It may be interesting to give a few particulars concerning the
traceable ancestors of the modern Dandie. In Mr. Charles Cook's book
on this breed, we are given particulars of one William Allan, of
Holystone, born in 1704, and known as Piper Allan, and celebrated as a
hunter of otters and foxes, and for his strain of rough-haired terriers
who so ably assisted him in the chase. William Allan's terriers
descended to his son James, also known as the "Piper," and born in the
year 1734. James Allan died in 1810, and was survived by a son who
sold to Mr. Francis Somner at Yetholm a terrier dog named Old Pepper,
descended from his grandfather's famous dog Hitchem. Old Pepper was
the great-grandsire of Mr. Somner's well-known dog Shem. These
terriers belonging to the Allans and others in the district are
considered by Mr. Cook to be the earliest known ancestors of the
modern Dandie Dinmont.
Sir Walter Scott himself informs us that he did not draw the character
of Dandie Dinmont from any one individual in particular, but that the
character would well fit a dozen or more of the Lidderdale yeomen of
his acquaintance. However, owing to the circumstance of his calling
all his terriers Mustard and Pepper, without any other distinction
except "auld" and "young" and "little," the name came to be fixed by
his associates upon one James Davidson, of Hindlee, a wild farm in the
Teviotdale mountains.
James Davidson died in the year 1820, by which time the Dandie Dinmont
Terrier was being bred in considerable numbers by the Border farmers
and others to meet the demand for it which had sprung up since the
appearance of _Guy Mannering_.
As a result of the controversies that were continually recurring with
regard to the points of a typical Dandie Dinmont there was formed in
the year 1876 the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club, with the object of
settling the question for ever, and for this purpose all the most
noted breeders and others interested were invited to give their views
upon it.
The standard of points adopted by the club is as follows:--
* * * * *
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