Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Group: Terrier
Size: Medium
Coat length: Medium
Grooming required: More than once a week
Coat sheds: No
Home size: Small or Large House
Garden size: Small/Medium
Lifespan: Over 10 Years
Exercise: Up to 1 hour per day
They are a little dog with a long body and short legs. The head is quite large for the size of the dog with close hanging ears and a distinctive top knot of soft hair. They have a soft undercoat with harsher top coat which comes in shades of pale grey (pepper) or shades of pale brown (mustard).
They actually get their name from a character in a book and come from the border between England and Scotland where they were used to kill vermin.
Essentially, they are playful, intelligent, bold and affectionate but like all terriers, have a stubborn streak. They enjoy human company and are good with children, they can be trained to get on well with other dogs and cats but their terrier nature makes them less trustworthy around small mammals. Although active indoors, they need a good daily walk too.
They need to be brushed regularly, plucked twice a year and taken for professional grooming occasionally too.
Generally healthy, they can be affected by spinal issues due to their elongated body and there are some instances of cancer and hypothyroidism. The breed can also suffer from glaucoma and the breed clubs recommend that Dandies are tested throughout their lives.