Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Known as the gentleman of the Terrier family, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier was developed in Cheviot Hills that border England and Scotland at some point in the 1600’s to the 1700’s, and although the full ancestry of the breed is lost to history, we do have some idea of what breeds may have contributed to its development. The rough Terriers that were native to the area are generally believed to be the basis for the breed, although fanciers are split as to whether or not the Terrier may have had early contributions from other breeds of dogs, such as Otterhounds or Dachshunds. They were bred mainly to hunt otters and badgers, and for this, they require a strong jaw and powerful neck, as well as a tenacious nature. When Sir William Scott created the character of Dandie Dinmont, he based him, at least in part, on a farmer named James Davidson who owned a pair of the Terriers named Tarr (short for Mustard) and Pepper. After the publication of Guy Mannering, friends and neighbors of Mr. Davidson recognized him in the character of Dandie Dinmont and began calling his dogs Dandie Dinmont’s Terriers, later adopting this name for their own similarly-built animals. At some point in the 1830’s, Sir William Scott chose to breed a female named Wasp to The Mertoun Dandie, producing a daughter by the name of Vixen. Around this time a dog of unknown parentage but fitting the Dandie Dinmont description was caught in a poacher’s trap on the land of the 5th Duke of Buccleuch 1839 and was named Old Pepper. Old Pepper was bred to Vixen and from this pairing came a dog known as Old Ginger, who is acknowledged as the “founding father” of the breed.