They were once a popular breed in the 1800s, but now less than 100 Dandie Dinmont Terriers are born in the UK every year.
The hardy and intelligent dogs take their name from a fictional character in a Sir Walter Scott novel from 1814, although they were around long before that.
Known for their distinctive hair, the dogs which were bred in the Scottish Border, are now extremely rare and are registered as a Vulnerable Native Breed by the Kennel Club due to the low number of puppy registrations per year.
In a bid to help raise awareness of the breed, a Dandie Dinmont heritage trail has now been unveiled in the Scottish Borders, with boards placed along the route to promote the dogs to tourists.
More than £4,500 was raised for the project, with the first board placed at Kirk Yetholm and unveiled by Lady Grossart.
There are plans for the second board to be located at Oxnam Kirk.
The adorable dogs were on display during the annual Dandie Derby with more than 70 pooches taking part in this year’s race.
‘It’s such a shame that Dandie Dinmonts are so rare, they are so full of fun and hardy little dogs on the edge of extinction,’ said Kenny Allan from the Dandie Dinmont Heritage Trail.
Read more news on Scottish Field’s news pages.
Don’t miss the June issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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