What West Highland Terrier Breeders SHOULD Know!

The West Highland white terrier is a member of terrier dog breeds and is nowadays an often dog to be adopted as a companion by families and is always present in exhibitions and training presentations.

Overall, these dogs are easy to be taken care of and to be trained, but there are many facts to be known by West Highland Terrier breeders when it comes to both offering the dogs the proper conditions and aspects related to West Highland terrier mix.

General facts West Highland terrier breeders should know:

Country of origin: Scotland

General appearance description: ruffled, nice fur, button shaped nose and small ears that reflect this dog breed as a spoiled and pretty picture. The body is compact and the head is similar to that of a fox. Their fur coat is their particularity: a double coat – the outer layer consists of hard hair, while the undercoat is soft and abundant. The dog moves free, fair and easy.

Height: between 25 and 28 cm (10-11 inches), small dimensions dog category

Weight: between 7 and 10 kg (15-22 pounds)

Medium life span: around 13-14 years

Number of puppies: usually 3, sometimes 4

Feeding requirements: this breed is relatively easy and cheap to be fed Disease susceptibility: The Westie is generally a small, resistant dog, with few problems specific to the breed and low diseases susceptibility. Some dogs are sensible to skin conditions and deafness.

Also, they are common allergies sufferers. Some of the usual diseases that affect them are: deafness, congenital-metabolic defects of the liver, skin disorders, Krabbe’s disease, epidermal dysplasia.

General exercises: every West Highland terrier breeder should know that this dog requires at least 60 to 80 minutes of exercises per day. He is an energetic dog that loves playing with the ball, digging and running.

General character and temperament

Westies are naughty characters, very confident and affectionate at the same time. As they are constantly alert and very brave, they make great watchdogs. They can also be shrewd and stubborn but are always loyal to their companion or family.

They make excellent playmates for children, although small children should be supervised when playing with them. They can be very dominant so their training should include early socialization for them to get along reasonably both with other dogs and with cats.

Fur coat care: the West Highland white terriers’ coat is short to medium and is hard so West Highland Terrier breeders should not wash them often. Brushing is preferable to washing them, and this should be done on a weekly basis. Also, the dogs need a cut at least two or three times a year.

Other details that a west highland terrier breeder should know are:

• Stress caused if left alone: medium, this breed doesn’t enjoy staying alone for long periods.
• The tendency to bark: medium; as these are friendly dogs, they usually bark when they play or when left alone. Try to leave them alone from time to time since they are small so they would get used to this.
• Aggressiveness level: medium, they usually only get aggressive when provoked.

For the West Highland terrier breeder that is interested in west highland terrier mix

Information:

Exhibition characteristics for this breed: all black pigmentation. Their heads should be their heads should be slightly arched with a distinct stop. The teeth should be large when compared to the size of the dog, with a regular scissor bite form. Eyes, medium sized and as dark as possible. Their ears should be small, directed upward, and held firm, covered with short and smooth hair.

The neck should be muscular and long enough; the body should be compact and the back robust. The legs should be short, muscular and vigorous. The tail should be oblong, as straight as possible without the ridge and carried gaily. It mustn’t be shortened.

Besides these details, there are many other things to know about this breed, things that are easily assimilated by West Highland Terrier breeders that love their dogs.

For more information and everything you need to know West Highland Terrier breeders, check out the highly recommended West Highland Terrier eBook and audio package today!