Scottish Terrier
The Scottie dog. Dignified, independent, famous silhouette. Uniquely high bladder cancer risk — urinary monitoring is essential.
Coat
wire
Size
small · 18-22 lbs
Life expectancy
12-14 yrs
Activity
moderate
The breed
Where the Scottish Terrier comes from, and what living with one actually asks of you.
About the Scottish Terrier
The Scottish Terrier is a small, low, hard-coated terrier with a famous outline and a serious working history. Scotties were developed to go to ground after vermin in Scotland, and the modern dog still carries that confidence, independence, and refusal to be pushed around.
Living with a Scottish Terrier is different from living with a soft companion breed. Many are devoted and funny with their own people, but dignified, selective, and stubborn with the rest of the world. They need patient training, controlled greetings, secure fencing, and grooming that preserves the wiry coat. They are small dogs, but not especially pliable ones.
Health planning should include urinary changes, bleeding risk, jaw development, knees, and neurologic episodes. Local data flags transitional cell carcinoma or bladder cancer risk, von Willebrand's disease, craniomandibular osteopathy, patellar luxation, and Scottie cramp. Scottish Terriers are documented as a breed with elevated bladder-cancer risk, but owners should treat that as a prompt to monitor urinary signs, not as a certainty for any individual dog.
Living with a Scottish Terrier
Scotties are usually confident, independent, spirited, and dignified. They can be affectionate family dogs, but they often prefer respectful handling and may not enjoy chaotic young children or pushy dogs.
Prey drive can be significant around small animals. Training should be consistent, reward-based, and patient; a Scottie forced into a contest of wills will often dig in harder. Barking and territorial alerting can become habits if rehearsed.
Daily care
Feeding, exercise, and coat — plus how the routine shifts from puppy to senior.
Feeding a Scottish Terrier
Small dignified terrier. Calorie needs vary with size, age, neuter status, and activity. Bladder cancer risk is uniquely elevated.
Key nutrients
- —antioxidants
- —omega-3
Portion notes: Two meals daily. Watch urinary habits closely.
Exercise & enrichment
Scotties need moderate daily exercise and mental work. Walks, sniffing, terrier games, and training suit them better than forced distance. Feed measured meals to body condition, and do not rely on diet as proven bladder-cancer prevention; urinary changes need veterinary attention.
Grooming routine
The wiry coat needs regular brushing and professional hand-stripping or clipping, depending on coat goals. Keep the beard clean, check ears, trim nails, brush teeth, and watch for skin irritation. Urinary monitoring is part of practical Scottie care: blood, straining, accidents, or frequent urination should not wait.
The Scottish Terrier through the years
Scottie puppies need socialization, grooming practice, body handling, crate comfort, and early rules around digging, barking, and chasing. Ask about CMO and vWD history.
Adult Scotties need coat care, measured meals, dental care, and monitoring for urinary signs, abnormal bleeding, knee skipping, jaw pain, or exercise-triggered cramping episodes.
Senior Scotties benefit from urinary surveillance, dental care, lower-impact exercise, arthritis support, and prompt evaluation of appetite, weight, urination, or behavior changes.
Health
What Scottish Terriers are prone to, the signs worth catching early, and what supports them.
Health concerns to watch
Scotties have 18x the bladder cancer risk of other breeds — any urinary changes need immediate vet attention.
Wire coat needs hand-stripping or professional grooming every 6-8 weeks.
Independent streak makes training a patience exercise.
Gear & services
Food, gear, training, and what the first year with a Scottish Terrier actually costs.
Fresh food picks for Scottish Terriers
Our recommended fresh-food subscriptions for small dogs.
