West Highland White Terriers - Westie

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Scotland.
MOST SUITED AS Family pet.
SIZE The shoulder-height is about 28cm (11 in)weight about 7.5kg (16 1/2p).

The West Highland White Terrier, also called a Westie, is a small breed that originated in Scotland. The active and alert breed can appear delicate but is actually anything but this. They make great loyal companions.

Appearance
The Westie’s head should be slightly domed and smoothly contoured when you feel it with your hand from the forehead. The dog’s eyes should be set widely apart and be as dark as possible. Its ears are pointed and firmly held up, and the fur there should not be trimmed. The shoulders slope backwards, and the shoulders are broad for the breed. The body of the dog is compact. The tail is short, only about 14 cm or five inches long, has no feathering of the hair, and be as straight as possible. This dog is double coated, with an inner coat of short soft fur and an outer coat of longer harsh hair. Overall the dog is about 28 cm or eleven inches high at the withers.

Temperament
Just as with classic terriers, the Westie is active and alert, and full of self importance. It does not need to be pampered, but will enjoy weather of all types. The dog is very loyal, making it a good companion. However, it does have a stubborn streak that makes training difficult and necessary. Barking is also a natural behavior for these dogs, but with training will bark only when necessary. They are also very good diggers, and will need to be trained at an early age not to dig up the yard.

Care Requirements
People often think that white dogs must be bathed often to keep them clean, but this is not true of the Westie. The harsh outer coat helps keep them clean. When they get wet or muddy, you just have to dry them off and brush them out to make them white again. It is not recommended that you bathe your Westie too often. In fact, you should only bath them once every one to three months to avoid skin problems. Pets will need their coats trimmed every three to four months, while show dogs will need to be hand stripped. Daily brushing is also recommended.

History
The West Highland White Terrier was first bred in Scotland. At the time terriers were brown, and could easily be mistaken for a fox from a distance. This led to the deaths of many terriers. As a result, owners started breeding terriers to keep the lightest of the dogs, and eventually the white terrier was bred in the early nineteenth century. The dogs were used to control vermin, primarily rabbits and foxes. There were several early names for the breed, including Poltalloch, Roseneath, and White Scottish Terrier. Their current name became known in the first part of the twentieth century