Top 10: Things Every New Scottie Mom Should Know

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Being a Scottie Mom has its advantages. Think: unlimited snuggles, undivided attention (once the toys have been destroyed and the squirrels chased out of the yard), and someone to look after us just as much as we look after our beloved pup. For first-time Scottie Moms, there can be a bit of a learning curve. Take it from one who had the honor of learning from the mischievous Mr. K. So, for new Scottie Moms or those considering becoming one, here are some things you might expect:

10. Scotties aim to please. Nothing makes Mr. K happier than to see me happy. Conversely, nothing saddens him more than when he thinks he has let his humans down. Go easy on the little one if he or she upsets you and keep your attitude in check. Scotties are sensitive creatures.

9. Your possessions become your Scottie's possessions. No further explanation needed. May I suggest, however, to pay special attention to the clothes in your laundry bin before they start disappearing.

8. Scottie-tude comes with the territory. As much as your Scottie loves you, he or she may not love other dogs and especially not cats. Socialize your pup as appropriate with other dogs...and as for the cats, few Scotties I've known have taken nicely to them so tread carefully.

7. There are no rules. Sure, you might say no dogs are allowed on the couch. You may even stack up the pillows on the couch to prevent them from climbing atop the sofa. Just don't be surprised when you come home to find paw prints on the pillows.

6. Anything within a Scottie's reach (and sometimes even those items that are not) is at risk. Leave a Scottie home alone without Scottie-proofing the house and you'll undoubtedly come home to a few surprises. Topping Mr. K's list are: an organic shampoo bar, a chewed up, nearly unrecognizable blue highlighter and a bag of cookies...and that was just one occasion.

5. Accidents happen. It's important to get your Scottie on a schedule to prevent accidents but sometimes, life happens and it gets thrown off. It may get frustrating, especially if your Scottie is like Mr. K and becomes acquainted with peeing in the house randomly and just minutes after you've walked him because he's "getting even" for being left alone. Lucky for this Scottie Mom, introducing Heather - the alpha (fe)male - was all that was needed to get rid of this nasty habit.

4. Scottie Security is legit. While your Scottie may not like everyone that walks through your front door, take special note of those that he or she does like. Scotties are incredible judges of character so if your Scottie doesn't approve of a date, perhaps it is time to reconsider.

3. Sometimes, Scotties stink. What did you expect? They're dogs! But, in addition to that fact that baths are a necessity in a Scottie's life, know that Scotties are notorious for clearing a room after passing gas. Beware the bottom!

2. Strength isn't measured by size. Scotties are a lot stronger than you might think. I've been told their jaws are the same size as that of a German Shepherd and I know they've got the fight of a big dog inside that tiny little body of theirs. My first weekend with Mr. K, he decided to challenge a Rottweiler. NO fun.

1. Expect the unexpected and enjoy every moment. Life with Scotties is never dull and there's no way to predict what tricks they have up their sleeves next. Whether it is spontaneously waking from a nap to zoomie around the house or stealing a shoe and shaking it until you chase after him or her, Scotties love to have a little fun and get a kick out of entertaining their humans. So sit back, relax and enjoy the Scottie show!

18 comments:

  1. Margaret Potter (Scottie mom to Maisie, 9 months old)February 19, 2013 at 1:00 AM

    So, so true!

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  2. Yea! I totally agree!!

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  3. And here she is, lying next to me on the loveseat. Hard to believe an animal so adorable and sweet could clear a room with one passing of gas. Bonnie, my darling! That's a great photo, by the way. Love it!!

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  4. Wrong. There's no such thing as "Scottie-proofing" a house. I love to eat (no secret) but She was surprised to find that I tried to eat a cookbook ($40 to the library where it was checked out). Don't try to outsmart us-you'll fail on Scottie-proofing.

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  5. There is nothing better than the love/loyalty of a Scottie!!! They are worth every quirk💝

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  6. If Mommy didn't have me, she would have a Scottie :) xx00xx

    Mollie and Alfie

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  7. Bravo, Scottie Mom! From a mom who's been owned by Scotties the past forty years (and one, currently), you have learned well!

