Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Other names: Dandie, Hindlee Terrier, Charlie’s Hope Terrier, Mustard & Pepper Terrier
‘The gentleman of the terrier family,’ ‘the world’s oldest terrier,’ ‘Scotland's forgotten breed’ – the Dandie Dinmont Terrier has quite the reputation to those in the know. But it nearly came to nought as the breed dwindled towards extinction as recently as 2015-2016, before staging a mighty, yet incomplete, comeback. He’s long, very long like a sausage dog, covered in a double coat of which the top layer is not quite wiry, and he’s capped by a top-knot of silky hair like a little old lady. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is really quite a fabulous fellow and it’s difficult to see how he has become such a troublingly rare breed.
Key facts about the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Origins and history
We know of the Dandie from as far back as the year 1700, although he would not get his name until the 19th century, when novelist Sir Walter Scott created a character (in his novel “Guy Mannering”) based on the real life dog breeder James Davidson ; the character was named Dandie Dinmont, a farmer, and it is whispered that every modern Dandie can trace his lineage to Davidson’s real life terrier, Old Ginger.
In fact, Old Ginger has his own statue at Selkirk, where the dog was born. It’s possible the breed originated as a cross between a Scottish Terrier and a Skye Terrier.
The Dandie prevailed admirably over the years, his unique appearance aptly matched by his status as the only dog breed named after a fictional character ; Louis I of France had two of the fellows at his feet, and in 1875 the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club (DDTC) was founded – today it is the third eldest breed club in the world.
However, by the turn of the latest century, the Dandie was in trouble, with barely two-dozen pups being registered per year (way below the 300 required to surpass ‘vulnerable’ status).
Thanks to campaigning efforts by those such as breeder Paul Keevil, pup numbers have risen modestly without reaching safety. The kennel building where Old Ginger was born is being restored as a Dandie ‘discovery centre’ and work is being done to raise the profile of this rather unknown dog who suffers from fashionability rather than any practical or aesthetic drawback.
FCI breed nomenclature
FCI Group
Group 3 - Terriers
Section
Section 2 : Small sized Terriers
Physical characteristics of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Adult size
Female : Between 10 and 12 in
Male : Between 10 and 12 in
Weight
Female : Between 18 and 24 lb
Male : Between 18 and 24 lb
Coat colour
Pepper (dark blue-grey with silver-white topknot) or Mustard (reddish brown-pale fawn with cream-white topknot and darker feet/legs).
Type of coat
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier's hair is medium length.
Double coat : soft, lint-like undercoat and crisp (not wiry) overcoat. Feathered legs and a silky topknot.
Eye colour
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier's eyes are dark hazel.
Description
His long body and arched back soar past front legs that are little more than elongated feet before coming to a surprising conclusion : a bouffant hair-do (or ‘top-knot’) on his head. The Dandie’s seductive eyes are large and round and set quite far apart. His ears are pendulous and hang low, giving him the look of distinguished archivist. His black button nose caps a muzzle that barely got started. While he is proportionately built, that fabulous hairdo and beard add inches to his head, giving the impression that it has been swapped for that of a darling old man. While Robert Smellie’s famous painting of the breed appears to be somewhat naive and caricatured, it is a peculiar paradox of this breed that its appearance heeds Smellie’s description yet retains a sense of dignity at the same time. A dandy, indeed.
Good to know
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is rare among dog breeds for having his own tartan : a black and yellow variation given him by the Duke of Buccleuch.