Around the year 1700, there were already a lot of small terriers on the Isle of Skye and in other Scottish highlands. The Skye terriers and the Dandie Dinmont terriers are the two Scottish breeds that were split off.
The Dandie Dinmonts were put in a separate group from other dogs. The Scotties, the Cairns, and the West highland white terriers, or Westies, were all part of the Skyes.
It was also said that these terriers were a mix of Cairns, Scottish, and Dandie terriers that had been crossed. The hybrid could be trusted to be loyal, and its hunting instincts could not be underestimated. In fact, many Scottish royal families had terriers that looked a lot like the Westies we have now.
Another interesting story is about a Westie who made a mother stop yelling at her daughter all the time. When the mother yelled at her daughter, who was a teenager, the Westie would attack the mother. The dog's aggression got worse over time, which made it impossible for the mother to scold her teenager.
It turned out that the girl was actually thanking the dog for protecting her by calming him down after her mother "threatened" him. Many people would think that the daughter was able to help her mother change her ways, but she was really just helping herself by giving the dog a treat for being good.
Here are some basic facts about Westies that breeders would love to know:
Category: Living with Terriers Location: inside (highly recommended); outside (fenced yard)
The top two inches of the coat are rough and wiry, and the underside is soft, dense, and furry.
The white colour
Height: between 10 and 12 inches
Weight: from 13 to 22 pounds
Temperament:
Naturally,
They like to bark and dig. They aren't as stubborn as most terriers. They love being with people.
When trained right
- They can be friendly to strangers #!# they get along well with well-behaved children #!# they love to chase cats but don't hurt them #!# they can be a very good watch dog #!# they can get very active
The following health issues should be taken into account by breeders:
- Long-term skin problems #!# Hip problems caused by Perthe's disease #!#
# Jawbone calcification #!
Cranio mandibular osteopathy, also known as "lion jaw,"!
# Patella luxation, a kneecap problem; # Liver problems; # Deafness; # Congenital heart disease.
Take Care and Work Out:
- They should only take a bath when they need to.
- Twice a year, their whole coat should be stripped, and every four months, it should be trimmed.
- You should brush their coat often with a brush that has stiff bristles.
- They will be stronger and healthier for sure if they play and/or walk often.
- Use blunt-nosed mirrors to trim the fur around the eyes and ears.
Origin/History:
As was said, they are related to Cairns, Scotties (which are descended from Skye terriers), and even Dandies. This group of three musicians came together on the Isle of Skye, which is one of Scotland's highlands. It was said that white pups from Cairns, Scotties, and Dandies with wiry coats were chosen to make the Poltalloch terrier breed.
Here are a few examples from history that show why Westies are known as the best dogs for people to live with.
History books say that around the year 1620, King James I of England asked the Scottish county of Argyleshire for some small white dogs. Colonel Malcolm, who was thought to be the first person to have Poltalloch terriers, which are very similar to Westies, shot his terrier by accident (a dark one). After that, he decided to only get white terriers.
In the 1800s, terriers that looked a lot like Westies were called Roseneath terriers to honour the Duke of Argyll, who liked and cared for this breed. His estate in Dumbartonshire was called Roseneath.
In the late 1800s, when the first dog show was held, Westies were called White Scottish terriers. They were given the name "West Highland White terriers" in 1904.
Around the middle of the 1900s, Cairn breeders in Argyll, Scotland, chose white puppies from the stock and interbred some of them to get white Cairns. But in 1917, the American Kennel Club said that Cairns could be on the list if their ancestors were Westies.
We can say that history keeps repeating itself because this cute terrier is now mostly kept as a pet in many homes.
