Great Scot!

I have mentioned before that Darling Wife and I would like to have a dog. Specifically, we have wanted a Scottish Terrier puppy for many years. ...or rather, I have.

My parents had one when I was a child, and I adored him. I've wanted one of my own for decades, but my life has been too unsettled to make a good home for a dog. Besides, Scotties are expensive and relatively uncommon. Oh, one frequently sees Scottie merchandise. You know, the necktie or scarf with the Scottie print or the christmas tree ornament depicting a tartan-covered scottie peering into an unwrapped gift box. That stuff is everywhere. And West Highland White Terriers, which many people mistakenly believe are white Scotties, are somewhat common, too. But one seldom sees a real, live Scottish Terrier. In addition, pure-bred Scotties are prone to certain genetic diseases, so one has to be careful to buy from a reputable breeder who is knowledgeable about Scotties and breeds for the best health of the puppies. That means a lot of painstaking research into a breeder's background, etc. before buying.

I know that there are millions of perfectly good dogs in shelters around the country, so I do not need to be lectured about that. I'm not a dog snob. Some day DW and I would like to adopt a rescue pet. But dogs inherit a considerable part of their temperment from their parents; different breeds generally exhibit personality traits specific to their breed. Certainly, nurture can diminish the effects of nature, but it is never 100% sure. Dogs can and often do revert to type. One cannot completely eradicate hundreds of years of instinctual behavior just by how one treats the animal. Rescue dogs are usually mixed breeds, which makes it difficult to know what one is getting. And even if a rescue dog is pure-bred, they often come with psychological or physical baggage from their previous owner or the shelter. This will be our first dog, and we don't have much space. I don't think we can deal with special needs right now. We want to be pretty sure of the dog's health and probable temperment beforehand, and we want a puppy that will develop habits in keeping with our own.

I think Scottish Terriers are perfect for us. They have short legs, so they are smallish, which is perfect for the size of our home.

It's also much easier to get friends to look after a small dog when one goes out of town, which is important because we have no family nearby, and we go back east for weeks at a time once or twice a year. But despite their small stature, Scotties are fairly stocky, so they are hale and hearty, unlike the yappy, rat dogs that are so popular with the Paris Hilton types today. I can't stand those tiny, nervous things with their trembling, delicate natures. Plus, Scotties are not lap dogs that jump up on visitors and must be carried around in obnoxious little bags. They are independent, dignified animals that are fiercely loyal, playful, and friendly companions to those who respect them, but they are usually reserved with strangers, and they will tolerate no coddling.

With all of this in mind, I have been contacting breeders for the last few years, but I've never found just the right situation.... until now. About two weeks ago, I e-mailed a show breeder in a suburb of Reno, NV, about two hours across the Sierra Nevada mountains from where we live. Everything in our e-mail correspondence was very promising, but DW was still not convinced. Despite all of the internet research and all of the things I have told her, she just wasn't sure about Scotties. She's never known one.

The breeder invited us to visit her facility and meet her and her dogs, which we did this past weekend. It was fabulous. We talked for hours, and the breeder's philosophies and practices satisfied me entirely, and her dogs were wonderful! Darling Wife played with them the entire time, and she smiles from ear to ear anytime you mention them. She doesn't understand how I have been so patient for all these years. She is convinced that our home is missing a Scottie and wants one now.

The breeder is expecting her "bitch" to come into season at any time, and she will, with luck, have puppies in late October or early November. Once they are four weeks old, we can visit them as often as we like, and we will be able to bring one home in late January or early February. We will be travelling and have houseguests through January, so this is perfect timing for us. We are terribly excited!