A small, hardy, shaggy working terrier from the Scottish Highlands, originally bred to bolt vermin from rock piles ('cairns'). Famous as Toto in The Wizard of Oz, it is alert, curious and full of bold, cheerful character.
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From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
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Minimum
Apartment or small home with daily walks
Apartment + 2× daily 30-min walks
A small dog adapts well to apartment living with two structured walks a day plus indoor enrichment. Crate-train for alone-time and give supervised free-roam of the household when settled.
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Recommended
Home with secure yard + daily routine
House + fenced yard + 45 min daily exercise
A house with a securely fenced yard, two structured walks per day, and indoor enrichment (chews, training, puzzle feeders). Most small breeds settle well as household pets when this baseline is met. High-drive working breed — the recommended tier still demands daily structured mental work (training, scent games, herding ball, fetch with rules), not just walks.
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Ideal
Household companion with varied enrichment
House + fenced yard + sport or hobby
Earthdog terrier — vermin/earthdog trials and scent games suit the drive. — ideal is acreage or rural property paired with a daily job or canine sport: herding stock, scent detection, agility, protection sport, sledding, gundog field work, or a structured working role. Without that outlet, expect destructive behaviour, reactivity, and welfare-relevant frustration.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
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Newborn
Newborn mammals are nursed on their mother's milk. Many are born helpless — blind, deaf, and sparsely furred (altricial, as in dogs, cats, and rodents) — while others stand and follow within hours (precocial, as in hoofed livestock).
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Juvenile
After weaning, juveniles grow quickly and become increasingly active, playful, and independent. Adult coat, proportions, and (in many species) the permanent teeth come in as they approach full size.
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Adult
Adults reach full body size and sexual maturity, with the species' mature coat and build. Sexual dimorphism — differences in size, mane, horns, or markings — is pronounced in some mammals and subtle in others.
Senior
Senior animals show aging signs such as graying fur, reduced activity, and a greater need for veterinary monitoring of joints, teeth, and organ function. Lifespan and the onset of old age vary widely by species and size.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Adaptable and apartment-friendly given daily exercise, but loves a securely fenced yard to explore and dig. Needs 30-60 minutes of daily activity — walks, play, and games — plus mental stimulation. A determined digger and chaser with strong prey drive: yards must be escape-proof, and off-leash freedom is risky near small animals or roads. Hardy in most climates and happy as an active indoor companion.
Diet
Feed a measured small-breed diet split into two meals. The breed enjoys its food and can gain weight — keep lean to protect joints and overall health. Generally robust with no breed-wide special dietary needs; some individuals have skin allergies or sensitivities that a simple, high-quality diet helps manage. Watch treat calories, especially during training.
Behavior & temperament
Bold, lively, intelligent and affectionate — a confident big-dog personality in a small frame. Curious and busy, with classic terrier independence and a strong instinct to dig and chase. Trainable and food-motivated but can be stubborn; keep training upbeat, varied, and consistent. Generally good with children and can live with other dogs and cats when socialized early, though small pets like rodents trigger prey drive. Tends to alert-bark; benefits from a job and plenty of engagement.
Health
A generally healthy, long-lived breed. Reported predispositions include patellar luxation, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, ocular conditions (cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, ocular melanosis/glaucoma), portosystemic (liver) shunts, von Willebrand disease, and globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease — a DNA test is available). Recommended screening: patella evaluation, eye (CAER) exam, and relevant DNA tests (GCL, and others as advised by the parent club).
Tips, DIY & hacks
The weather-resistant double coat — harsh outer, soft undercoat — is meant to be hand-stripped a few times a year to keep its texture and color; clipping softens the coat and dulls color but is fine for pets. Brush 2-3 times weekly to prevent matting; sheds relatively little (a reasonable choice for tidy households, though no dog is truly hypoallergenic). Keep nails trimmed and ears clean. Provide a sanctioned digging spot, secure fencing, and steady mental enrichment to satisfy the working terrier brain.
