MK: Scrappy, alert and compact. RM: Determined, bold and assertive. TP: Sturdy, loving and protective. FS: Head, body and showmanship. MT: Low, cobby and die-hard.
or exhibitors know me well enough to keep faulty bites out of my ring. I had vowed to stop applying after Terri- ers however and I am now permitted for 20 Hounds. TP: Let’s say I’m seeing a swing in size with wide range. Additionally, there are some dogs that are so over groomed that it detracts from the overall rugged, but sophisticated look of this wonderful breed. FS: On an average, the breed is pretty good with a few really good specimens out there. MT: I would first have to say that we certainly don’t see the numbers that existed years ago. I personally feel that people starting out today just don’t have the passion, for whatever reason, that we all had in the 70s and 80s. Showing Scotties requires a great deal of coat work to be competitive and I feel people want something more in the line of a wash-and-wear dog; and also, they don’t feel a need to have a champion. As long as they have a good, healthy house dog, they’re happy. Showing dogs is not an inexpensive venture. 3. What do breeders need to work on improving? BD: Breeders should be concentrating somewhat more on heads; getting the correct ears and eyes, along with the right shaped skull. Eyes should be almond shaped, small and dark, with a piercing look. Ears should be smallish, set high on a skull that is clean and not cheeky. Too many heads have large wide flaring ears and/or round and somewhat larger eyes that lend a soft expression. Scotties should have a hard, steely expression. This is a hallmark of the breed. KF: Basic structure that is correct for the breed type and overall balance and producing better males. GH: Breed to your picture of a Scottie—not what is winning. Winners don’t always work well in the long run. DH: We have some consistent faults, short upper arms being a real problem. This is a breed that should have a well laid back shoulder with an equal upper arm. The front leg should be set well under the dog. The forechest should be prominent and fill your hand, it has often been com- pared to the keel of a ship. One of our famous old time breeders summed it up nicely with, “Chest like a duchess, bum like a cook.” Coats are becoming a problem, we are seeing more soft and open coats in the ring today, that is something that would not have been tolerated in the past. CH: Too much variation in size and proportion. Remember the correct Scottish Terrier is about 10" tall and has a thick-set, cobby body that is hung between short, heavy legs. KH: Sickle hocks. Many of the Scotties in the ring today are sickle hocked. They must have a strong powerful rear that pushes off, with the back pads coming straight
2. How do you feel about the state of the Scottish Terrier today?
BD: I feel that Scotties as a breed are in pretty good shape today. I judge many specialties and am always able to find many fine examples of the breed. It is a pleasure to judge large entries of the breed today, both in the US and Canada, where I recently judged a specialty. KF: I am concerned that we are moving away from the basic precept from the standard, which is, “The prin- cipal objective must be symmetry and balance without exaggeration.” We are getting heads that are closer to a Fox Terrier than a Scottie. This is a breed that could take down badgers, they need a strong under jaw with a punishing bite to do this. This is also where balance can get thrown off. Many times exaggerated bodies follow to fit the long lean head. Shoulder structure, which is straighter than should be, putting the withers up into the neck. We are missing that wonderful keel extending in front of the shoulders. Very few Scotties have a proper roll to their gait as many are too long legged. They lack the short legs moving around the chest creating that jaunty strut which is propelled by true strong rear that should look like it is kicking gravel back at you. This is the biggest change I have seen in the last 20 years. GH: Some parts are better but the overall attitude, in gen- eral, has gotten much softer. I guess in the world of pet dogs that’s a must, but it gets away from the original farm pest killer and their mind set of telling you about it. DH: I think the breed is improving; it has gone through a period of tall, narrow dogs and seems to have come back to the broader, cobbier dog we all love. CH: The specials are usually quality, but classes vary in qual- ity dependent on the area and time of year. KH: Numbers are declining fast and it is scary—only 1,334 Scotties were registered in 2015. MK: I feel the breed is in pretty good shape. I especially see improvement in the Wheaten Scottie. When I first start- ing showing dogs, Wheatens as a rule had huge ears and, more often than not, were very large. RM: Terriers were my last group. I have not judged this breed to make many comparisons. Most Scotties seem to have balance and good temperaments with humans. I find some very soft coats when judging, and many Scot- ties seems to lack depth of body and carry less than a wonderful topline. I don’t recall ever finding a faulty bite in this breed. Breeders are to be complimented,
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