detect shyness in the dog’s eye and this should be the criterion rather than the inflexible turndown on showmanship” (Marvin 1982, 167). “He is a king, a laird, a chief and will meet you as friend and equal, but not as servant or menial. His allegiance, his loyalty and his trust must be gained by fair and sympathetic treatment...” (Penn-Bull 1983, 98). The Scottie is bigger than he looks in mind and body. He, by nature, is a cou- rageous dog that possesses a keen hunt- ing instinct. Being highly intelligent, he is both strong willed and loyal to his owners. The Scottie does not respect just anyone and barely tolerates atten- tion from strangers. It has been quoted that Scottish Terrier owners must be confident enough to love a dog that feels openly superior to them. Judges may see one or more Scot- tie Terrier idiosyncrasies in the ring: stopping or backing up to assess the situation, the “Scottie Shake”, disliking their muzzle clamped, boredom from excessive waiting or repetition or act- ing dour or aloof (even in a spar). The old English standard has these words, “The dog should look willing to go any- where and do anything.” It is because of this distinct temperament that you can often see the Scottie at his best when sparring. PURPOSE OF SPARRING Sparring is to see real Terrier char- acter which is a confident and digni- fied attitude with no sign of shyness or timidity. What one should see is a confident, dignified, tough dog who won’t back down from a challenge. When spar- ring, the dog should collect himself and appear on full alert, tail and ears up with excitement. He boldly stands four- square and protects his space. He may stare down his opposition or look away, as if to give the other dogs the opportu- nity to leave with their dignity intact. If the other dogs don’t back down,
he may start a ruckus, but he should return to control when asked to do so by his handler. Sparring should never make a Scottie uncontrollable. After sparring, a Scottie should walk away with an air of strength and firmness to signify confidently that he has asserted his superiority like a gentleman. GUIDELINES FOR SPARRING • Not all dogs have to be sparred to determine attitude. • Separate overly feisty dogs early. • Split large classes. • Announce your guidelines to exhibitors. • Do not allow handlers to use other dogs as bait. • Sufficient time should be allowed for dogs to notice each other. • Sparring puppies with adult dogs should be avoided. • Control your ring. Direct handlers to maintain distance between dogs. • Spar 2-3 dogs being considered. • Be confident about the sparring process. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Darle Heck’s parents raised and showed Scotties; she has been show- ing Scotties since she was a child. Darle has produced top-ranked, Best in Show and Best in Specialty Show Scotties in Canada, the US and around the world. She has judged Scottish Terrier National Specialties in numerous countries, including Canada and the US at their National Rotating and Montgomery County. Darle is a breed mentor for the Scot- tish Terrier Club of America and is on their standards committee and their education committee. She has illus- trated and co-authored the illustrated guides for the Scottish Terrier Club of America, the Canadian Scottish Ter- rier Club and the Australian Scottish Terrier Club. In addition, Darle has published many articles on Scotties in many different publications.
Key Elements of the Scottish Terrier Type
TEMPERAMENT Shows true terrier temperament, no shyness or timidity. LOW TO GROUND Deep brisket ending below the elbow. Compact from withers to tail, however, longer from point of chest to point of rump. Obvious fore chest and obvious rear shelf add to length.
HEAVY BONE & SUBSTANCE
For the size of the dog.
LONG HEAD In proportion to the size of dog, skull medium width, good fill under eye, good strength of muzzle with sizable teeth.
HARSH OUTER COAT & DENSE UNDERCOAT To protect dog from injury to inclement weather. MOVEMENT Gait is unique to the breed with forelegs that incline slightly on accel- eration while rear legs move true. A correctly built Scottish Terrier should cover ground well despite his short legs.
276 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2017
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