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Yosemite Sam was partial to the word, “varmint,” and so are some breed standards. The West Highland White Terrier’s breed standard with the FCI calls for a dog that is, “small, active, game, hardly, possessed of no small amount of self-esteem with a varminty appearance.” The same breed’s standard with the UKC reads, “Muzzle: Broad and strong enough to produce a varminty expression.”

The AKC’s breed standard for the Scottish Terrier also mentions the word: “These characteristics, joined with his very special keen, piercing, “varminty” expression, and his erect ears and tail, are salient features of the breed.”

And then we have the Bull Terrier’s AKC standard: “The expression should reflect these body projections; a positive, glinting, intelligent eye set in a triangular opening which produces a “varminty” outlook.”

Even the Jagdterrier’s UKC standard mentions, “varmint,” though the word is mentioned in terms of size: The dog should not be “too large to enter a varmint burrow nor too small to defend themselves in a confrontation with their quarry.” 

So what’s up with the word, varminty, and why does it seem to be associated with terriers?

We can’t do better than the definition set forth by the fabulous book, Encyclopedia of K9 terminology: “A varminty expression is a weasel-like expression….it shows hard bitten gameness. A piercing expression; the expression of varmints.” Until dogs talk, we’ll never know the role of expression between predator and prey, but it seems reasonable to think that eye expression between species plays a role.

We invite you to share a photo of your dog’s “varminty expression!”

Image: Scottish Terrier by Jennie Marie Schell is available as a print, poster, pillow, tote and so much more here.