Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Scottish Terrier Breed Overview
- History of the Scottish Terrier Breed. Where Scottish Terriers came from
- What the Scottish Terrier Looks Like
- How Much is the Scottish Terrier Puppy?
- Best Scottish Terrier Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Scottish Terrier
- Scottish Terrier Growth
- What Colors do Scottish Terriers Have?
- The Temperament of the Scottish Terrier
- How Long Scottish Terriers Live
- Scottish Terrier Litter Size
- How Fast Scottish Terriers Can Run
- Good Names for Scottish Terriers
- How Intelligent are Scottish Terriers?
- How Popular are Scottish Terriers with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Scottish Terriers and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Scottish Terrier
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Scottish Terriers
- Other Things to Know About Scottish Terriers
Scottish Terrier Breed Overview
The Scottish Terrier is a small-sized dog.
The adult Scottish Terrier stands Up to 10 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Scottish Terrier belongs to the Terrier Dogs group.
Dogs in the Terrier Dogs group, like the Scottish Terrier, were originally bred to go underground to hunt rodents and other small wild animals (vermin).
Terriers come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, but all terriers are energetic, highly intelligent, and territorial. Terries also have the tendency to escape. They require a securely fenced yard.
The fact that the Scottish Terrier belongs to the Terrier Dogs group is one of the reasons why Scottish Terriers have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Scottish Terrier is generally described as:
- Alert
- Feisty
- Independent
- Playful
- Quick
- Self-assured
History of the Scottish Terrier Breed. Where Scottish Terriers came from
Scottish Terriers, or “Scotties,” are one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the world.
They were originally bred in Scotland as hunting dogs, and they are still used for this purpose today.
Scottish Terriers are small dogs with short legs and long bodies.
They have thick, wiry fur that is typically black, brown, or gray in color.
Scotties are known for being independent and fearless, as well as for their loyalty to their owners.
If you are looking for a Scottish Terrier of your own, be sure to visit a reputable breeder.
Scottish Terriers make great companion animals and can provide years of happiness to their owners.
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What the Scottish Terrier Looks Like
Scottish Terriers are small, compact dogs with short legs and a distinctive shape.
They have a long head with a short, flat muzzle and small, pointed ears.
Scottish Terriers typically have a wiry coat that is black, brindle, or wheaten in color.
The breed is believed to date back to the 1500s, when it was developed in Scotland for hunting vermin and other small game.
Scottish Terriers were first brought to the United States in the late 1800s, and they quickly became popular pets.
Today, Scottish Terriers are still prized for their hunting abilities, as well as their loyalty and affectionate nature.
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How Much is the Scottish Terrier Puppy?
The average price of a Scottish Terrier puppy is $1820. The price of a Scottish Terrier puppy ranges from $1495 to $2000.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Scottish Terrier. These factors include what health records the Scottish Terrier puppy has, the lineage of the Scottish Terrier puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Scottish Terrier based on the many factors that determine the price of the Scottish Terrier puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Scottish Terrier puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Scottish Terrier breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Scottish Terrier Breeders
We have researched reputable Scottish Terrier breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Scottish Terrier breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Scotland Yard Kennels
Puppy Price: $2000
Marco Aleman
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Karen Shuttlesworth
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
SB SCOTTIES VEGAS
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
McWilliams` Scots
Puppy Price: $2000
Adopting or Rescuing the Scottish Terrier
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Scottish Terriers included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Scottish Terrier named Scottie that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Scottish Terriers like Scottie on pefinder.com.
Mcguiness And Jezebel is the name of another Scottish Terrier (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Scottish Terriers that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Scottish Terrier Growth
New Scottish Terrier owners need to know about the growth of their Scottish Terriers. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Scottish Terrier will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Scottish Terrier early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Scottish Terrier puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Scottish Terrier at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Scottish Terrier
What Colors do Scottish Terriers Have?
