Fun Dandie Dinmont Terrier Facts For Kids

Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a dog breed that originated on the border between Scotland and England. It was first developed as a general breed, but later was renamed after a character from a Sir Walter Scott's novel 'Guy Mannering'.

The Dinmont Terrier is a tiny Scottish dog of the terrier family. These dogs with short legs are generally hardy breeds, and might have issues in climbing stairs because of these short legs.

As per the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club, Dandie Dinmont Terriers possess a silky coat in two shades, and are also known as pepper and mustard terriers.

Their pepper color varies from light silver-gray to a dark black-blue, and the mustard one ranges from fawn to reddish-brown. This dog breed is known for its scimitar shaped tail and sturdy yet flexible body.

Dandie Dinmont Terriers heads are almost white in shade. The coat color gets fixed by eight months of age, while the dog fully matures by the age of two.

After reading these Dandie Dinmont Terrier facts, do check our other articles on miki dog and Kunming wolfdog.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Dandie Dinmont Terrier?

Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a dog breed that is small in nature. These small dogs are very confident and full of attitude. They possess a unique look with their long body and a scimitar tail.

Dandies are very well-mannered but at the same time they can be very aggressive. Dandie Dinmonts are devoted, playful and friendly.

They don’t like being involved in packs and believe in bonding with one person at a time. Dandies also like being in a family but remain constricted to that family only. With that, a Dandie Dinmont is an alert watchdog and has extremely loud bark despite being noiseless and high-strung.

What class of animal does a Dandie Dinmont Terrier belong to?

Dandie Dinmont Terriers belong to the Mammalia class. This class species are known for being vertebrates who possess mammary glands. They feed their young ones with the milk they produce. They also possess fur or hair, a neocortex and three middle ear bones.

How many Dandie Dinmont Terriers are there in the world?

It is gauged that there are approximately only 3,000 Dandie Dinmont Terriers left in the world. This has listed them as the rarest breed of all dogs. The reason for their limited species number is that they are also one of the oldest dog breeds, so not many are left in the world.

Where does a Dandie Dinmont Terrier live?

Primarily owned by Romani people, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier was recognized as the mustard and pepper terrier. The Dandie Dinmont dogs popularity was restricted to the borders of England and Scotland, and for a long period of time were used for hunting purposes.

Nowadays, they are a rare species, but many people keep them as a pet. Thus, currently, they reside in loving homes and enjoy being around their family.

What is a Dandie Dinmont Terrier's habitat?

Dandie Dinmont Terriers are a dog breed that loves to play in yards under appropriate protection. They like digging, so owners must keep watch to ensure that they don’t dive into digging big holes. They are comfy in moderate climatic conditions, and they cant handle extreme weather too well.

Who do Dandie Dinmont Terriers live with?

Dandie Dinmont Terrier dogs usually enjoy the company of people. If kept at home without exercise for a long duration, they can gain weight. They need regular walks to stop themselves from gaining weight. They love to live with loving families and are usually pretty playful.

How long does a Dandie Dinmont Terrier live?

A Dandie Dinmont Terrier lives between 12 and 14 years when given proper medical care, nutrition and the right living conditions.

How do they reproduce?

Reproduction between the male and female Dinmont starts with a dog sniffing the females vulva. If she is responsive, she will pull her tail to the side in a move known as flagging.

The male then forms a breeding tie with the female by mounting and ejaculating. The breeding tie lasts for around three to 30 minutes. The bulbous gland of the male reduces post ejaculation, and if breeding is successful the female will give birth to approximately three to six Dandie Dinmont Terrier puppies at a time.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Dandie Dinmont breed is Endangered. It is feared that in a few years the purebred dogs of this breed might go extinct. This breed has been put on the list of Endangered species by the Kennel Club, UK. This species of terrier are even more endangered than giant pandas.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier Fun Facts

What do Dandie Dinmont Terriers look like?

A Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a dog breed that are low towards the ground, and they have a longer than average body. Dinmonts heads are broad between their ears and tapered towards their eyes.

These small dogs have a deep and well-defined muzzle. Their lips are dark, while the nose is large and shady.

They have rounded, wide-set and large eyes which are dark hazel in shade with eye rims that are also quite dark. Their ears are low, wide and pendant shaped and are pretty close to their cheeks. As for legs, the legs of this terrier breed are short, with the front legs being a little shorter than the back legs.

This dog also has a scimitar shaped tail and a flexible body. Their coat colors can be divided into two broad categories, pepper and mustard.

How cute are they?

Dandie Dinmonts are very cute and fluffy. Despite having a coarse coat, these dogs are playful and worth getting cuddles from. Their faces are super sweet, and their character is full of expression and brightness.

How do they communicate?

Dandie Dinmont Terriers use auditory communication and vocalization which includes growls, barks, whines, screams, pants, howls, sighs and whimpers. Dogs of this breed also communicate through gustatory communication using pheromones and scents. Humans can communicate with dogs in a number of ways.

