Breed Priorities – Dandie Dinmont Terrier

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274 – August, 2025

By Nikki Riggsbee

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier was named after a character in the book Guy Mannering written by Sir Walter Scott. The breed was first identified in the early 1700s, developed from rough coated terriers around the borders of England and Scotland. Initially they were named based on their coat colors–Mustard and Pepper. They were famed for their hunting prowess, initially going after otters and badgers.

Sir Walter Scott acquired some of these terriers and bred them. In 1815, he published the novel Guy Mannering. In the story, a farmer named Dandie Dinmont owned several of these dogs and raved about their hunting prowess. The book was popular, and the dogs became popular as well–and began being called “Dandie Dinmont” after the fictional farmer.

The British Dandie Dinmont Terrier club was formed in 1875, and the AKC recognized the breed in 1886. It is currently ranked 180th in AKC registration statistics. The Dandie is unlike other terriers, both in its curvy body shape and unique coat texture and color.

I was pleased to find nineteen breed experts, more than expected, to invite to take a survey on the breed’s priorities. Twelve agreed to participate. After reminders, seven completed surveys were received. Those who contributed have been in the breed for an average of over thirty-two years. All are judges and have been approved to judge the breed for over twenty-two years on average. Most have judged their national specialty and/or other Dandie specialties.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier Virtues

The experts prioritized a list of characteristics taken from the AKC Dandie Dinmont Terrier breed standard. The list below is in sequence by the average of the experts’ ranks, with 1 being the most important.

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274 – August, 2025

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