West Highland white terrier breeds Information

Breed Description

West Highland white terriers were crossbreeds among the Scottish, Cairns and Dandies terriers. It was presumed that the crossbreed will be loyal and it hunting natures could not be underestimated. The truth is West Highland white terriers are an amazing breed and a lot of royalties in Scotland owned terriers that were very similar to today Westies. If you need more information about this breed then keep reading, this article is about West Highland white terrier breeds Information.

Around 1700, the Isle of Skye and other highlands of Scotland were already producing many small dogs. The Scottish breeds were divided into two: the Dandie Dinmont terriers and Skye terriers. The Skye’s comprised of the Cairns, Scotts, and the West Highland white terriers.

One interesting story about this breed is a westie that prevents a mother from shouting at her daughter. Every time the mother shouted at her teenage daughter, the dog would attack her, the dog aggression has worsened over the years, which has resulted in the mother's failure to scold her teenage.

It turned out that the girl was, in fact, rewarding the puppy for her protection by calming him after every "threat" from her mother. Many people would perceive that the daughter was able to help her mom change her ways when she was helping herself by rewarding the dog for its behavior.

The following are some basic information’s that breeders really love to know about West Highland white terrier:
Category: Terrier
Living Environment: They prefer indoors, and outdoors with a fenced yard.
Coat: around 2-inch coarse and wiry external coat and soft, dense, and furry undercoat Color: white
Height: about 10 and 12 inches
Weight: about 13 and 22 pounds

The Breed Temperament

West Highland white terrier’s dog is an active dog with great Temperament. This tiny pup has a lot of energy and enjoys being around its family members and other folks. These dog breeds are always dedicated to the owner and can get along with little mature kids. When considering a West Highland white terrier’s like a pet, know that West Highland white terrier is a barker and also loves to dig, Sometimes these two activities are combined.

Naturally, the dog likes to bark and dig, they are not as willful like most terriers and they enjoy companionship. And when they trained, they develop a close empathy with behaved children, they can become friendly to outsiders, and they have fun chasing cats but they don’t hurt them. They can become a very good watchdog.

Origin and History

As mentioned earlier, they share the same ancestry with Scotts and Cairns (from Sky Dogs) and even included Dandies. This trio was developed on the Isle of Skye, which was one of the Scottish Highlands. The white whelps were selected from Cairns, Scotts, and Dandies, elegantly coined to produce a breed known as the Poltalloch terriers. The following are some historic items that prove the dog reputation as the owners preferred companion dogs.

West Highland white terrier’s Facts

History has it that around 1620, King James I of England requested some small white dogs from Argyleshire in Scotland. Colonel Malcolm, who was considered as the initiator of Poltalloch terriers that are related to today westies unintentionally, shot his terrier (a dark one). Since then, he swore to have only white dogs.

In the 19th century, terriers that were comparable to the Westies were called Rosemead terriers, in honor of the Duke of Argyll patronage and interest in this breed, Rosemead was his estate in Dunbartonshire.
In 1904, westies were classified under the name West Highland White Terriers.  And the first-ever dog show that was organized in the late 1800s, the Westies were called the White Scottish terriers.

In the mid-twentieth century, Cairns breeders in Argyll, Scotland, took the white puppies from the stock and breed some of them to obtain White Cairns. However, in 1917, the American Kennel Club decided that Cairns should be registered if they had Westies lineage. We can say that West Highland white terriers are mostly the favorite companion dog of many families.