A Bit of Westie History...

The West Highland White Terrier can be traced back to Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm, of Poltalloch, Argyllshire, Scotland, who is generally credited with breeding the small white dog that we know today as the “Westie.”  As the legend goes, Colonel Malcolm had kept a pack of light colored working terriers for hunting. One day when the Colonel was out hunting with his favorite terrier, a reddish-brown dog, it was mistaken for a fox and shot as it emerged from cover.  Colonel Malcolm was so grieved by the loss of his dog that he is said to have decided on the spot to breed only for white dogs that could be readily identified in the field.  The West Highlander had been bred and maintained for more than 100 years before its appearance at a dog show.

The breed was listed officially as the West Highland White Terrier in 1907 at the Crufts dog show in England. The name was chosen for the rugged character of the dogs and the area of their development.  The West Highland White Terrier Club of America was formed and admitted as a member club of the American Kennel Club in 1909.