Scottish Terrier: Coat Color And Grooming

The Scottish Terrier has two coats. The topcoat, or overcoat, should be hard and wiry; the bottom coat, or undercoat, should be soft and dense. Because his hair just keeps growing, he doesn't shed as much as short-coated breeds. Scotty skin dries out quickly, so don't bathe until necessary.

Many believe that the Scottish Terrier is easy to maintain, but in reality the breed needs a great deal of grooming. Set up a grooming table to bring the dog up to your level if that makes it easier for you. The coat needs to be groomed weekly for a pet and daily for a show dog.

A variety of tools are used for brushing a Scottish Terrier: a stiff brush, a hound glove, a wide-toothed comb for the beard, and scissors for trimming. Show dogs are groomed with a technique called stripping, in which loose hairs are pulled out. It can be done with stripping knives or by hand, and the hair should always be stripped with the lay of the hair.

Your Scottish Terrier should be clipped every two months if your aim is to keep his hair short; you can do it yourself or go to a groomer. If you are keeping the hair long, trim several times a year. A Scottish Terrier whose coat gets clipped regularly has softer hair (not preferred in the breed standard) and a duller coat color. If you plan to show your Scottie in conformation, avoid clipping as it is difficult to get the hair back into the proper standard condition.

Scotties have bad reactions to fleas and have been known to chew themselves bald. Brushing regularly and using a flea comb are good ideas, combined with today's preventives. Begin accustoming your Scottie to being brushed and examined when he's a puppy. Handle his paws frequently--dogs are touchy about their feet--and look inside his mouth and ears. Trim nails regularly if he doesn't wear them down naturally. If you can hear them clicking on the floor, they're too long.

Brush your Scottie's teeth at least two or three times a week to remove tartar buildup and the bacteria that lurk inside it. Daily brushing is even better if you want to prevent gum disease and bad breath. Scottish Terriers have large teeth that are close together, which is why his teeth should be cleaned frequently. If the teeth aren't cleaned, the dog can suffer from tooth decay and gum disease.
Start grooming when your dog is young, and make it a positive experience filled with praise and rewards to lay the groundwork for easy veterinary exams and other handling when he's an adult. As you groom, check for sores, rashes, or signs of infection such as redness, tenderness, or inflammation on the skin, in the ears, nose, mouth, and eyes, and on the feet. Ears should smell good, without too much wax or gunk inside, and eyes should be clear, with no redness or discharge. Your careful weekly exam will help you spot potential health problems early.

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