Smart confident and always entertaining a play the adorable west highland white terrier also known as Westie has charmed its owner for over 300 years, standing ten to eleven inches at the shoulder with dark piercing eyes compact body and a carrot shaped tail wagging with delight the West’s look are totally irresistible
The white terrier is everything a terrier was designed to be sturdy, spunky and bold the busy USD is happy curious and always in the thick of things it is affectionate and demanding and one of the friendliest Terriers known to the world.
But what really makes it different from other terrier breeds well here are top ten things about the west highland white Terriers that make them stand out from bunch of other terrier breeds in the world:
Number one: their origin the west highland white terrier shares a history with that of a dandy diamond sky scottish and karen terriers they’re all considered branches of the same breed the west highland white terrier originated in Scotland and was used for hunting Fox Badger and for killing vermin such as rats there’s not much evidence to determine the exact history of the west highland white terrier but many believe that Westies white color resulted from a tragic 19th century accident that occurred while Colonel Malcolm of pol talat was hunting Fox Colonel accidentally shot and killed one of his Whitten colored Karen’s devastated and determined to prevent such accidents in the future he decided to breed only wide dogs that couldn’t be confused with foxes the west highland white terrier has been known by many names including the paul tillich terrier and the rosemitha terrier but he was officially recognized by the Kennel Club of England as the west highland white terrier in 1906
Number two: they make great lap dogs the west highland white terrier is a bold confident fun-loving intelligent dog who can find joy in the simplest pleasures of life such as squeaky toys a belly rub and food his happy disposition and love of life make him a favourite for many in spite of his mischievousness he doesn’t lack any self esteem but is not so overbearing in his confidence that his self-assurance becomes a negative trait he’s friendly and gets along with everyone and he enjoys being part of this family too he’s a lively little guy who greets the adventures life with a sparkle in his eye and a skip in his step particularly when is mowing over your feet to get his football Highland whites are therefore a happy-go-lucky lapdogs
Number three: dynamic temperament most terrier breeds are remarkably similar the same words are used over and over quick to bark quick to chase lively bossy feisty scrappy clever independent stubborn persistent impulsive intense and so on but some terrier breeds are more so than others overall as a breed west highland white Terriers tend to be in the middle section of the terrier spectrum but of course there are some individuals who will be in the higher end
Number four: prone to lion’s jaw cranium and dibbler Osteopathy also known as lions jaw is a developmental disease in dogs causing extensive bony changes in the mandible and skull this condition affects the skull bones while the puppy is growing causing them to become irregularly enlarged symptoms usually appear between four and eight months of age the cause is unknown but believed to be hereditary often the puppy’s jaw and glands will become swollen and he won’t be able to open his mouth he’ll drool have a fluctuating fever that recurs every couple of weeks and in some cases his chewing muscles may atrophy there is no treatment but anti-inflammatories and pain relievers help the dog deal with what is a painful condition proper nutrition is a must in severe cases a feeding tube may be needed however the irregular bone growth slows and typically stuffs by the time the puppy becomes a year old
Number five: they have double coats Westies have a double coat with a short undercoat and a top coat close to two inches long the outer coat is straight and hard and the undercoat is soft the only coat color for this breed is white hence the breed name the double coat protects Highland Terriers from inclement weather and from the teeth and claws of his quarry the wee white one should of course always be white trimming is usually needed on the feet and around the ears and eyes the hair on his head is often plucked to produce that definitive round shape you see on show dogs and shedding tendencies range from low to nearly zero the coat stays fairly clean and he should only be bathed when necessary to keep that code a nice sparkly white the Westie requires some tidying and may need to be wiped down sometimes frequently
Number six: they are difficult to train though much more amenable to training than other Terriers west highland white Terriers must still be taught at an early age that they are not the rulers of the world the toughness that makes them suited to killing vermin can frustrate you when you try to teach them anything Terriers are stubborn and dominant they want to be the boss and will make you prove that you can make them do things you must show them through absolute consistency that you mean what you say
Number seven: they have a prey Drive a west highland white terrier is good with other dogs and is suited for multi dog homes however an intact male generally dislikes other intact male dogs Westy or otherwise he can adjust the cats but that’s easier if it’s been raised with them rather than adjusting to a late life introduction he has a strong prey Drive and will chase cats who decide to run from him a Westie should not be trusted with small animals because of his prey Drive bred to go to ground after little vermin’s he can differentiate between the caged pet mouse in your child’s bedroom and a wild mouse that found its way indoors if you want any small pet including rabbits or birds this is not the breed for you
Number eight: they need daily brushing to keep the Westie looking as best regular grooming is a must stripping or plucking the old dead hare is the traditional way of taking care of the terrier coat and it is the grooming method that must be used if you’re interested in showing your dog pet owners often have their dogs coats clipped for neatness most people find a professional groomer who will help keep that beautiful Westie look usually a visit to the groomer every four to six weeks will work just fine nearly brushing and combing is important because the Westie has a hard coat bathing too often can be more harmful than helpful but no worries the support West Highlands rough coat and delicate skin and adult dry dog food formulated with specific amino acids fatty acids and flax seeds royal Canon breed health nutrition to be a great cable for EOS t check it out if you like link is in the description
Number nine: they are very energetic Westies love to romp and play and they enjoy a nice walk since by nature they will run after anything that moves the breed does best in a fenced area or on a leash with intelligence energy and can-do attitude Westies excel in a variety of canine sports and activities including obedience rally and agility true to the breeds original purpose they have the instinct to go to the ground and our superstars at our dog events
Number ten: they have loud mouths these verbal dogs like to alert you of everything from passing cars to squirrels and a tree west highland white Terriers were bred to have big barks so that hunters could hear their dogs barking on the ground and specially useful trick if they got stuck their bark also makes for a great alarm but don’t expect to use them as guard dogs because they’re more likely to become friends with any intruder all right guys
That’s the end of our list of top 10 interesting facts about the west highland white terrier thank you so much for watching the video please give it a thumbs up if you like the list and let us know if you’re planning to get a cute little Westie any time in the future or if you already have one share with us how life is really like being around a west highland white terrier in the comments below.
