Dog Breeds > Dandie Dinmont Terrier
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is today’s rarest of all pure breeds and in danger of extinction. It is also called as the Dandie and the Hindlee Terrier belonging to the Terrier group. This breed of dog is initially bred to go to the ground but has been developed to hunt otter, badger, rabbit, martens, weasels and skunks. If you are someone who’s looking for a buddy, this frivolous and loving dog is certainly the right one for you.
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Fascinating Facts
Dandie Dinmont Terrier which is amongst the most endangered breed of dog today originated from the countries of England and Scotland and had been traced to exist during the 1700s. This breed of dog was named by Sir Walter Scott based on a farmer character in his novel entitled “Guy Mannering ". It is the only breed of dog to have been given a name after character in a fictional story.
Physical Appearance
On the average, Dandie stands about 8-11 inches (20-28 cm.) and weighs 18-24 pounds (8-11 kg.). Literally, this breed of dog is longer than it is tall.
The head of this breed has a silvery white topknot that is large but is in proportion with its body together with a broad skull gradually narrowing the eyes. Its eyes are large and round with a dark hazel color matching its dark lips and moderately large nose. Its ears are wide and approximately 3-4inches in size.
The legs are short with its back legs longer than the front ones. The tail is like a curved sword covered with crisp coats either mustard or pepper in color which is a mixture of soft and hard hairs.
Grooming
Though silky, its hair must be brushed routinely and because of the type of coat it carries, professional grooming is highly recommended. Plucking of its dead hair is advised twice a year. But one good thing about this breed is that, it sheds a little to no hair.
Mood
They have the nature of chasing smaller animals like rabbits and skunks. This is their form of play. But being small in size, some dogs of this breed develop what we call Small Dog Syndrome where the dog believes that it is the king and it owns everything, in this instance its owner must be able to establish themselves as alpha dog or else Dandie will create its dominant role all the time. They are comfortable around people but it must be trained to socialize well because it tends to be very aggressive towards other people or strangers.
With Children
A companion, this is basically how this breed of dog is described. It deals well with families and children of all ages. It is very playful, fun loving, intelligent, loyal and adorable. It is important that children are prevented from trying to carry the dog because it may get spoiled.
Training & Exercise
Even consider as a little dog buddy, Dandie loves physical activities or challenges or even games as mental stimulation in preventing tediousness and sluggishness. Though not known as a high energy dog, it loves to play around especially in open areas. It also needs to be taken for a walk regularly.
Health & Life Expectancy
The normal life expectancy of this breed of dog is approximately 12 – 25 years. It occasionally experiences health problems such as glaucoma and hypothyroidism as it grows older. It could also develop back problems when not exercised on a regular basis especially if it’s overweight that is why it is suggested to feed this breed in small amounts to maintain its weight within the normal parameters.
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