Publications

LIVING WITH A DANDIE

The Dandie is the gentleman of the terrier group, more placid and quiet than most of his terrier cousins. He is relatively calm and sensible, quite placid, unless his terrier is aroused.
At that point he becomes all-terrier and will pursue whatever interests him with tenacity.
The Dandie is a companion dog par excellence: to his fans he has no equal. He thrives on being with those he loves and doesn't take kindly to being locked away; he is a miserable kennel dog.
A well-socialised Dandie taken everywhere from the time he's very young will grow into a most reliable canine companion.

I often think of them a person in a fur coat .those eyes, that look. They have a special affinity to read your mind and mood, and adapting to being exactly the kind of dog to suit the moment. Dandies who grow up with a noisy young family will often be more spirited than those who grow up as a companion to a older person living alone. That is not to say that one situation is preferable over the other, but you will see a difference. THE Dandie is the self-appointed head the welcoming committee of your household. When any remember of his family arrives home, he rushes to the door with a little conversation and the whole of his being wagging. After a few pats and cuddles, he is content to lie in his bed watching, but with own eye open, not missing any move you make.

He will be resting quietly by your side but the moment you get up to do something, he will be at your heels to help you with whatever it is you're going to do.
The same applies to your guests. All should expect a enthusiastic greeting lasting about ten minutes and then the Dandies disappears to his bed or special corner.
Dandie loves to be under something, often making the spot under a coffee or corner table their own. As your guests bid you good-bye, your Dandie will appear out of nowhere and see them to the door. No Dandie thinks of himself as anything but a fully fledged member of the family.
By now you know the Dandie's eyes and expression could melt the heart of a stone. These creatures with their big round dark brow eyes and crowning topknot appear to be angelic. They are some of the time, but these are not lady's lap dogs. They are real dogs who need a alpha owner but with soft touch, as the Dandie is a big dog in a small package

Dandies are puppies for the first year and for the next 12 months they are typical teenagers, enthusiastic about everything they like to do, boisterous, energetic, and full of themselves, not too different from two-legged. It is during this time that your Dandie will require your firm but loving touch. At about three to four years of age, the Dandie becomes a calm, sensible and responsible member of the household who can be trusted to remember what it is you like and what you dislike.
Dandie puppies should attend puppy kindergarten, special classes set up for puppies between 16 weeks and 6 months of age where they learn the basics of obedience training. They learn to walk nicely by your side, sit and lie down on command, come when they're called, well…maybe.
Dandies are notorious for hearing you call them but continuing to do what they are doing at the time as if to say, Yes, I hear you but I' ll be another minute or two. After graduating from kindergarten, it is best to carry on with the Novice beginning obedience course, designed for dogs 6 to 12 months of age. Your Dandie will never be the star of the class, preferring to leave the precision obedience work to those breeds who enjoy it, but he will learn well enough to please you. This is not to say that Dandies can't qualify for obedience titles, as they can and do, it's just they are not the breed selected by diehard obedience enthusiasts.

A person who enjoys obedience training Dandies for competition is obviously equipped with a marvellous sense of humour and a gift for keeping training sessions enjoyable and entertaining for both man and dog.

The Dandie is not a naturally a guard dog but fulfils the job because of his big voice. From behind a closed door he sounds like a very big dog indeed. He is a gifted with keen hearing and a curious nature so a strange sound will rouse him from his bed in a flash to investigate. This is normally all the deterrence a burglar needs who will usually move to a house without a noisy dog given the option! "

SELECTION OF DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER BOOK BY BETTY-ANNE STENMARK