No, we are NOT the dog in the Wizard of Oz; that was our cousin, the Cairn terrier. We are the dogs who adorn bottles of the best Scotch, and who used to represent Scott Tissues; for some reason, we appear on pajamas a lot. And what would the game of MonopolyŽ be without the little dog piece (you guessed it, that's one of us!). Probably the most famous Scottish terrier was Fala, President Franklin Roosevelt's dog. George W. Bush has one too, named Barney! A LITTLE SCOTTIE HISTORY First, there was the Scottiesaurus . . . just kidding! Many theories exist as to our exact origin, but most of them agree that, around 1870, a dog of the size and shape we are today was being shown as a Scotch terrier, or Aberdeen terrier, named for the town in which it was raised. Though many terrier breeds evolved in Scotland, we were the ONLY one deemed worthy to bear the national name of bonny Scotland itself! Terriers (which indicates how close to "terra", or earth & ground we are) were bred for one purpose and one purpose only: to stomp some vermin butt! The tough-minded, no-nonsense farmers of Scotland and the British Isles needed a dog they could just turn loose who would not be afraid to tackle any kind of varmint, from the "wee, sly" little mouse to the vicious badger. Our distinctive shape came about as a result of the need for a dog who could go right into a fox hole or badger's den and pull the animal out, where we could shake it to death (sorry, but that's a fact). Our tails are thick and strong so the farmer could grab us by it and pull us out of the hole if necessary! While short-legged, we are stocky and hardy, extremely fast over short distances, and have the jaw-snapping capabilities of a gator! Fortunately for us AND you, we have been bred almost exclusively as companion dogs for a while now. But don't let us see a rat or a squirrel (or a ferret). It is VERY hard to keep us from killing the furry varmints. (Duncan and I have been "trained" to leave cats alone, although we still think they might be weasels in a cat suit . . . .)

ABOUT SCOTTIE CHARACTER We're a stubborn breed. We don't always think Master is right (sometimes, we KNOW we're in the right!); it is at those times that you're likely to hear the famous Scottie "grumbling and grousing". Some Scotties will continue mumbling under their breath for 10 minutes or more, after being told to do something they don't want to do. Although no two are exactly alike, Scotties do share some characteristics: We are lively, proud, independent to the point of being downright stubborn, dignified, and highly intelligent (my dog Duncan is not as intelligent as myself, but he's sweet). We are very sensitive, and should be trained gently, with lots of love and praise. We are excellent watchdogs, alert to the slightest noise or appearance that something isn't "right", but we are not "barky" dogs. We don't "say" anything unless we really have something to say. This makes us good apartment dogs, although we do need a couple of good walks a day for our health (and my owner says to take some of the meanness out, but I think she's only kidding!). UPDATE !! Wee Bonnie Lassie has passed from this world, but not from our hearts, on 10/4/01. For a tribute to her, click here. DUNCAN'S STORY I guess I'll take over from here, although the role of leader doesn't come as naturally to me as it did to Bonnie. I somehow got separated from my first people, and wound up at a place called the Humane Society. They put me on TV(!), so right away I learned that I was a star. These new people came and got me and took me to a new home, with an older female version of myself named Bonnie. I was made to understand right away that I was not in charge, she was. That's OK; apparently I had a lot to learn about being a Scotty, and she was glad to teach me. It almost broke my peoples' hearts when she died, and mine too. I carried on bravely as the only dog for about a year, then I just came out and told them, "I've got too much work to do around here, I need another dog." About the same time, a military family living nearby got ordered to Alaska (wherever that is), and couldn't take their seven-year-old Cocker Spaniel with them. We "adopted" him. His name is Almond, and that is the biggest, goofiest Cocker Spaniel I've ever met. He must be part Golden Retriever. Almond and I were getting along quite well, when guess what? A little runt of a black & tan dog (Chihuahua? Dacshound? both?) started following us on our walks. One day, he just followed us in the house and said, "I am here, love me!" My people tried to find who owned him, but no one claimed him. We should have taken that as a warning. He is the busiest dog in the world, never still or quiet for a minute until he suddenly falls down asleep. We named him Pepe. I think I like him, but he is a nuisance sometimes. When he sleeps he likes to crawl inside a pillow case or under a blanket. Isn't that cute? It almost makes me sick. Well, that's where we are as of today, Oct. 8, 2004. I'll come back and let you know if anything changes. Toodles!

Scotties are famous for what we look like on the outside,

but only those who own one know what we look like on the inside!

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