THE resurgence of Britain’s most ‘at-risk’ dog breed continued on Saturday at the Haining in Selkirk.

The Dandie Dinmont took its name from a character in Sir Walter Scott’s novel, Guy Mannering.

A statue of Old Ginger, the dog which all living Dandies can be traced back to, was unveiled at the Haining two years ago.

And each June owners from across the UK descend on the picturesque estate for a celebration of the breed.

As well as a parade, the terriers took part in an afternoon’s racing.

Organiser Kenny Allan told us: “This is a fun day for everyone who has an interest in Dandie Dinmonts to come together.

“Everyone enjoys coming to the Haining but it also allows all the owners to get to know each other – some owners are new to the breed while others have had these wonderful dogs for 50 or 60 years.”

Local actor John Nichol provided a welcoming party for the owners, dressed appropriately as Sir Walter Scott.

While numbers were slightly down on previous years, with just over 60 Dandie Dinmonts taking part, there is expected to be a large gathering next year to mark the bicentenary of the death of the breed’s original owner.

Farmer James Davidson is credited with inspiring the character Dandie Dinmont in Guy Mannering.

And the two dogs which appear in the novel, Pepper and Mustard, were based on his two terriers.

As well as the annual celebration at the Haining, owners from across the world will arrive in the Borders next June to pay tribute to Davidson, who is buried at Oxnam Kirk.

Kenny added: “Next year will be a really big year for the Dandie Dinmont.

“We already know of owners coming from across the world for the events which are being planned here in the Borders.”

Although there has been a resurgence in recent decades, there are still only around 100 Dandie Dinmonts born in the UK each year.