to live with a cat. (Just be aware that he might give chase.) Scotties are independent thinkers and don't take naturally to obedience training. They enjoy a reputation of being stubborn. If you ask them to do something, they will always want to know what's in it for them. They excel at agility! Consistent obedience training is very important for this breed. If you do not establish yourself as the pack leader, your Scottie will. But it's all worth it in the end, to have a gentle, loving, loyal, intelligent, protective, sensitive companion. A dog who will want to watch TV with you and sleep in your bed!
Scottish Terrier Training
The Scottish Terrier is harder to train than most other dog breeds. He learns new commands more slowly than the majority of other breeds. You will need to be extra patient when Training him.
Scottish Terrier Shedding
The Scottish Terrier sheds practically no hair at all. You'll virtually never find a hair in your home!
Scottish Terrier Grooming
Pet coat (less work): Cut his coat short every few months and then it only needs to be brushed every so often.
Show coat (more work): Strip his coat every six months and brush it daily.
Adopt a Scottish Terrier
Scottish Terrier Photos
Rating: Ease of training
Tells you how easy or difficult a breed is to train.
A higher rating means the breed is easier to train, a lower rating means the breed is harder to train.
An easy to train breed require less time and patience to train.
Rating: Intelligence
Tells you how intelligent a breed is in terms of how quickly it can learn commands from humans. A higher rating means the breed will learn your commands faster (and is therefore generally considered to be more intelligent), while a lower rating means the breed will learn your commands more slowly (and is therefore generally considered to be less intelligent).
Keep in mind that this is only one way to measure a dog's intelligence and a low rating might still mean the breed is highly intelligent in other ways.
Rating: Shedding
Tells you how much hair the breed sheds. The higher the rating the more hair the breed sheds.
Rating: Watchdog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a watchdog and raising the alarm when a stranger approaches. A higher rating means the breed will bark vigorously to warn you of a stranger's presence on your property. A low rating means the breed probably won't bark much if a stranger enters your property.
Rating: Guard dog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a guard dog due to the appearance, size, and strength of the breed. A breed with a high guard dog rating will make an intruder think twice before stepping foot on your property.
Rating: Popularity
Tells you how popular the breed is in terms of ownership. A higher rating means that more people own the breed. The more popular a breed is the easier it is to find and purchase one because there are more breeders breeding it.
Rating: Size
Tells you how large or small the breed is. A lower rating means the breed is smaller and a higher rating means the breed is larger. It gives you a quick idea of how physically large or small the breed is compared with all the other breeds.
Rating: Agility
Tells you how agile the breed is. A higher rating means the breed is fast and nimble on its feet while a lower rating means the breed is heavier and slower on its feet.
Rating: Good with kids
Tells you how good the breed is with children. A higher rating means the breed is good with children. Note: all breeds are generally good with kids when they're raised with them.
