West Highland White Terrier
AKA: Westie, Poltalloch Terrier, Roseneath Terrier
Description: The West Highland White Terrier (Westie) is a small well-balanced hardy looking terrier, exhibiting good showmanship. They are elegant looking with a beautiful, shiny white coat and bright, button eyes, shaggy eyebrows and a black nose. Their fur around the face is bristly, which gives the dog a rounded face. Their skin is black or pink, but fur is white. Their tails resemble that of an inverted carrot, and is never docked. They have hard, 2 inch long fur that is cut longer around the legs and belly. They have a double coat that is harsh and straight and about 2 inches long, with a wiry outer coat and a soft, close, furry undercoat. The coat is bristly and stands off around the face, making the face appear rounded. With natural prick ears, some Westies keep their ears down around their owners to show submittal. An intelligent dog who learns quickly, the West Highland White Terriers love human companionship and will play with their family indoors or out. Their size makes them great for an apartment but they are just as at home in the country. They are a hardy breed, capable of playing with children and other dogs. West Highland White Terriers make great companions for children of all ages. Easygoing, active, responsive and friendly are all the ingredients for making a Westie. They are one of the most popular breed of dogs today.
Temperament: West Highland White Terriers are active, assertive, fun-loving, well-behaved and light-hearted. They are alert and friendly. Being stable, they love to play and will do so with each other or with you. They are courageous, self-reliant and have good self-esteem. They can be independent but mostly rely on their families for love and affection, two things they severely need. They like to dig in the yard and should be trained to avoid this, as they also will kill any vermin they find around the house. Some Westies may not be good with children, as some are more picky than others for a companion. They generally get along well with other dogs and if trained, with other pets such as cats. West Highland White Terriers need consistent attention, exercise and mental stimulation or else they will become lazy and out of shape. If given the opportunity, the Westie will sit on your lap or next to you and enjoy your petting for hours.
Activity: Indoor & Outdoor is very high, unless they are ignored. West Highland White Terrier will do well as an apartment dweller if they are walked at least once or twice a day, though they will always enjoy having the freedom to play in a yard. West Highland White Terriers do best with human or canine companionship.
Grooming: They need regular brushing two to three times a week to help keep their white coat clean. Monthly bathing is necessary for a clean coat as well. Minimal trimming is needed if they are just a pet. If you plan to show them, they will also need trimming, plucking and stripping of the coat.
Health Problems: This breed is healthy and robust. There may be some problems with skin allergies, patellar luxation, hernias, cranio mandibular osteopathy (lion jaw), deafness and congenital heart disease. They can also be susceptible to atopy, cataracts, copper toxicosis, enzyme deficiency, inguinal hernia, and Legg-Perthes disease. They are a long lived breed their life span is around 15 + years
Breed Group: Terrier, AKC Terrier
Color: All white, no other colors, or else they’d be called Cairn Terrier.
Height: 10 - 11 inches.
Weight: 15 - 22 lbs.
Country Of Origin: Scotland
Dynamics: Alert, courageous, self-confident, high-energy, playful and friendly. Good watchdog.
Tags: dog breeds, Poltalloch Terrier, Roseneath Terrier, Top 50 Dog Breeds, West Highland White Terrier, Westie