Scottish Terrier

...about my lovely friend and Scottish terrier named Lillian, or Lilly for short.

== History ==

This breed of terrier is deemed as being the oldest out of the terriers. In 1436 there was a book and it was describing a dog very similar to a Scottish terrier.

200 years later a portrait was done of a girl and she looked to be sitting next to a Scottish terrier although it could not be confirmed either. There ...
...gift all led to be Scottish terriers.
Over the years the breed has been named Aberdeen terrier and a mix up between a Cairn terrier and a West Highland terrier.

In 1934 the breed was finally recognised in this country by the kennel club and in America it is the third most popular breed of dog and still is going strong today.
The history behind this breed of dog changes with each person you speak to but I do firmly believe ... more

This review is about my lovely friend and Scottish terrier named Lillian, or Lilly for short.

History

This breed of terrier is deemed as being the oldest out of the terriers. In 1436 there was a book and it was describing a dog very similar to a Scottish terrier.

200 years later a portrait was done of a girl and she looked to be sitting next to a Scottish terrier although it could not be confirmed either. There is a rumour also that King James IV sent the French monarch 6 terriers a gift all led to be Scottish terriers.
Over the years the breed has been named Aberdeen terrier and a mix up between a Cairn terrier and a West Highland terrier.

In 1934 the breed was finally recognised in this country by the kennel club and in America it is the third most popular breed of dog and still is going strong today.
The history behind this breed of dog changes with each person you speak to but I do firmly believe they are the oldest of the terrier breeds.

My Dog Lillian

I got Lillian 6 years ago now and she was a tiny puppy much smaller than you would imagine for a dog which is quite small overall.
In the first week I had Lilly she developed Kennel Cough which is a life threatening disease which makes the dog cough all the time and she had to be kept in isolation for a period of 6 weeks to help her get over the illness but also stop it from spreading round to other people.

At the time I was living at home and it was tough to control the outbreak of the kennel cough as it can spread so easily. I developed a unique bond with Lilly as I was doing exams at school and when I returned home I kept on sitting with her for hours on end in this spare room we had and over time we got to have a great partnership which still remains strong today.

She had very thin fur when she first arrived and was a nice silky texture with this glossy finish which looked incredible. She was so powerful, you could make out her muscles in her thighs and back and it was a nice image of a dog looking healthy and it wasn’t long until her true colours begin to shine through.
She was getting large in length but the biggest concern in the world was her weight. She seemed to not eat much due to her small mouth and never wanted treats but her weight gain was so bad we had to have her looked at via a vet. They made her have the operation to stop the puppies coming and she seemed to lose some weight but not all of it.

Then within a six month period the weight began to rise and it was getting really bad. She weighed around 25 pounds in weight and was just so chunky and her tiny legs meant she struggled to walk anywhere for a long distance.

The next problem a rised when it was time for her to go for walks. She would at first on the journey begin to walk side by side with you with this little swagger and then at random pause and stop. She would sit down and not move until she was ready, this meant walks talking a few hours rather than about 20 minutes that they should have taken.

She was so stubborn and inside the house she has this attitude of looking miserable all the time, you talk to her and she looks at you with these big eyes and acts like she is not listening or interested in you one bit. She likes to run outside and bark at the birds but when you call her in you need to wait as she does not run in she strolls in as if she rules the house.

She has always been a real adventurer as well and when she is seeing people visit the house she hides round the curtains and when the door is open she tends to look round the curtain in this approval. If she likes who is there she will stroll back to the living room to her bed, but if she is not happy she tends to keep peering at them until she is sure they are ok. A very funny sight to see and extremely funny.
She has since developed this fur which is curly and can get knotted frequently so visits to the groomer is essential around once every 3 months and when she has finished her cut she looks so proud and happy. She has a little skirt left around her belly and it makes her stand out and look special.

Her problems are her miserable attitude but if you flirt with her in a manner of kind words and gestures she rolls over and loves the attention she is receiving and even goes as far as to snuggle up to you which is rare.
She doesn’t like visitors to the house and if anyone tries to play fight with me or try and tickle me she tries to warn them off with this powerful bark which echoes and vibrant inside the ear drums. I like this about her that she would be willing to stand up for me in any circumstance and that is comforting to know.