Scottish Terriers come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Black
- Brown / Chocolate
- White / Cream
- Brindle
The Temperament of the Scottish Terrier
The temperament of the Scottish Terrier based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Scottish Terrier for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Scottish Terrier here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Dog Rivalry | 8.2 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 7.7 percent |
| Energy Level | 52.3 percent |
| Stubbornness | 43.2 percent |
| Prey Drive | 40.0 percent |
| Excitability | 37.6 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 3.9 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 29.3 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 22.5 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 21.2 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 19.9 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 19.7 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 15.5 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 10.6 percent |
How Long Scottish Terriers Live
The lifespan of the Scottish Terrier is typically from 11 to 13 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Scottish Terrier. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 59 pet Scottish Terriers lived.
From the study, it was found that Scottish Terriers have an average lifespan of 10.2 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Scottish Terriers to live as long as 17.5 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Scottish Terrier to live long.
Scottish Terriers live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Scottish Terrier to improve your Scottish Terrier`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Scottish Terrier live long.
Scottish Terrier Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 9 different Scottish Terrier birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Scottish Terriers can have is 5 puppies. Also, the Scottish Terrier can have as few as 4 puppies per litter and as many as 9 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Scottish Terrier will have depends on factors such as the age of the Scottish Terrier, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Scottish Terrier will have and how the litter size of the Scottish Terrier compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Scottish Terriers Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 41 different Scottish Terriers, the average speed of the Scottish Terrier is 14.6 mph (23.5 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Scottish Terrier ran in a race is 21.41 mph (34.5 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Scottish Terrier is 4.1 mph (6.6 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Scottish Terrier compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Scottish Terriers
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Scottish Terrier ranked by popularity:
- Ace
- Maxx
- Kc
- Macduff
- Mcarthur
- Scottie
- Zeuboose
- Lyman
- Liam
- Duke
How Intelligent are Scottish Terriers?
| Scottish Terrier | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 65 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 40 To 80 Repetitions! |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Scottish Terrier has an obedience intelligence rank of 65 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Scottish Terriers in the `Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Scottish Terriers tend to learn new commands after 40 to 80 repetitions!.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Doberman Pinscher | 5 |
| Rottweiler | 9 |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 10 |
| Pomeranian | 23 |
| Giant Schnauzer | 28 |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 34 |
| Norwegian Elkhound | 36 |
| Dalmatian | 39 |
| Bedlington Terrier | 40 |
| Curly-Coated Retriever | 41 |
| Kuvasz | 42 |
| Bichon Frise | 45 |
| American Foxhound | 46 |
| Italian Greyhound | 60 |
| Chinese Crested | 61 |
| Old English Sheepdog | 63 |
| Saint Bernard | 65 |
| Chihuahua | 67 |
| Basset Hound | 71 |
| American Bulldog | 77 |
How Popular are Scottish Terriers with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Scottish Terrier.
The popularity of the Scottish Terrier averaged over the years is Number 57 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Scottish Terriers and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Scottish Terrier is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Scottish Terrier puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Scottish Terrier breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Scottish Terriers for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Scottish Terriers here.
How to Take Care of Scottish Terrier
To take good care of your Scottish Terrier, you need to make sure that you groom your Scottish Terrier regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Scottish Terrier regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Scottish Terrier`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Scottish Terrier daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Scottish Terrier.
Also, you need to feed your Scottish Terrier high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Scottish Terrier from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Scottish Terrier and how much food to feed the Scottish Terrier at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Scottish Terrier has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Scottish Terrier needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Scottish Terriers
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Scottish Terrier.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Scottish Terrier:
- Lakeland Terrier (79 percent match with Scottish Terrier). Learn more about the Lakeland Terrier here.
- Puli (79 percent match with Scottish Terrier). Learn more about the Puli here.
Other Things to Know About Scottish Terriers
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Scottish Terrier that you need to know about the Scottish Terrier breed: