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Jack and Barbara Castracani
125 Fonda Road Waterford, NY 12188 (518) 237-4562
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Scottish Terrier FAQs
 General
Appearance
The Scottish Terrier is a small, compact, short-legged, sturdily-built dog
of good bone and substance. His head is long in proportion to his size. He
has a hard, wiry, weather-resistant coat and a thick-set, cobby body which
is hung between short, heavy legs. These characteristics, joined with his
very special keen, piercing, "varminty" expression, and his erect ears and
tail are salient features of the breed. The Scottish Terrier's bold,
confident, dignified aspect exemplifies power in a small package.
Size,
Proportion, Substance
The Scottish Terrier should have a thick body and heavy bone. The
principal objective must be symmetry and balance without exaggeration. Equal
consideration shall be given to height, weight, length of back and length of
head. Height at withers for either sex should be about 10 inches. The length
of back from withers to set-on of tail should be approximately 11 inches.
Generally, a well-balanced Scottish Terrier dog should weigh from 19 to 22
pounds and a bitch from 18 to 21 pounds.
Head
The head should be long in proportion to the overall length and size of the
dog. In profile, the skull and muzzle should give the appearance of two
parallel planes. The skull should be long and of medium width,
slightly domed and covered with short, hard hair. In profile, the skull
should appear flat. There should be a slight but definite stop between the
skull and muzzle at eye level, allowing the eyes to be set in under the
brow, contributing to proper Scottish Terrier expression. The skull should
be smooth with no prominences or depressions and the cheeks should be flat
and clean. The muzzle should be approximately equal to the length of
skull with only a slight taper to the nose. The muzzle should be well
filled in under the eye, with no evidence of snippiness. A correct Scottish
Terrier muzzle should fill an average man's hand. The nose should be
black, regardless of coat color, and of good size, projecting somewhat over
the mouth and giving the impression that the upper jaw is longer than the
lower. The teeth should be large and evenly spaced, having either a
scissor or level bite, the former preferred. The jaw should be square, level
and powerful. Undershot or overshot bites should be penalized. The eyes
should be set wide apart and well in under the brow. They should be small,
bright and piercing, and almond-shaped not round. The color should be dark
brown or nearly black, the darker the better. The ears should be
small, prick, set well up on the skull and pointed, but never cut. They
should be covered with short velvety hair. From the front, the outer edge of
the ear should form a straight line up from the side of the skull. The use,
size, shape and placement of the ear and its erect carriage are major
elements of the keen, alert, intelligent Scottish Terrier expression.
Neck,
Topline, Body
The neck should be moderately short, strong, thick and muscular, blending
smoothly into well laid back shoulders. The neck must never be so short as
to appear clumsy. The body should be moderately short with ribs
extending well back into a short, strong loin, deep flanks and very muscular
hindquarters. The ribs should be well sprung out from the spine, forming a
broad, strong back, then curving down and inward to form a deep body that
would be nearly heart-shaped if viewed in cross-section. The topline
of the back should be firm and level. The chest should be broad, very
deep and well let down between the forelegs. The forechest should extend
well in front of the legs and drop well down into the brisket. The chest
should not be flat or concave, and the brisket should nicely fill an average
man's slightly-cupped hand. The lowest point of the brisket should be such
that an average man's fist would fit under it with little or no overhead
clearance. The tail should be about seven inches long and never cut.
It should be set on high and carried erectly, either vertical or with a
slight curve forward, but not over the back. The tail should be thick at the
base, tapering gradually to a point and covered with short, hard hair.
Forequarters
The shoulders should be well laid back and moderately well knit at the
withers. The forelegs should be very heavy in bone, straight or slightly
bent with elbows close to the body, and set in under the shoulder blade with
a definite forechest in front of them. Scottish Terriers should not be out
at the elbows. The forefeet should be larger than the hind feet, round,
thick and compact with strong nails. The front feet should point straight
ahead, but a slight "toeing out" is acceptable. Dew claws may be removed.
Hindquarters
The thighs should be very muscular and powerful for the size of the dog with
the stifles well bent and the legs straight from hock to heel. Hocks should
be well let down and parallel to each other.
Coat
The Scottish Terrier should have a broken coat. It is a hard, wiry outer
coat with a soft, dense undercoat. The coat should be trimmed and blended
into the furnishings to give a distinct Scottish Terrier outline. The dog
should be presented with sufficient coat so that the texture and density may
be determined. The longer coat on the beard, legs and lower body may be
slightly softer than the body coat but should not be or appear fluffy.
Color
Black, wheaten or brindle of any color. Many black and brindle dogs have
sprinklings of white or silver hairs in their coats which are normal and not
to be penalized. White can be allowed only on the chest and chin and that to
a slight extent only.
Gait
The gait of the Scottish Terrier is very characteristic of the breed. It is
not the square trot or walk desirable in the long-legged breeds. The
forelegs do not move in exact parallel planes; rather, in reaching out, the
forelegs incline slightly inward because of the deep broad forechest.
Movement should be free, agile and coordinated with powerful drive from the
rear and good reach in front. The action of the rear legs should be square
and true and, at the trot, both the hocks and stifles should be flexed with
a vigorous motion. When the dog is in motion, the back should remain firm
and level.
Temperament
The Scottish Terrier should be alert and spirited but also stable and
steady-going. He is a determined and thoughtful dog whose "heads up, tails
up" attitude in the ring should convey both fire and control. The Scottish
Terrier, while loving and gentle with people, can be aggressive with other
dogs. He should exude ruggedness and power, living up to his nickname, the
"Diehard."
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