Dandie Dinmont Terrier Dog Breed Info – Itsaboutdog

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a type of small Scottish dog belonging to the Terrier family.

The dog is in high demand mostly because of its appearance and its calm temperament. As per the research done on this breed, information has been obtained that the name of this dog breed has been obtained from a famous novel of the earlier time named Walter Scott represented as a dog lover in the novel.

The Charming and Unique Dandie Dinmont Terrier

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a fascinating small breed with a distinctive appearance, a rich history, and a friendly, independent spirit. Here’s what you need to know:

Adaptability

  • Apartments: Excellent companions for apartment living due to their size, low exercise needs, and calm demeanor.
  • First-time Owners: A good choice for novice owners thanks to their intelligence, affectionate nature, and easy trainability.
  • Sensitivity: Moderately sensitive, they benefit from positive reinforcement and gentle handling.
  • Tolerate Being Alone: Not ideal for extended periods alone, as they crave companionship. Consider mental stimulation activities to prevent anxiety.
  • Weather Tolerance: Struggle in extreme cold but handle hot weather well.

Friendliness

  • Family: Exceptionally affectionate and loving towards their family.
  • Children: Playful and gentle companions for kids, especially with proper training and supervision.
  • Dogs: Can be reserved around other dogs. Early socialization is key for promoting friendly interactions.
  • Strangers: Naturally friendly and welcoming to new people.

Health & Grooming

  • Shedding: Practically non-shedding, making them ideal for allergy sufferers.
  • Drooling: Minimal drooling.
  • Grooming: Relatively easy grooming needs, requiring regular brushing and occasional trimming.
  • General Health: Generally healthy, but prone to some issues like glaucoma, spinal problems, and skin infections.
  • Weight Gain: Tendency to gain weight if overfed. Maintain a balanced diet and exercise routine.

History

  • Origins: Developed in Scotland/England border region around the 1700s.
  • Purpose: Originally bred for hunting otters and badgers.
  • Name: Inspired by a fictional character in Sir Walter Scott’s novel “Guy Mannering”.
  • Rarity: Considered a rare breed today.

FAQs

  • Price: $1500 – $3000 on average.
  • Lifespan: 12-15 years on average.
  • Weight: 8.2 – 11 kg (18-24 lbs)
  • Hypoallergenic: Yes.
  • Aggression: Generally not aggressive, known for their calm personalities.
  • Exercise Needs: Moderate daily exercise of 30-50 minutes is recommended.
  • Coat Type: Unique double coat with a mixture of hard and soft hair.

Key Takeaways

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a delightful companion with a distinctive look and captivating personality. Their low-maintenance needs, sweet nature, and playful spirit make them well-suited for various households. If you’re looking for a loyal, affectionate and unique dog, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier might be a perfect fit!

Remember, responsible dog ownership includes understanding the breed’s history, temperament, and specific care needs. Be sure to research thoroughly and provide proper training, socialization, and a loving home for your Dandie Dinmont Terrier.

Contents

Adaptability

Adapt well to the apartment lifestyle (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

Just like most of the other small dog breeds, the dogs of this Dandie Dinmont Terrier are also found to be one of the most suitable dogs with large heads for an apartment lifestyle.

Their small size and mild-mannered temperament, and most importantly, their affectionate nature for their owners and low need for exercise and play sessions make them one of the most compatible dogs for the apartment lifestyle.

Now to keep the dog healthy and fit all the time, the owner should also put some effort into taking him for regular walking sessions to make him stay healthy and to make the pet well socialized as the dogs require this.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Good for the first time dog owners (Rate: 3 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers are proven to be one of the perfect dog breeds for first-time dog owners.

The dogs possess a kind of loving and affectionate nature towards their owners and have a high intelligence level, and are also very obedient; they use to perform their tasks and also follow the commands of their owners with utmost concentration and accuracy. Moreover

The most significant fact due to which it was considered a good choice for novice owners is because of their low need for exercises, play sessions, and quality time with their canine; they don’t require much attention from their owner to stay happy and mentally active.

Moderate sensitivity level (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

The dogs from the breed Dandie Dinmonts are one of those many terrier breeds which have a very moderate sensitivity level.

These dogs are not so emotional and also don’t get anxious easily by some strict behavior of the owner; they have good control over them and can also manage their anxiety on their own.

But sometimes, when the training sessions last for a much longer time, and the owner uses some negative reinforcement to make the dog learn things, he might be anxious and behave aggressively.

So based on this, we can say that the dog has a moderate sensitivity level, so treating the pet with love and care is also necessary.

Can’t tolerate being alone (Rate: 2.5 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier has a very loving and affectionate nature towards its owners and is very attached to them.

