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Dandie Dinmont Terrier History
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In the 1700s, two types of distinct terriers were emerging throughout Britain. One type had a long back, short legs and a rough coat, and the other was smooth-coated with a shorter back. Both terriers were used to kill vermin as well as other ground animals such as otters and badgers. At the time, the long-backed, rough-coated terrier was seen as better suited to the job because its coat could withstand any weather or environment, it had a strong sturdy body, and its jaws were very powerful. In the early 1800s, controlled breeding of dogs for certain duties became very popular and Scotland focused on the short-legged, rough-coated breeds. Out of these breedings, various types of terriers emerged, one being the Dandie Dinmont Terrier.
The breed owes its name and popularity to an 1814 novel by Sir Walter Scott titled Guy Mannering, in which a character named Dandie Dinmont owned a pack of these impressive terriers; the Dandie Dinmont is the only AKC-recognized breed to be named after a fictional character. The dog's small size and big personality made the decision to bring them to America easy, and the dogs earned their keep during trans-Atlantic passages by killing rats and entertaining the crew. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1886, just two years after the AKC itself was founded.