Temperaments

They are a breed who are lazy and not very good at doing any physical exercise at all.
They like to protect their owners which is good but if you let them keep doing it then it might result in people being scared but they never go to hurt anyone there bark is what makes them intimidating more than anything else.

They are very funny in how they approach life and they will growl at the slightest noise which they feel is going to cause them some harm. They are very loud in how they warn people away but there overall temperament is timid. They act shy with new people and the growling is a way to let people know they are there.
They are superb watchdogs and they tend to be alert as to where people are when they enter the home at all times. They will easily

I personally believe they are one of the most demanding dogs you can own and you need constant patience with them otherwise you end up pulling your hair out with their attitudes.
They are very determined and if they want something they won’t stop until they get it. If a cat runs past them, they want them to remain in the home and will try and get angry by jumping up the wall at them to say come back.

Caring for Lilly

Well she has water in a bowl in several locations throughout the house. I have one in the living room and a few more around the home incase she is asleep elsewhere and needs water.

He eating habits are quite funny, she loves a carrot as a treat compared to a special dog bone, so she is very unusual in that respect but she also doesn’t eat much at all. She has half the amount of dried food she is required to eat each day and still never manages to eat that either. So the cost of having this dog is quite low and the only cost would be the water you provide to her in the long run.
I buy a 20 kilo bag of dog food and it lasts for around 7 months so you can see she is a cheap breed to own.

Sizes

Well the sizes of this breed are varied for each gender. The males tend to weigh between 8.5-10kg (19-22 Pounds) and the females 8-9.5kg (18-21) pounds.
There height is not that great either and the maximum height you can expect from a Scottie is 10 inches and Lilly is around 9.5 inches so she is a good size overall.
I have to say even though Lilly is classed as overweight the vet did tell me that once the female has the operation they put extra weight on which is stubborn to remove.

Body Shape

You have to remember they are a small dog. They have enormous paws and I mean they can fit into the palm of your own hand and I love that because when you say ‘paw’ they have this large padded paw which is warm and very nice to handle.
They have very tiny legs which is their biggest problem because when they walk they seem to struggle if they are heavy in body weight and it pushes down on their legs.

Their heads are big but they have these large snouts which are funny because they can walk into objects at a young age because they are not aware of how big they are in the face. After time they get used to it and the body shape is solid and they never seem to have any body fat in them but just pure muscle.

Coat

The coat on a Scottie at birth is soft and gentle fur but as time increases this slowly changes into a more wiry coat and very much coarse. The beard they have is usually very funny and seems to grow at a large rate. This is something which needs constant attention throughout their life but overall the coat is easy to maintain with a good comb through now and then to remove and potential knots in the fur they might have.
The head and ears tend to have a slow growth rate for the fur which means you’re going to have a dog which has fantastic vision throughout.

Health Issues

The biggest issue is Cancer with this breed. There is rumoured to be six common cancers they can have and they are bladder, gastric carcinoma, cell carcinoma, lymphosarcoma, nascal carcinoma and transitional cell carcinomas.

Research has suggested that this breed is 20 times more likely to contract bladder cancer than any other breed of dog which is a high percentage and a worrying statistic.
The symptoms would include blood in the urine and struggling to visit the toilet and it would be painful for the dog to even move.

There are also some genetic health concerns and one of them is the Craniomandibular osteopathy which is a problem with the facial bones. They usually have this in the younger ages around 3-8 months and it is a problem to do with the bones and it can cause disfigurement and eventually surgery.
There is another problem regarding the platelets in the blood and this is not that common but can be a problem in the older ages of the breed.

Summary

This breed of dog is stubborn and in my honest view not to be used with smaller children. They wouldn’t harm a fly but they are so loud with their barks which they do in order to protect themselves and their owners that is can be pretty scary.
They are guard dogs in theory and lazy at the same time. They do not like any sort of affection unless they ask for it which is rare. They sit around and are always with an eye out for noticing what is going on.

I think this breed is unique because their attitude is so poor but yet they are loving in their own way but it takes a while to discover.
I paid for my dog over £350 and she did get sick but she got over that instantly.
Insurance wise she costs me £12 a month which is not too bad and it can be much higher than this.
She is my angel and I love her attitude of not taking any prisoners and it is how I sometimes feel, we are strong because I was there when she was sick, and she has always been there for me when I am down as well.
Only purchase if you are patient as they are not a dog breed which is going to be all around you craving attention.
 

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