The American Kennel Club recognizes just under 200 dog breeds, and there are hundreds more waiting to be accepted. It can be difficult to sort through them all without a good system. Many people like to sort them by size, but dividing them by country is another good way, and sometimes it helps to see how the dogs are related. We’ve listed 15 Scottish breeds so you can learn more about breeds from this particular area. For each entry, we’ve included an image as well as a short description so you can learn more about it. We think you’ll find some breeds that would make a great addition to your home.
15 Best Scottish Dog Breeds:
1. Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Age: 11–13 years old
Temperament: Loving, fun-loving, independent
Color: Grey, Brown, Silver, Tan
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a small dog with a long build and crest that is instantly recognizable by the hair on its head. It originally hunted for badgers during the 1600s and 1700s. Today it makes a fantastic family pet that is affectionate, playful, and independent. They are usually less than 12 inches tall and weigh about 20 pounds.
2. Bearded Collie
Age: 12–15 years
Temperament: Active, alert, intelligent
Color: Black, Blue, Brown and Dark Brown
The Bearded Collie is a sheepdog with long hair that often covers his eyes. Children love this breed for its long coat, and it enjoys getting attention. This is an active dog who will spend most of his time running around and intelligent enough to learn a lot of tricks. You will also find the breed in some rescue organizations.
3. Gordon Setter
Age: 12–13 years old
Temperament: Alert, passionate and loyal
Color: Black and brown, red, brown
The Gordon Setter is the largest of all setters and often weighs up to 80 pounds and stands 27 inches tall at the shoulder. It began hunting birds almost 200 years ago, and today it makes an excellent pet. His alert and passionate temperament makes him excel as a guard dog, and is fearless in defending his master. This ancient breed first came to America in 1842.
4. Scottish Terrier
Age: 11–13 years old
Temperament: Independent, passionate, fun
Color: Black, Brown, Red
Several celebrities have owned Scottish Terriers, including several presidents. It is also part of the original Monopoly board game. This is a small dog that rarely weighs more than 25 pounds. They are fun but often stubborn and even passionate. They are quite independent and are a good choice if you need to spend time away from home.
5. Cairn Terrier
Age: 12–17 years
Temperament: Fearless, tough, intelligent
Color: Beige, wheat, red, gray
The Cairn Terrier is a working dog used to chase game between the cairns in the Scottish Highlands. Usually about a foot tall and light at about 15 pounds. It has a thick double layer that allows it to withstand cold temperatures. It sheds very little and has a long life. It is suitable for small apartments and does not require much exercise.
6. Golden Retriever dog breed
Age: 10–12 years
Temperament: Submissive, playful, intelligent
Gold color
The Golden Retriever is one of America’s most popular dogs. These dogs love water and will jump at any time to swim. They also love to drive in the car and enjoy playing with children. They are quite loyal and often live 10-12 years. He is about 22 inches tall and weighs about 70 pounds.
7. Rough Collie
Age: 12–14 years
Temperament: Gentle, active, friendly
Color: Sable, blue, tricolor
Many people refer to the Coarse Collie as the Long Haired Collie, and it is originally from Scotland. He is never aggressive or nervous, and he gets along well with children and other pets. He can also get along with strangers, but he won’t be embarrassed by early socialization. Many people will recognize this dog breed as Lassie from the old television show of the same name.
8. Smooth collie
Age: 12–15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, responsive, friendly
Color: red, brown, white
The Smooth Collie is a short hair version of the Rough Collie. It looks completely different without all the fur, but it’s the same in every way. It is usually about 22 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs about 40 pounds. Very easy to train and able to learn a variety of tricks. It makes a great family pet and is very gentle with children.
9. Scottish Deerhound
Age: 8–10 years
Temperament: Dignified, friendly, gentle
Color: Grey, brindle, blue-grey
The Scottish Deerhound is a large dog, similar to the Greyhound, but slightly larger with a coarse coat. The breed often weighs over 100 pounds and stands about 30 inches at the shoulder. This is a gentle and friendly dog who loves to play with children who often see him as a little horse. He likes to be around his master, and you will usually find him at your feet.
10. Skye Terrier
Age: 12–15 years
Temperament: Fearless, friendly, loyal
Color: Black, Blue, Beige, Dark Brown
The Skye Terrier is a small, long-haired dog that is on the UK’s endangered species list. He loves walks and is generally friendly but also fearless and can easily escalate fights with other dogs, often much larger. Long hair will need regular combing to keep it from getting tangled and tangled.
11. Police dog
Age: 9–11 years
Temperament: Loving, short-tempered, stubborn
Color: Black and brown, heart and chocolate, red
Bloodhounds are popular dogs that make great family pets due to their extremely friendly nature. Many law enforcement agencies also use it to track prisoners and missing persons due to its ability to find and track scents. At home, he can be stubborn, especially if he encounters the scent of an animal he wants to track. They are usually over 25 inches tall and can weigh over 100 pounds.
12. Border Terrier
Age: 12–15 years
Temperament: Loving, hot-tempered, intelligent
Color: Red, gray, black and tan, blue and tan
The Border Terrier is a small dog with coarse fur. It is the 10th most popular dog breed in the UK and is also popular in America. He is short-tempered and rarely aggressive towards other people or pets. It makes an excellent guard dog, but doesn’t bark too much. This is a small dog that rarely gets taller than 12 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 15 pounds.
13. Shetland Sheepdog
Age: 12–13 years old
Temperament: Intelligent, affectionate, gentle
Color: Black and white, blue and white, white and brown
The Shetland Shepherd is a breed that looks similar to the Coarse Collie but is much smaller. This is a smart and vocal dog who wants to be fun, so it’s not difficult to train him. They are usually over 12 inches tall and often weigh around 20 pounds. It is available in several colors and has thick fur around the neck. This is a healthy breed that can sometimes carry the blue-eyed gene.
14. West Highland White Terrier
Age: 12–17 years
Temperament: Happy, smart, loyal
White color
The West Highland White Terrier is a fast learner little dog and is good with children as long as they are not handled violently. Children often love their long fur and pointed ears and can sometimes tug at them. These dogs are quite healthy and can often live more than a dozen years. They get out and get used to strangers quickly.
15. Border Collie
Age: 13–16 years old
Temperament: Intelligent, energetic, alert
Color: Black, red, tricolor
Many lists call the Border Collie the smartest dog breed. It has a distinctive white and black color pattern but can also have red and tricolor patterns. It makes a great family pet, but its herding instincts can cause it to bite its ankle. It’s not meant to hurt you, but it can frighten kids who don’t expect it. This is a medium-sized dog that often weighs about 40 pounds and is about 20 inches tall at the shoulder.
Summary
As you can see, there are several popular dog breeds on this list all of which originate from Scotland. Many of these breeds make great family pets, including the Bearded Collie, Golden Retriever, and Border Collie. The only breed that will be difficult to find is the Skye Terrier, whose numbers are declining, causing the UK to list them as endangered.
We hope you enjoyed reading this list and finding some breeds you would like to own. If we’ve helped you choose your next pet, please share these 15 Scottish dog breeds on Facebook and Twitter.
Featured Image Credit: youngryand, Shutterstock