West Highland Terrier - A Colorful Beginning!

The West Highland terrier, commonly known as Westie, is a popular dog breed, especially among families with children. This dog is very playful and quite full of energy and loves nothing else more than playing with its human friends.

Historic and origins

In the mountains of western Scotland many different dog breeds developed through selective breeding out of the Scotch terrier, such as Cairn terrier, Scottish terrier and the West Highland white terrier. It is thought that this dog developed in Poltalloch, Scotland and the first record of the breed was at the beginning of the 1900s. Initially, the west highland terrier breed came in different colors, but we can nowadays find only white such dogs.

General appearance and dimensions

The Westie is a small, lively, energetic, robust and vigorous dog. His head has the shape of a dome and his muzzle is of medium size, with a pronounced stop, while his eyes are bright, dark, with a look sharp. His small ears are high and sharp, giving the appearance of an alert animal, ready for anything. The Westie shows a deep chest and muscular limbs.

The tail is carried careless with a length of about 12.5 to 15 cm (5-6 inches) and mustn’t be shortened. All West Highland white terriers are typically white but a shade of lemon may be present around the face and ears.

The Westie's fur coat is soft and warm and often as thick or wiry hair with a length of up to 5 cm. The West Highland terrier adults' height is of 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) in males and 23 to 28 cm (9-11 inches) in female and the body weight is of 7-10 kg (15-22 pounds) in males and 6-7 kg (13-16 pounds) in females.

Personality of the West Highland terrier breed

The Westie is typically a smart, well grown dog, with good manners. The breed is cheerful, loving and very playful. Many believe that Westie is a puppy all his life. Even if they can have a playful side, Westies can also be quiet, obedient, confident and determined. They are also quite friendly with strangers.

The West Highland white terrier may bite when provoked, but is not as naughty as most of the other terrier breeds. The dog is energetic and very sure of himself in comparison with other dogs. Usually, the West Highland terrier is not the one causing conflicts with other dogs, although some males are more aggressive, especially with other males.

Relationship with family and the home

The West Highland terriers are excellent dogs for teenagers, as they are not that tolerant with accidental hits from children, and thus are not recommended for families with children under ten years old. As with other dogs, supervision is necessary whenever he is playing with very young children.

This terrier breed loves spending time with human companions and is open to playing games. The dog is both active inside the house and outside, as he enjoys both open spaces and the inside of an apartment. The West Highland white terrier will enjoy regular walks or playing parties in the park, but will not mind too much if you miss one.

Training

This small terrier is a brave and strong dog that is easily trained. Westies learn quickly and excel at hunting as they are great in tracking. They are also great when it comes to the obedience and agility chapters.

More West Highland terrier information

The Westie's white robe can take some time for keeping it clean and the hair must be brushed on a regular basis to prevent its raveling and damage. Regular brushing can maintain clean hair, so bathing will be done only when absolutely necessary.

Around the ears and eyes, the hair should be cut with scissors that have a blunt tip. Their whole coat should be shortened every four months and cut very short twice a year.

The West Highland white terrier can develop a habit out of digging and can manifest behavioral problems if left alone for long periods of time. The medium life span of these dogs is 14-16 years and they have decreased susceptibility to diseases.

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