The Dandie is a charming little long dog, standing
about 9-11 inches at the shoulder and is just
under twice the length of his height.He has a very unusual body in that he is
all beautiful arcs and curves, not a square part
of him anywhere.The
weight is between 20 – 30 lbs
He
comes in two colours.MUSTARD which can be anywhere from a
reddish brown to a light fawn, and PEPPER which
can be from a bluish black to a light silvery grey.
Dandies
have wonderful expressive faces, due mostly
because of their large dark eyes, which seem
to tell you that they have forgotten more
than you have ever learned!Their
eyes can be an owner’s undoing when they
have been naughty as they gaze at you most
innocently, conveying that it certainly was
not them who got into that mischief, even
though they may be the only dog in the house.It is hard to scold the guilty party when
those soulful eyes are turned on you….
Their heads are crowned with a beautiful top-knot.
A Mustard’s top-knot is usually a cream colour
and a Pepper’s is usually silver.
They
are amiable dogs, ready to get along with other
dogs and even their own cats – but they are not
so good with the neighbor's cats.They seldom will start a fight, but beware
the dog which provokes them.
No Dandie has ever
recognized itself as a
“small” dog; in their own minds they are just
as big as the biggest dog on the face of the earth….
The Dandie does, however, have a surprisingly deep
bark for a dog of its size – no yapping with
this terrier!
They are hardy little dogs, very able to cope with
changeable weather – in fact they love to play
in the snow and think nothing of being outside on
a cold day.It
is the responsibility of the owner not to leave
them outside too long and to remove all the snow
balls which adhere to their legs and bellies when
they have finished their play and decide to return
to the house.
Dandies are HOUSE dogs; they do not do well in a
kennel setting.
They are super dogs for people with
allergies.They shed very minimally as they have hair
rather than fur and they are generally
hypoallergenic.They
also have little or no dander.
They
are usually easily house trained and are very
clean animals
. The exception to this is, of course, those
Dandies rescued from puppy mills.A puppy will learn quickly, but older dogs
require a lot of patience.It must be remembered that these dogs are
kept only for the puppies they can produce and
have spent their lives in cages. They most
certainly are not house trained.
Usually the house training is done by the
wonderful foster homes into which they are placed
immediately after being rescued where they learn
to live in a house in harmony with people.It is hard for them to start with, as they
have never had any kind of interaction with humans
but they do learn and usually very quickly –
they are very intelligent dogs.
A person has to be firm but not harsh with a
rescued Dandie.The
Dandie can quickly appreciate that its life has
changed very much for the better and they are
eager to please.When
they are placed in their “forever” homes, and
as they grow to
love and respect their new person,
that person must also respect the rescued Dandie
and realize that it has gone through yet another,
but hopefully the last, major change in its life.It may break its house training but this is
only a temporary situation until the dog again
adjusts.
Do not expect a rescued Dandie to
immediately shower you with love and affection (although
it does sometimes happen); they
have never had contact with people other than
having food thrown to them – they have to feel
their way as they get used to their new life.They may be a little shy to start with but
they are summing up the situation and very quickly
learn that hugs and kisses are the norm for their
new lives.
A
new owner should not be disappointed if the dog is
unable to return affection in the beginning, but
it will come when the rescue finally realizes that
this is the way life will be in its new home, so
very different to the neglect and lack of
affection it endured while in the mill.They blossom when they realize their love
is returned and they can actually run and play
with toys, get hugs, be fed regularly and have
their medical needs attended to. No more do they
have to suffer neglect or pain in a small crate,
surrounded by dozens of other dogs in the same
situation.
To learn more about adopting and the
behaviours of rescued mill Dandies, please
click here
>>
