One
hundred and twenty years ago in Scotland there was no
dog that fit the standard for the breed that we know today.
Dog breeding generally was not familiar with the ideals
of beauty, while selection was based entirely on the working
abilities of the dog. Hard living conditions created a
type of dog not intended for the nobility, but for common,
modest people. They needed a small, active, strong and
self-reliant dog. He did not need much care, ate little
and for the most part caught its own food. He had to be
able to defend the yard and the livestock from foxes and
badgers, so he had to be brave disproportionately to his
size, with a long head and powerful jaws and teeth.
Such
a "big dog in a small package" we still know today. If
we compare his teeth to those of an Alsatian, we will
find that they are practically the same size. The firm,
sharp fur with dense under-fur protected him from the
cold and all sorts of bad weather. Large and strong front
paws enabled him to dig around the entrances of fox and
badger holes. Of course, animals such as rats and martins
were intruders in his environment, and were swiftly eliminated.
The neighbour's cat is a mortal enemy, and as a matter
of honour and reputation each Scottie carefully watches
this enemy to make sure that he does not cross the border.
This proud, stubborn and sometimes haughty dog was called
in his homeland "the cockerel of the north".
The
Scottish Terrier was and is a strong dog on short legs,
brave, self-reliant and sufficiently independent to do
what he judges best in a given moment. Hence, it is not
unusual that the breed which we know today has survived
for centuries. There have been some notable changes in
appearance, which is normal because the dog is not used
for the same purpose today as it once was.
He
is now heavier and rounder, with a shorter back, longer
hair and a modern "haircut" which gives him the looks
of a gentleman. This specific appearance has opened many
doors for him, including the catwalk and as an escort
to elegant ladies, although by the traditional English
classification of male and female escorts, a Scottish
Terrier is considered a "man's dog".
Everyone
remembers him from the most beautiful cartoon ever made
about dogs, "Lady and the Tramp" by Walt Disney, where
he acted as the retired captain with a Scottish tartan
overcoat. Paul Rab draws comics of a Scottish Terrier
named Rac, which is why this name is popular for the entire
breed in the USA. We all know the Black & White whisky
label, which features both a white West Scotland Terrier
and a black Scottish Terrier . Our grandmothers had bookmarks,
figures and brooches by Swarovsky in the shape of a Scottish
Terrier, while their husbands owned ties with the same
motif.
This
is the only breed of dog that has been in the White House
three times! President Roosevelt didn't go anywhere without
his famous Scottie Fala, while President George W Bush
can be seen entering the aeroplane with Barney, the current
"first dog" of the USA, in his arms. Barney recently got
a companion, Miss Beazley. The Americans are really a
special nation: when they really love something, they
go crazy over it. Hence, all information about the presidential
Scottie can be found on the web pages of the White House,
www.whitehouse.gov/barney/
with new photos every day, and the possibility of writing
Barney an e-mail. Hence, the Scottish Terrier became the
first breed of dog with access to electronic communication!