The dog doesn’t need quality time with his owner regularly for mental stimulation, but when he was kept alone for a long time, he started to get anxious, and as we all know, anxiety attacks can even be life-threatening for the canine; thus, long distances are not preferred.

It’s better to keep some sources in front of the canine for mental stimulation by using which the dog can control his anxiety; this will eventually save the canine from such deadly anxiety attacks. But most importantly, it has always been suggested to dog owners to avoid keeping their Dandie Dinmont Terrier alone at home.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Not a good tolerant of cold weather (Rate: 2.5 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmonts fall under the category of those dogs which are not tolerant of cold weather outside. The dogs of this category face this problem mostly because of their type of coat.

Sometimes there are fewer furs over the coat, or in some cases, the dogs possess a thin coat that can not absorb the cold outside for a longer time to prevent the dog from that low temperature.

In such cases, it has been suggested to the dog owners to keep the canine warm and comfortable by using different types of sources like room heaters, woolen coats for animals, and many others.

Adapt well to hot weather (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a good performer in hot and humid weather. The dog feels comfortable in its home environment, and the owners who have been an owner of this breed previously might know the fact of how well the canine performs in hot and humid weather and how actively he performs all the tasks.

But the fact to notice here is that just because the dog remains active in hot and humid weather, if you keep the training sessions of the canine longer, then the regular exercise will affect the immunity level of the canine, which can make the pet weaker. Thus it is better to keep the training sessions and the daily works of the canine as per the needs of the canine’s body.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Friendliness of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Affectionate toward the family (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers are proven to be friendly and affectionate towards the whole members of the owner’s family and have very good manners.

Most of the time, the characteristics of the breed don’t matter when it comes to the temperament of the canine.

The way the canine is raised and the environment the pet has been living in since his childhood will matter the most when it comes to the affectionate and loving nature of the canine.

If the canine is receiving love and care from the owner’s family from the very first time, then he will be affectionate towards the owner’s family as dogs are popular as one of the most loyal animals.

They will always be loyal to the ones who show love and care to them. So, it simply means that the way the owner’s family members will behave with the canine will decide how loving and affectionate the canine is going to be with them.

Friendly with the kids (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers are proven to be one of the best companions for children, which makes them a good choice for the home.

They possess a very calm kind of nature, due to which they even don’t get disturbed by the loud noises outside and try to keep the child engaged and safeguard the kid all the time.

Keeping the canine with the kid can even make the canine happier and healthier because the playful nature of the persons near them makes them stressed free, but for all this, the dog will require obedience training.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Not familiar with other canines. (Rate: 3 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers are not so effective and friendly towards other animals, especially canines.

This might be mainly because of the feeling of being threatened by the other canines, whereas this can also be because of the less practice of getting sociable with other canines.

If the terrier has such habits of being not friendly with other canines, then the dog owner should simply go for giving walking sessions to the canine, which will make the canine used to the fact of being friendly with other pets and animals and will make the canine more sociable.

Now the fact to notice here is that the friendliness nature of the canine might be present in it from the very childhood due to genetic traits; in such cases, the owners don’t have to put much effort into the daily walks, but if the canine is not friendly with other pets and animals then only the dog owner have to put efforts to make the canine-friendly with other pets.

Friendly with strangers (Rate: 3 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmonts from the terrier’s breed club is one of those dogs which are very friendly with strangers.

The main reason behind this is that dogs have a habit of being around humans from childhood, and they are aware of the fact that humans are the ones who love them and even feed them while they are hungry, which is the main reason the dog is attracted to any of the humans they see in front of them.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Health and grooming requirements of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Amount of shedding (Rate: 5 out of 5)

The dogs from the dinmont terrier club are one of those dogs which does not shed at all; this eventually means that keeping this dog at home is one of the safest choices for owners who are infectious to such kinds of things.

But the fact to notice here is that just because the canine does not shed, it doesn’t mean that there are no grooming requirements for the canine.

The dog is mostly available in dark bluish-black and light silvery gray colors. Grooming session regularly is also necessary for the individual dog to remove the splitters from the hair and to keep the hair nourished and moisturized by stimulating the release of essential oils in the scalp of the canine.

Drooling potential (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

The dogs from the Dandie Dinmont Terrier club have a very low drooling potential as compared to other breeds, which means that the dog owners don’t have to suffer from the problems of unnecessary spots on the couches and pillow covers.

So based on this, we can say that these terriers from the Dandie dinmont terrier club are one of the best choices to go with for dog owners who are infectious and intolerant of the dirtiness of the canines. As in the case of this dog, the dog owner doesn’t have to put much effort into maintaining the cleanliness of the environment of the home.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Easy to groom (Rate: 3.5 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont terriers of the terrier breed clubs are one of those dogs which are easiest to groom.

