Scotties: The Working Dog That Never Was
Scottish Terrier Club of America, 1915
Most people do not know that the Cairn Terrier, the West Highland White and the Scottie were considered the same breed of dog until the last two decades of the 19th Century. As late as 1900 it was said that these three "breeds" could, in fact, be found in the same litter.
Until the last decade of the 19th Century, the term "Scottish terrier" was less of a description of a specific breed of dog than it was a geographical suggestion of where a wide array of dogs was said to originate from.
Within the "Scottish terrier" umbrella, were Cairns, Westies, Skye, and "Aberdeen" terriers. It was this last dog that was transformed into the "Scottie" we know today.
The Scottish Terrier was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1885 and the first "Scottish Terrier Club" was created in England in 1887, and in Scotland in 1888.
Yes, those dates are correct -- the Scottish terrier breed name was recognized in the U.S. before England, and in England before Scotland. Clearly this was a breed made in the ring and not in the ground!
In fact, it was not until 1917 that the Kennel Club of Great Britain prohibited interbreeding between Scotties, Westies and Cairns -- the first step toward true breed recognition.
By 1917 few Scotties were being worked, and for a very simple reason: the dogs were too big.
Today's breed description for the Scottie is of a dog with a chest that is "very deep & broad" -- the exact opposite of what one wants in a working terrier!
Due to large heads, enormous chests, and excessive body weight, many of today's Scotties are born Cesarean. It is hard to imagine a clearer indication of how much show-ring breeders have distorted this dog to the point of ruination.
- Related Links
** Great Scots Magazine: Pushing for Better Health
** Great Scott, That's a Good Breed Health Study!
This post is recycled from February of 2009.
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Labels: AKC, chest size, Scottie, Specific terrier breeds, Working Dog
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8 Comments:
I also thought that Skye terriers were in that mixture, too, because the Cairns were called "short-coated Skyes" at one point. Both of these dogs descend from the Skye landrace of Scottish earth dogs. There were once working Sky terriers, but they were more like what we think of as cairns, not the rare long-bodied, very soft-coated, and very aggressive dogs with that name today.
Also, golden, Labrador, and flat-coated retrievers could all appear in the same litter as late as 1916, and English springer, English cocker, and Field spaniels could all be found in the same litter although not to such late a date.
The fancy likes to split and speciate when it should be lumping and encouraging diversity.
The real dogs from which the Scottie (haha my name) descends are the Highland and Aberdeen strains of the old Scottish terrier landrace. But these dogs were about the size of a Cairn terrier, but they had the longer muzzle.
See >> http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2006/06/dogs-been-dead-long-time.html
This is just another dog dealers dog. Almost gone, and no loss in my opinion, but each to his own, including the hairdressers.
P
One thing, Patrick: It's hard to put into words the character these dogs possess. As one of the breed's luminaries has written, people are attracted to the way Scotties look, but they stay with the breed because of these dogs' great souls. I confess I am addicted--but I am also heartbroken by the steady, perhaps inexorable decline of what once was a diehard little ratter.
Lisa in Cape May County, NJ
That's how I feel about Border Terriers. As solid a dog, between the ears, as ever existed. Also healthy. Too big for work, and coats as greasy as a wheel axle, but otherwise great dogs.
I salute your side of the Scottie community. It is BECAUSE you love the dogs that you stand for them, unflinching, to talk about their health needs. It is patriotism that you will not stand for pain.
And what are we to say of those who would look the other way? That they do not deserve to ever hold a leash!
Patrick
When I was born, there was already a one year old Scottish Terrier bitch living in my parents' house. She died 12 years later in my lap, and I have always loved the look of the breed and the attitude many of them seemed to possess, although I doubt I would ever own one again, especially because of how the breed has changed (and because they just aren't practical on a California farm).
Your post would explain why, when my family went to Scotland we were shown all manner of dogs and told that they were "Scottish Terriers". They looked nothing, and I mean nothing like what we had at home. It seemed to us that they called just about anything with four legs a Scottish Terrier. At the time, we found this quite confusing and chalked it up to being regarded simply as dumb tourists.
The dog we call a Scottish terrier is a merger between the type called the Highland terrier (which was very similar to a Cairn or a Westie) and the Aberdeen terrier, which was larger but had a smoother coat than the dog we call a Scottish terrier:
http://www.messybeast.com/history/aberdeenhighland.jpg
The cairn type seems to be more common in the northern reaches of Scotland. The Westie and the Cairn are very similar, and the dogs of this type from the Hebrides were often put with the Skye terriers.
Of course all of this stuff is invented stuff cooked up by dog peddlers and Kennel Club types.
In fact, there are only three kinds of terriers in the world: those that work below ground (the only true terrier), those that work above ground (which any dog can do), and those that do not work at all.
Remember, breeds are a Kennel Club and dog show construct. The critter does not care what color, what coat, what tail, or what name.
In the field the line is as clear as the difference between life and death. Worker to worker, coat and color hardly matter.
P
Scotties are not common where I live ( north east of england ) Though I had the misfortune to meet one when taking my dog to the vet , it was attacking everyone who went past .
Its batty owner came out and screamed at it a few times but didnt stop it. It didnt dare have a go at me though ;)
The Terrier of choice here is the west highland white , and I really do not see the appeal. I have worked as a dog groomer and they are bow legged wooly coated greasy scabby dogs , who fart all the time.
They Are always filthy as their coats soak up any dirt they go near , their thick beards get covered in food , the hair around their eyes gets gunky and their fluffy back ends get covered in crap .
on top of that you have to pay to have them shaved every 8 weeks for their entire life.
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