Dandies are far from being quarrelsome, and can be taken anywhere. They will not interfere with another dog, and will not try to pick quarrels. 'Defence, not defiance,' is their motto. Unlike their cousins the Bedlingtons, they are easily kept under control, and have such an amount of sense as to know what to worry and what to leave alone. Though not quarrelsome, as already stated, yet he does enjoy a fight, once he is in it."

Such is Mr. Thomson Gray's vivid word-picture of the Dandie Dinmont as a companion and worker, and no more faithful picture could be presented. With regard to the faults seen in the dog of to-day, Mr. Thomson Gray says those mostly seen are "flat skulls, small eyes, big ears, weak jaws, and plain bodies. The first and most important point in this Terrier is the head, which must be large and full, the skull domed as true as a ball on the top, the eyes very large, placed wide apart, of a dark hazel colour. The beautiful ridge of black hair that surrounded the eyelashes of the older Dandies is somewhat rare. The shaving of the hair from the ridge of the nose and below and around the eyes to make them appear large, is objectionable. Many of the large ears do not taper sharply enough to the point, and are often destitute of hair, which spoils an otherwise good dog. The beautiful fringe of silky, light-coloured hair which hangs from the tip of the ear is a beauty-point often removed by the ignorant faker. There is some bother with young Dandies to get their ears to hang properly, many of them having ears that double over; but patience and a little manipulation with finger and thumb, which is legitimate, will bring them all right. The fore legs are short, with great bone, and should be as straight as possible. Many otherwise good dogs fail here, having legs as crooked as a Basset-hound. Weak ankles are too common. Dogs with faulty fronts have often good-shaped bodies, as the drop at shoulders caused by the bad fore legs gives that rise or arch that is so much desired but seldom seen. The coat is a mixed one, but some of our best Dandies have a covering more approaching a hard than a mixed coat. Soft, woolly coats are objectionable, and lead to a lot of trimming."

The following description of the general appearance and special points of this dog were drawn up by Mr. Hugh Dalziel for the last Edition of this work, and are so applicable to the dog of to-day that they are retained in their entirety: -

In forming an opinion of a dog's merits, the general appearance (by which is meant the impression which a dog makes, as a whole, on ,the eye of the judge) should be first considered. Secondly should be noticed the dog's size, shape, and make - i.e. its proportions in the relation they bear to each other; no point should be so much in excess of the others as to destroy the general symmetry, and cause the dog to appear deformed or interfere with its usefulness in the occupations for which it is specially adapted. Thirdly, the dog's style, carriage, gait, temperament, and each of its other points, should be considered separately.

General Appearance

The general appearance of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier is that of a rough-coated, thickset dog, very low on its legs, and having a body very flexible and long in proportion to its height, but broad, deep-chested, and compact. The head very large, with broad and well-domed skull, covered with light-coloured hair of a softer and silkier texture than that on the body. This hairy scalp very often gives the head an appearance of being disproportionate to the body, when such is not actually the case. Jaws long and slightly tapering to the nose, which must be large and always black; covered with shorter and slightly harder hair than on the body. Neck thick and muscular; shoulders low, and back slightly curved down behind them, with a corresponding arch of the loins, which are broad and strong. Ears pendulous, and bearing low. Legs short, and very muscular. The Dandie carries in his countenance the appearance of great determination, strength, and activity, with a constant and vigilant eagerness to be busy. In brief, he is an embodiment of docility, courage, strength, intelligence, and alertness.

Head

The head should be large, and rather heavy-looking in proportion to the dog's size. Skull broad between the ears, with a very gradual and slight taper towards the eyes. It should be long from back to front, with high forehead and cranium conical and well domed, measuring about the same from the point of the eye to back of skull as it does between the base of ears, and round the largest part about a third more than the dog's height at the shoulder. The head should always be covered with soft, silky hair, not curled, but slightly wavy, and not confined to a mere top-knot; it is also of a much lighter colour than that on the body. The cheeks, starting from the ears, proportionately broad with the skull, should, without any unsightly bulge, taper very gradually towards the muzzle, the muscles showing extraordinary development, more especially those that move the lower jaw. The head of the bitch, as in nearly every other breed of dogs, is comparatively smaller, and lighter in proportion, than that of the dog.

Muzzle

The muzzle should be long, deep, and very powerful, very slightly tapering to the nose, which should be large, well formed, well spread over the muzzle, and always black. The muzzle should measure, from the corner of the eye to the tip of the nose, about 3 in. in length, or in proportion to length of skull as three is to five, and round close in front of the eyes about two and a half to three times its length. The muzzle should be thinly covered with short and hardish hair of rather darker colour than on the body; the top of muzzle should be nearly bare for about an inch from the black part of the nose, coming to a point towards the eye. A foxy or snipy muzzle is very objectionable. The jaws should be long and powerful, with very strong teeth, perfectly level in front, the canines fitting well into each other, so as to give the greatest available holding and punishing power. A pig-jawed or an undershot mouth is very objectionable, though, as it occurs in the purest strains, it cannot be altogether considered a disqualification. The mouth should be very large, and the roof of it very dark, almost always black.