The dog doesn’t shed due to hard hairs, but this doesn’t mean that the canine doesn’t have any grooming requirements to limit the growth of the canine to one-third of soft hair and to give the canine a clean appearance to put a positive impact on others. Daily brushing is necessary

The main requirement of grooming for Dandie dinmont’s terriers is to prevent the bacteria and infectious particles from getting trapped in the follicles of hair of the canine, which can lead to dead cells, dead hair, and hair fall that will eventually lead to skin issues to the canine which can make the pale fawn color look more fade.

The general health of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier (Rate: 4 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont terriers are found to get affected by a couple of diseases during their entire life. These diseases might not spread to the offspring produced from the canine but can cause a lot of trouble to the canine itself if it remains untreated for a long time, especially in the adult dog.

The health issues that the dog named dinmont terriers suffer through include Cheyletiella mites infections, intervertebral disk disease, spinal problems, and Glaucoma.

The owners are strictly suggested to go for a vet visit in such cases instead of going for any kind of home remedies for saving the pet from life-threatening health problems which can affect its living conditions.

Weight gain (Rate: 3 out of 5)

The Dandie Dinmont terriers, just like other breeds of small dogs, gain weight whenever they lose control over the diet.

It is common in cases of all canines that small dogs will be an effective weight gainer when unnecessary meal times are introduced into the diet of the canine, and the canine will get to eat nutritious enriched food products more than the requirement of its body.

Overeating may lead to obesity, loss of appetite, and many other issues which can be very difficult for the canine to handle. Thus it is better to keep the diet of the canine according to the requirements of its body and give moderate canine exercise.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Breed history of the Dandie dinmont terrier

Dog owners need to know about the breed history of the canines they are planning to adopt, as it will help the owner to know about the health of the canine and its basic needs.

The main purpose of creating this dog breed is to serve the border country during the world war, as they are one of the strongest dogs of that time. The puppy’s parents might have transferred this trait through the genes.

As per the research done, the breed was first discovered and originally bred on the border of the United States and Scotland and was noted as a distinct breed in early 1700 by the kennel club as a breed of the dinmont terrier club.

The name of this breed was derived from a fictional character from the novel by Sir Walter Scott mentioned in the history of the American kennel club.

There was no such great evidence regarding its general health available in the breed history of the canine, so to get the information regarding its health, the owner had to go for a detailed health checkup of the canine.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

FAQ’s

1. What is the price of the Dandie Dinmont Terriers?

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers are now available at a range of $ 1500 to $ 3000. It may also differ depending on the several health factors of the canine and the breed standard.

2. Are the Dandie Dinmont terriers rare species?

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers are one of the rare species among the breed terriers; these are mainly bred for hunting. Being rare in number every year, many Dandie Dinmont Terriers get into pet rescue centers and care shelters.

3. What is the average life expectancy of a Dandie Dinmont Terrier?

The average lifespan of a Dandie Dinmont Terrier is around 12 – 15 years, but it will also differ depending on the health of the canine and its immunity level.

4. Where the Dandie Dinmont Terriers originated?

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers originated from Scotland in the United Kingdom.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

5. How much is the approximate weight of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier?

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier weighs around 8.2 to 11 kg, whereas it may also exceed this depending on the diet of the canine.

6. Are the Dandie Dinmont Terriers Hypoallergenic?

Yes, the Dandie Dinmont Terriers are completely hypoallergenic, and it may mainly be because of the type of coat they possess.

7. How can you find a Dandie Dinmont Terrier to adopt?

You can find a Dandie Dinmont Terrier for adoption from animal shelters and dog rescue groups.

8. Are the Dandie Dinmont Terriers aggressive in nature?

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers are usually not aggressive; they are very calm and composed and always used to listening to the owner’s commands.

9. How much exercise should a Dandie Dinmont Terrier get per day?

To maintain the regulation of energy in the body of the canine and to keep the bowel movements in control, the dog owner should go for giving exercise sessions of almost thirty to fifty minutes per day to the canine, just like most terriers.

10. What is the coat type of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier?

The Dandie Dinmont Terriers usually possess thick coats with heavy and a mixture of hard and soft hairs.

Aapt Dubey
Aapt Dubey

Aapt Dubey, a devoted canine enthusiast and experienced dog Owner, brings boundless passion to our team. With a heart full of love for our four-legged friends, Aapt is dedicated to sharing insights on dog care, behavior, and training to make every pup's life happier and healthier at ItsAboutDog.com.

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