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  8. A wonderful post! Though Taylor is not 100% Scottie, I can definitely detect a Scottie temperament! #4 also rings true with Taylor: she wiggles her butt and tail with excitement with certain strangers and is still and indifferent towards others. I have made a few friends I feel I never would have met had it not been for Taylor and her great judge of character! :)

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  9. I love Scotties exactly for those independent strong personalities that some people find difficult. Scotties seem to have their own program in mind. I loved mine dearly but I did not find them slavishly dependent on me.
    As far as cats go I have to say that I have had four Scotties over time and I was able to induce them to live happily with 3 cats, and even with caged birds in the house. Three of those Scotties were adults when I adopted them from the Scottie rescue of California and it did take work, patience, and perseverance (on my part) but they all learned the rules of friendly and relaxed behavior around the other house pets. The four months-old pup was a terror who took all my time to train, but he was so smart, I could not ever outsmart him. He learned everything in five minutes and got along very well with cats and cockatiels, but stubborn as a mule otherwise. When he was three years old the rescue had to find him another family : there was illness in mine and it had become difficult for me to keep up with him. Ian then turned into the perfect dog, perfectly trained, full of tricks, and much better behaved than he had ever been with me...
    I also had the experience with my Scotties that sometimes they stubbornly resisted learning something new only to be fully trained to the new behavior the next day; they just had NOT wanted to give in to my supremacy at the moment, but understood what I was trying to do. A wheaten Scottie learned to sit up and beg in that manner : " today no, no, absolutely, I can't sit up like that, are you crazy, I fall over ".... so I gave up. But the next day as soon as I had a cookie in hand he sat up and begged. Then he took to sit up and beg for toys in the pet store, people would come up and say 'oh, don't be mean, buy the poor dog a toy!' - the fun I had was phenomenal with these doggies! Now my age has made it difficult to have one any more but I miss that lively presence very much. Instead I read your blogs.... Thank you. Vera

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  10. Hi , I just read this and it made me all emotional. My two girls Milicent and Muriel are everything you describe. Scotties are the most amazing dogs in the world :). Thanks

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  11. Your text is fantastic , sometimes reading your posts it´s clear that you have the right feelings at the right time . Please join us at our group at Facebook , Scottish Terrier . Most of us are brazilians but be sure that we have a strong bond , the love for our scotties .

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  12. I have had three. My first I got at 6 wks right after he was weaned. Had him until he was 12 yrs 6 months. Had to put him down from bladder cancer. The worse day of my life. Actually the cat was the one out of joint. the two of them became very best friends. I have had Scotties for 22 years. My last two have been rescues. Would never have any other kind. They are awesome dogs once they teach you how to handle them. My second one I had six years he had an enlarged heart and I had a very stupid vet who wouldn’t listen to me and he died of heart failure. His last year he went out killing 16 moles and two baby rabbits. He was quit the hunter and really enjoyed his life with me. He learned to become friends with the cat. The cat really mourned him when he died My current one came from a very bad puppy mill. I got her at the age of two. she is now 8. My buddy but is still very damaged psychological. She is afraid of everything and still will not get off the couch after six years and explore the house. I am retired so we spend our days next to each other. We are like glue. She is starting to hand play. It makes me sad that she didn’t have a puppy hood. She is still a wonderful Scotty and buddy. Wouldn’t give her up for all the money in the world.

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  13. Great at showing a sad face and making you feel guilty if you go out and for any reason they can't come. Permanently hungry. Thinks we share his house. Eats and sleeps. Sleeps and eats. We love him.

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  14. Great at showing a sad face and making you feel guilty if you go out and for any reason they can't come. Permanently hungry. Thinks we share his house. Eats and sleeps. Sleeps and eats. We love him.

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  15. I would add that they are not for kids. I love my Bonni, but we gave up having kids over. You can't trust the kids to follow rules and when they tease or won't give the dog space... They might get nipped. Even though it is usually the kid's fault, it's not worth the risk.

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  16. Such accurate description of the Scottish Terrier! I had two Scotties in my life. Charlie, my first, was my little angel. He was such a good boy, but ,in true Scottie nature, he was strong willed as can be. He was with us for nine years, four months and thirteen days. In two weeks it will be two years that we had to say goodbye and I still miss him so much. Thankfully we have Daisy, Charlie's niece that we got a year after we had him. She, like the rest of the family struggled after we lost Charlie, but from that day she was never alone. I take her to work with me everyday and at my job she had become somewhat of a mascot. She has a fan club, some customers come in just to see her! She has such a great personality, friendly with everyone. Scotties are truly great companions, I feel lucky to have experienced their love and to have had and to still age the chance to love them back.

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