West Highland Terriers are essentially originated from white Cairn Terriers, who occasionally whelped white puppies naturally, or white Scottish Terriers. In Argyll (or Poltalloch) in Scotland in the 1800s, Colonel Malcolm and his family bred these white dogs to develop a new breed. The white coat made them highly visible when hunting on the Scottish moors and easily distinguished them from their game. The "Westie" was bred to be small enough to fit between rocks and small passageways typical of fox dens in the Scottish countryside. The tail of the "Westie" is traditionally longer and straighter than most small dogs, because of their instinct to dive headlong into any fox/rabbit hole. They would often find themselves stuck in these holes and the tail proved to be a useful for their owners to hold on to and pull them out.

Originally the breed was known as Poltalloch Terriers, although they were also known as Roseneath Terriers, White Roseneath Terriers, and at the end of the 19th century, briefly as a white variety of the Scottish Terrier.

 

Temperament
Westies are cheeky, confident, affectionate, stubborn and friendly little dogs. They are not well suited with small children as they do not like rough and tumble play. They would be best suited for a family with older children who would respect this little dogs attitude. Overall they do make excellent family companions. Westies are good with other dogs as long as there have been properly socialised as a puppy. However, they must be introduced to cats when they are young as they will chase them once they get older. They are alert and courageous, making them good guard dogs.

Training
Westies love to please people, so they do respond to training well. However they can be very stubborn so owners need to be firm and consistent in their training.

Grooming
They should be groomed once a week to keep the coat clean and free of tangles. When the dogs get dirty it is best to let the mud dry on them and brush it off when dry. The beard is a particular trouble spot for matting with this breed due to food, this area may need daily brushing.

Exercise
Westies need daily exercise to meet their medium energy requirements. They love to play with a ball. They also enjoy digging and some do wander off, so make sure the garden is well-fenced.

Where can I find more information on Westies?
Try one of the following websites: