Dandie Dinmont Terrier
About the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Temperament
Physical Characteristics
| Size Category | Small (10-25 lbs) |
|---|---|
| Height | 8-11" |
| Weight | 18-24 lbs |
| Coat Type | Wire |
| Coat Length | Medium |
| Colors | |
| Hypoallergenic | Yes |
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Moderate (30-60 min/day)
30 minutes per day recommended
Grooming
Regular - 2-3x/week
Mental Stimulation
★★★★★Moderate mental stimulation needed
Drooling
★★★★★Living Conditions
Cost of Ownership
| Purchase Price | $1,500-$3,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $1,200/year |
Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.
Health Considerations
Like all breeds, Dandie Dinmont Terriers may be prone to certain health conditions:
Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.
Best For
- Apartment Living
- Guard Dog
- Allergy Sufferers
Guides for your Dandie Dinmont Terrier
The story behind the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
The Dandie Dinmont comes from the Border country between Scotland and England, where working terriers were kept by farmers and travelling people for otter, badger, and vermin. The breed is unusual in owing its name to fiction, since Walter Scott's 1815 novel Guy Mannering featured a farmer character called Dandie Dinmont whose terriers made the type fashionable, and the name stuck permanently. Breeders in the Border hills consolidated the distinctive long body, arched loin, and topknot through the nineteenth century, and a breed club formed in the 1870s, among the earliest for any terrier. Kennel club recognition followed in Britain and later in the United States. Working use faded and numbers never recovered; the dog now counts among the more vulnerable native British breeds, maintained by a small, committed circle of breeders.
Originally bred for: Otter and badger terrier, Vermin control, Farm companion. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.
Feeding a Dandie Dinmont Terrier
A dense, long-bodied little dog that puts on weight easily, so measured feeding protects spine and joints directly. Choose a modest complete diet, count treats inside the daily allowance, and keep the waist visible from above. Two meals a day work well for adults.
Watch for: No breed-linked food intolerance is recorded, unsurprising in such a small population. As with other long-backed terriers, keeping weight down matters more than avoiding ingredients. Bring lasting skin or digestive complaints to a veterinarian, who can advise whether a trial diet is warranted.
Not sure what to put in the bowl? See our picks for the best dog food for small breeds.
Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.
Living with a Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.
For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.
Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a comfortable no-pull harness.
Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.