This broadly involves hand signs, touch, vocalizations and body posture. Dinmonts also communicate to humans by reading their facial expressions and determining their emotional gestures and status. They also express themselves by their tails and ears.

How big is a Dandie Dinmont Terrier?

Dandie Dinmont Terriers are 8-11 in (20-27 cm) tall, which classes them as a short dog. They are around ten times smaller than a pitbull terrier. Dandie Dinmont Terrier females can grow up to a maximum of 8 in (20 cm) height, while the males can grow to a maximum of 11 in (27 cm) height.

How fast can a Dandie Dinmont Terrier run?

Dandie Dinmont Terriers can run pretty fast, and thus are agile dogs. Despite being agile, these pet dogs do best when taken for a walk or running around a closed fence. Also, chasing a toy or ball keeps a Dinmont active and occupied for hours. These dogs are known to have medium to high energy level.

How much does a Dandie Dinmont Terrier weigh?

Dandie Dinmont Terriers weigh approximately 18-24 lb (8.1-10 kg). In extreme cases, Dandie Dinmont males are about 11 in (27 cm) tall with 24 lb (10 kg) in weight. The females are 8 in (20 cm) tall with 18 lb (8.1 kg) in mass.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There isn’t any specific name given to the male species of Terrier Dandie Dinmont. A male Dinmont is known as a dog.

As for a female Terrier Dandie Dinmont, they are called a bitch. This is the same for any dog breed. The best age to breed a Dinmont dog is age two, while for a bitch it can range from six months to one year of age.

What would you call a baby Dandie Dinmont Terrier?

Dandie Dinmont Terrier babies are known as puppies. An average Dinmont puppy weighs approximately 2.2-3.3 lb (0.9-1.4 kg). Healthy pups grow fast and gain their features and fur pretty quickly. The puppies change their coat with maturity and age.

What do they eat?

This dog breed eats around one cup of dry dog food per day. It usually splits its meal into two.

It is good to invest a little time in searching for an ideal brand of food, recommended by veterinarians. Cheap brands will prove to be less nutritious and are generally made of fillers that will affect your terriers health.

How much a Dandie must eat varies primarily on their metabolism, size, age and activity level. The ancient Dandie Dinmont Terrier used to feed on vermin, mice and rats and were helpful for farmers to keep pests away.

Are they hypoallergenic?

Yes, this dog breed is hypoallergenic. This means that Dinmonts shed their coat very little. The coat of these terriers has a crisp texture.

It is somewhat a mixture of soft and hard fur with a very soft skin layer on the underside of their body. Their upper layer, though, is hard but isn’t coarse.

So, if you are someone who is allergic to dogs, or someone who simply doesn't like dog fur on clothing and furniture, Dandie Dinmont Terriers are the perfect dog to adopt.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they would make an excellent pet. Dandie Dinmont Terrier puppies are a great choice for a house or an apartment. These pet dogs don’t need much exercise and adapt to almost all kinds of circumstances due to their medium energy level.

They get along best with older children, but never leave the small ones alone. These pet dogs may, or may not, do well with other animals but they are very protective of their human family. Since they have long hair, they do need regular grooming.

Did you know...

One fun fact about Dinmonts is that this dog breed was bred to hunt otters and badgers. Thus, despite being tiny and little, these pet dogs possess a great fighting spirit.

However, due to their long body they are highly prone to spinal issues like intervertebral disc slips. Also, this dog breed is more easily affected by canine cancer when compared to other breeds.

The great thing about them is that, though they can be very temperamental and tough, these pet dogs are very undemanding. This makes them a great canine companion for owners who don’t want to possess a very needy dog breed.

A letter written by James Davidson proclaimed that all Dandies descended from two of his dogs named Tarr and Pepper. Pepper is one of the most well known names in this history of this breed.

The fictional character Dandie Dinmont was based on a real life farmer named James Davidson, and featured in the famous novel 'Guy Mannering' by Sir Walter Scott.

These dogs can cost anywhere between 1,300 USD and 1,500 USD, depending on the breeder you go to.

Are Dandie Dinmont Terriers rare?

Currently, Dandie Dinmont Terriers are considered amongst the most Endangered and rare species of all purebred dogs. With being ancient, these pet dogs are unique looking, amazing, and charming in nature. They’ve been put on the list of Endangered Native Dog Breed by the Kennel Club England, as many fear that they’ll soon be Extinct.

Do Dandie Dinmont Terriers shed?

Yes, this breed sheds moderately but at times they barely shed at all. Despite shedding so little, they require regular grooming and brushing to maintain their cleanliness. Grooming and brushing also helps to prevent their hair from shedding excessively.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including corgi beagle mix, or dachshund beagle mix.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Dandle dinmont terrier coloring pages.