Scotties that are pets, not showdogs, have a much easier life, coat-wise. You can keep it short or long, but always brush the furnishings (the skirt and beard) every few days to avoid matting and excess dirt. Again, start this early and do it regularly and your dog will accept it more readily. Right under the legs (the “armpits”) are the most prone to matting – if we can’t be bothered, we just cut off any mats that are resistant to brushing. You can hardly notice, and the dogs have never told us they care much about it.

How often they get a haircut or get “clipped” depends on your preference: some like their Scotties neat and tidy with the classic sharp silhouette and others like them shaggier.  The former requires more trips to the groomer than the latter.  If you’re game to try it, I started clipping Scotties myself when I was in my early twenties, with absolutely no training or previous experience (and back then there wasn’t aYouTube for tutorial videos…there was barely an internet at all…) and it worked out just fine.  It’s not a complicated cut, even if it might look like it.

Nearly all of our Scotties HATE getting their nails cut, but we ignore their drama and get it done – long nails are bad for a dog’s little arches (yes, they have foot arches too!) and once the quick descends to the end of a long nail, it’s very difficult to get those nails to the proper shorter length again. Your vet can help you figure out where the quick is to avoid nicking it, but even if you do, it’s not the end of the world.  The vet can also do it for you, of course!

We recommend a natural shampoo for washing your dog – something without “fragrance” or “parfum” or any of the other long list of chemicals that often plague these kinds of products.

It’s a hassle, and few owners really follow through on it, but brushing your dog’s teeth daily – even weekly – will give it a longer, healthier life. Dogs can and do die of complications from dental decay and gum disease, and less serious cases still can cost several hundred pounds to deal with. The more you do it, the more your dog will get used to it and accept it. Special toothpastes are available, but not necessary. A good brisk brushing works fine.  We recently discovered the joys of the electric toothbrush for our dogs: now that these brushes are so affordable, it makes sense to buy one for your pup and start getting it used to the process early. It really works and the dogs accept it readily.