West Highland White Terrier: Breed Focus

3 Nov

A small dog with a big personality, Westies are intelligent Dogs with a high prey drive. Originally used for hunting game, their petite build allowed them to climb through tunnels to catch prey. Their harsh coat provided insulation and weather resistance in the cold Scottish Highlands, making them versatile working terriers.

Group: Terrier

Life Expectancy: 12 - 16 years

Professional Grooming: 4 - 6 weeks

Exercise: 1 hour a day

Health: Craniomandibular Osteopathy, Hyperplastic Dermatosis, Atopic Dermatitis

Brushing: 2 x weekly

Breed Standard Traits

Active

Hardy

Alert

Independent

Courageous

Resilient

Friendly

Wilful

The History of The West Highland White Terrier

Colonel Edward Malcolm of Poltalloch, Argyllshire, had a pack of short-legged hunting terriers that were bred from a line of Cairn Terriers. Their coat colours varied from: black, red, cream and white. One of the red terriers in his pack was mistakenly shot for a Fox. He then decided to only breed the white dogs as they can be clearly identified in the field. This breed became known as the Poltalloch Terrier, a dog with a sandy coloured coat. Through selective breeding the dogs were bred to have a shorter back and a higher tail carriage than the Cairn.

West Highland White Terriers were first confirmed as a recognised breed with the UK Kennel Club in 1907.

Appearance

West Highland White Terriers should display a combination of strength and activity. They are compact, muscular dogs with strong legs, a deep chest and a straight back. The head shape is round with pointy, erect ears that peek out above the top of the head. A heavy brow with dark, piercing eyes creates a purposeful expression. Westies can run speeds of 15mph.

The only coat colour is White.

A West Highland Terrier has a hard, wiry double coat which isn’t hypoallergenic, but sheds relatively little. The top coat is a harsh hair that grows to the predetermined length of about 5cm and stays straight. The undercoat is soft, short and close.

Males: Height 25 - 30 cm, Weight 7 - 10 kg

Females: Height 23 - 28 cm, Weight 6 - 7 kg

Grooming Requirements

The correct grooming method for wire coats is to hand-strip. This process removes the old hair to reveal a fresh, natural coat. Hand-stripping is a must if you intend to show your dog. The most common grooming method is to clip the coat and card out the old hair, this is either for an all over, manageable pet trim or to a breed standard appearance where the underline is left long.

As West Highland White Terriers have a hard, wiry coat it is best to brush your dog a few times a week with a slicker / pin brush to remove loose hair and debris. A comb is useful to check for matts that may be forming. Bathing a hard Terrier coat too often can be detrimental so a visit to the groomers every 4-6 weeks is best for optimal maintenance.

Training Requirements

As Westies are a typical terrier with their independence, so training can be challenging and require a lot of patience and consistency. They were bred to work alone, therefore training has to be pursued with this in mind. Make training fun and positive. As natural hunters they work well with nose work and scent training.

They excel at earthdog challenges where they can utilise their working ability and instinct. Earthdog trials test the dog’s ability to locate prey (which is protected from the dogs in an enclosure).