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.

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Westies' general care, personalities, health, & feeding

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Breed standard highlights

Picture
GCH CH TullyBloom's Royal Pallas stands proudly after winning an Award of Merit at the 2010 WHWTC of America National Specialty Show.
General Appearance - The West Highland White Terrier is a small, game, well-balanced hardy looking terrier, exhibiting good showmanship, possessed with no small amount of self-esteem, strongly built, deep in chest and back ribs, with a straight back and powerful hindquarters on muscular legs, and exhibiting in marked degree a great combination of strength and activity. The coat is about two inches long, white in color, hard, with plenty of soft undercoat. The dog should be neatly presented, the longer coat on the back and sides, trimmed to blend into the shorter neck and shoulder coat. Considerable hair is left around the head to act as a frame for the face to yield a typical Westie expression.

Size, Proportion, Substance - The ideal size is eleven inches at the withers for dogs and ten inches for bitches. A slight deviation is acceptable. The Westie is a compact dog, with good balance and substance. The body between the withers and the root of the tail is slightly shorter than the height at the withers. Short-coupled and well boned.

Color - The color is white, as defined by the breed's name.

Temperament - Alert, courageous, and self-reliant, but friendly.

Fun Facts & General Care

  • The average life span of a Westie is twelve to fifteen years.
  • The adult weight of a Westie will typically be anywhere from fifteen to twenty-two pounds.
  • Westies may be housetrained at around six (6) months, if YOU do a good job!
  • They require frequent brushing to minimize shedding and to prevent mats.
  • They require regular teeth cleaning to promote good lifetime dental hygiene (which lessens the frequency of expensive teeth cleaning visits at the vet's office).
  • They require frequent nail clipping.
  • The Westie coat is maintained by hand-stripping every one or two weeks (for show) or by clipping every four to six weeks (for a pet to resemble the proper look).
  • Some like to fetch, but some prefer their owner do all the fetching.
  • Some may like to swim (but extreme care must be taken because even an experienced Westie swimmer can easily drown)!
  • They never totally grow up.
  • Their high physical and mental energies require a release, or they will find their own mode of release and you may not like it!

personality

Some dogs were bred to retrieve, and others to sit on the lap of royalty. Westies were bred to "go to ground" and kill critters the size of a fox and smaller, working in packs with humans. Because of this, Westies:
  • are vocal (they bark and "talk");
  • dig, and chase small critters moving quickly in front of them; 
  • are best for owners who can provide firm, yet loving, guidance;
  • require fenced areas or leashes when outdoors;
  • play hard and often growl during play;
  • are HIGH ENERGY and tend to stay that way for many years;
  • are smart and tenacious;
  • do not respond well to harsh corrections; and
  • are excitable!

Westie health

All breeds come with health issues specific to that breed, and Westies are no exception. Like people, dogs can have a wide range of health problems: some hereditary, some environmental, some minor, and some severe or even life threatening. The following are some of the more common health issues that Westie breeders are concerned about and try to avoid (to the extent possible) in their breeding programs:
  • Allergies and skin problems;
  • CMO (Craniomandibular Osteopathy);
  • Copper Toxicosis;
  • Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease;
  • Addison's Disease;
  • Westie Lung Disease;
  • Luxating Patella; and
  • Pyruvate Kinase (PK) Deficiency.
Visit the Westie Club of America's Website  for details on these and other Westie health issues.  Buying from a responsible breeder lowers the likelihood of major health issues.

Feeding

You will find many different opinions on the subject of what to feed your Westie.   As a matter of fact, there are as many opinions on what to feed as there are types of food.  Keep in mind that dogs sometimes have allergies and in many cases these allergies have a food-based component.  Consistency is key.  If you choose to feed a commercially available dog food, and there are may quality varieties, it is best to feed a premium dry dog food only (better for the teeth) and to maintain your Westie on the same food (do not switch around as you would with a cat).