The Farmer's Dog
Fresh, human-grade food portioned for your dog
- —Human-grade fresh food
- —Portioned per dog
- —Vet-developed recipes
- —50% off first box
Ollie
Fresh food with both cooked and baked recipes
- —Fresh and baked recipes
- —Turkey, beef, lamb, chicken proteins
- —Custom portions
- —60% off first box
Nom Nom
Restaurant-quality fresh food with microbiome testing
- —Pre-portioned pouches
- —Vet-formulated
- —Microbiome testing available
- —50% off first order
Spot & Tango
Fresh or UnKibble — whole-food nutrition, your choice
- —Fresh or UnKibble options
- —Human-grade ingredients
- —Shelf-stable storage option
- —50% off first order
What to budget for a Scottish Terrier in year one.
A practical range for routine care and first-year setup. It assumes a dry or mixed diet and mostly at-home care; purchase and adoption fees are excluded.
Practical first-year range
$1,200-$3,575
A typical ongoing year runs $1,000-$2,475before optional services and unexpected medical care.
Food (year one)
Dry or mixed diet; fresh food can cost more
$450-$950
Gear & supplies (year one)
Crate, bed, harness, bowls, toys
$175-$400
Routine vet + preventatives
Wellness, vaccines, flea/tick and heartworm; no emergencies
$425-$725
Grooming
high needs; DIY to periodic professional help
$50-$600
Training
At-home work to group classes
$0-$400
Optional supplements
Not included in the headline totals
$0-$180
Other first-year
Microchip, license, spay/neuter if needed
$100-$500
Optional pet insurance
Not included above; premiums vary by age, ZIP and coverage.
$450-$1,100/yr
Also not included: fresh-food-only diets, boarding or day care, emergencies, and condition-specific treatment. Breed health risks are planning flags—not guaranteed annual bills.
Size-adjusted U.S. planning ranges, updated July 2026 and benchmarked against Rover's 2026 cost report and Synchrony's 2025 study. Actual costs vary by region and lifestyle.
Gear for Scottish Terriers
Breed-size-appropriate picks. Links go to Amazon.
Training for Scottish Terriers
Matched to Scottish Terrier temperament (confident, independent, spirited).
GoodPup
1-on-1 virtual dog training with certified trainers
- —1-on-1 live video sessions
- —Certified trainers
- —Custom per-dog plan
- —Weekly structure
BAXTER & Bella
Online puppy training program, lifetime access
- —Lifetime membership
- —Self-paced video lessons
- —Puppy + adult content
- —Behavior troubleshooting
Dogo
App-based training with daily structure
- —App-based daily plans
- —AI-guided feedback
- —Affordable monthly cost
- —Trick training library
GPS trackers for Scottish Terriers
Size-appropriate picks for tracking, activity monitoring, and escape alerts.
Fi
Smart collar with GPS + activity tracking
- —Real-time GPS
- —Activity + sleep tracking
- —Escape alerts
- —3-month battery
Tractive
Affordable GPS tracker with unlimited range
- —Attaches to any collar
- —Worldwide GPS coverage
- —Activity monitoring
- —Budget-friendly
Curious about their DNA?
Confirm breed mix, check for genetic health risks, and get actionable insights.
Embark
The most comprehensive dog DNA test
- —350+ breeds identified
- —250+ health conditions screened
- —Cornell-partnered science
- —Relatives finder
Wisdom Panel
Breed identification + health screening
- —350+ breeds
- —Genetic health insights
- —Budget-friendly option
- —Fast results
More on the Scottish Terrier
Similar-size breeds
Scottish Terrier questions, answered.
Are Scottish Terriers stubborn?+
Why is bladder cancer mentioned for Scotties?+
What is Scottie cramp?+
Do Scotties need professional grooming?+
What health testing should I ask about?+
How long do Scottish Terriers live?+
How big do Scottish Terriers get?+
How much exercise does a Scottish Terrier need?+
What health problems do Scottish Terriers commonly have?+
Are Scottish Terriers hard to groom?+
What should I feed a Scottish Terrier?+
Are Scottish Terriers good for first-time owners?+
Ask Searchbreed about your Scottish Terrier
Get personalized answers about food, health, and care.