by Jack Richardson

Bursting with spunk and a mighty determination- this is what the tiny West Highland White terrier is well known for and more. With a compact little body and a magnificently bright white coat, this dog is an undeniable charmer and a surprisingly active and agile little gamer. Also widely known as “Westie”, this little furry dog has a wide following and is still counting.

A lot of breeders favor the West Highland White terrier today but going back in time, it is but a pity and a shock to learn that they weren’t so favored as they are today. In Scotland, where this breed begun, they were merely treated as worthless, least productive and scruffy dogs of peasant and poor workers. These ruthless and unjust assessments then widely prompted the people of that time to abandon, famish, and ultimately killing these poor terriers.

With the good spirits of the Malcolm family, however, the pet was saved, flourished, and in time gained recognition for its unique and favorable usefulness as vermin catcher. The Malcolms are an influential family and through this rank they managed to catch the interest of other people to look at Westies in a different and most loving way. Col. Edward Donald Malcolm, the main instigator of the change, formerly developed several colored terriers but it is the white colored one that made the most importance for it is utterly recognizable among other animals being hunted, the bushes, mountains, and rocks.

This breed is a relative to Scottish terriers Skye, Cairn, and Dandie Dinmont and breed-crossing made it the West Highland White terrier that it is today. The efforts of Col. Malcolm resulted in the conception of the first West Highland White terrier club in 1905 and in 1906, it was given official recognition by The Kennel Club in the UK and was given the name The West Highland Terrier Club. The West Highland White terrier was shown at that same time in the US and has been a part of the American Kennel Club (AKC) by 1908.

The Westie manifests a typical terrier temperament as it is unabashedly game, hardy despite its size, trusting of new people and children, lively, self-assured, and adores companionship. They also love playing and chasing around and has the tendency to run after cats and other smaller animals but this is just a form of entertainment for them. The Westie has no qualms getting along with other dogs for it doesn’t typically pick a fight, isn’t pugnacious and is inherently self-assured.

Outwardly, this dog is draped with 2 inches length of hair that’s thick, soft, and pearly white in brilliance. It solidly and robustly boasts its 10-12 inches of height and its hair that has a softer and thicker undercoat and courser and tougher overcoat. Maintenance for the hair minimally requires daily brushing and regular trimmings and clippings.

This dog has an apparent showmanship and intelligence and so it is very easy to train; in fact, it excels in obedience and appearance competitions. Health-wise, this dog is best allowed some frequent walks so as to exercise them physically and to avoid the on-set of problem behaviors in them. More over, it is very important to allow them to have an ample amount of play time so as to develop a fit physical and mental health.

The Westie has come a long way from its underdog days and is actually enjoying quite a handful of recognitions and a steady flow of admiring owners today. West Highland White Terriers clubs exists in almost every state now and this furthermore proves the Westie’s change of fate. Thanks to the effort and faith of some people for this pet, we experience the friendship or the very least, the sight of a compact, luminous, and lively West Highland White terrier today.

About the Author:
Author Jack Richardson has years of experience in West Highland White Terrier breeding, grooming, and training. Get access to more helpful tips and information from him by checking out his website about West Highland White Terriers.

Related posts:

  1. Border Terrier: The Coarse Coated Breed From The Scottish-English Borders

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Dogs

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!