West Highland White Terrier - Everything About Westies From A to Z

Introduction

One cute example of how adorable dogs can be is the West Highland White Terrier, popularly called the westies.

he closest description of them would be that they are a white Terrier dog breed from Scotland that’s so full of self-esteem and knows and understands things around. They express their emotions in so many ways that they can’t stop us from loving them even more.

They love enjoying a good time with your family and are always on the look of giving you a good laugh while they get entertained in doing so. They are super-friendly and happy all the time.

Vital Characteristics

Dog Breed Group

Terrier Dogs

Weight

13 to 22 pounds / 6-10 kg

Height

10 inc to 11 inch tall at the shoulder / 25-28 cm

Life Span

12 to 16 years

A Brief History of Westie

The West Highland White Terrier has been popularly known by many other names, including the Roseneath Terrier and the Poltalloch Terrier, but was officially recognized as the West Highland White Terrier in 1906, by the Kennel Club of England.

The West Highland White Terrier shares a close history with other common terrier dogs, including the Cairn Terriers, Dandie Dinmont, Skye, and Scottish; and they are all considered as branches of a common breed.

There's not much reliable evidence to explain the exact history of the West Highland White Terrier, but it is evidently believed that the breed could be traced back to the 17th century with a small breed of earth dogs that were given to the king of France by James I of Argyllshire.

According to folklore, the westies inherit their natural white color from the direct occurrence of a tragic nineteenth-century accident, when Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch was hunting foxes. Due to subtle confusion, the colonel shot one of his wheaten-colored Cairns, absolutely by accident. Devastated, he decided to prevent the slightest chances of similar accidents in the near future, so he bred only white dogs from then on, which wouldn’t be confused with foxes.

Westie Highlights

The West Highland White Terrier or the westies fits in perfectly with multi-dog homes unless there are more males and the westie itself is of the male gender. He can gradually get accustomed to cats, but he can’t get adopted with small pets, such as birds and rabbits, because this drives their preying instinct strongly.

Westies are a low shedder. ( A big plus!)

Without a surprise, westies often exhibit terrier traits. They will love digging, barking, and running after vermins. With time and properly done training, they, too, can be trained to bark only once and not dig around at all; also, it may vary from dog to dog. Some might adopt easily, some won’t at all. The vermin-chasing habit, however, is a hard-coded characteristic trait and no training can go without it. (Our Westie took a 3 months training and got rid of these bad habits!)

It is generally easy to train a westie if done in a caring, consistent and positive way. However, it is important to bear in mind that the westies have a high will power and great self-esteem, which might hinder the training practice and add to the difficulties, making it boring and too harsh.

If you are a passionate gardener, having a westie as a pet might not be the best choice, given westies’ habit of digging up soil and plants, and would possibly end up adding to your troubles while gardening. (However you can train not to do that with some effort)

Their fur coat is pretty easy to groom and with regular brushing, all’s good. And if they aren’t clipped regularly, their coat would require stripping about twice a year. However you have to find a good groomer, as other offer just to cut off the hair instead of trimming.

Although westies don't require strenuous exercises like other breeds, they still need to be given brisk walks and play sessions twice a day. They generally have a low level of energy playing in the house, though individuals may vary in this regard.

Westies are highly adaptable and can easily dwell in a variety of places, including flats and apartments unless their barking troubles the neighbors next door.

Westies are a highly sociable breed of dogs that easily get along well with everyone around them. They like playing with children of all ages, but better suited to homes with older children.

Westies can be left on their own without the slightest tension for long periods of time, while you are busy at work. Simply provide them a source of entertainment, turn on the radio, provide them toys, and similar other strategies to help them stay occupied.

You would always want to pet a healthy dog. So, never get a westie pup from a puppy mill or pet store or an irresponsible breeder. Look out for reputed westie breeders who regularly test their breeding dogs and keep a check on the genetically acquired diseases and others.

Big dog in a little dog's body

If you have already started gaining interest in westies and want to know more about them, this is just the right section for you.

The West Highland White Terriers, or as they are popularly known as the Westies, also have another affectionate name: "big dog in a little dog's body". But this name doesn't do any justice here because the westies are neither pushy nor temperamental.

Also, the westies don’t need to challenge or demand. They are never stubborn as long as they understand it is in their best interest. So, you just would need to convince them what is good for them and what is bad, and they would totally agree with you and jump on board to follow your instructions.

Originally bred for hunting and ratting activities, the westies have acquired these skills from generations, and get them excited in doing so, although you would not always admire their hunting instincts. Westies’ work-instincts have slowly channeled into obedient and agile activities, and getting rid of rodents isn’t their closest activity today. Westies also work as therapy dogs, and a few westies have been taken into search-and-rescue teams officially.

Westies today are well-known competitors in most of the earthen dog tests, like tracking and flyball. As a pet owner, you can best decide how to best focus all their abundant energy on one or more of these jobs.

More about the actual size

The West Highland White Terrier has a little but sturdy body with a deep muscular chest and slightly on the rectangular edge of a shape. The males stand at about 11 inches (28cm) tall typically weighing in the range of 13 to 22 pounds (6-10kg); while the female counterparts are roughly 10 inches tall (25cm) and weighing about 13 to 16 pounds (6-8kg).

Friends with everyone!

Westies are social animals and get along with everyone, strangers included, and they are not one-person dogs, they return the love to everyone who cares for them. Our Westie loves everyone, sometimes we are even jealous! 😁

Great with children & other dogs

They are affectionate to children of all ages, but better habituated to dwell with the older kids. They also get along well with most other dog breeds in public areas unless there are two males of different breeds close together.

Great with other animals

Similarly, they also thrive positively in homes with multiple dogs. They can adapt to cats, too, just like friendly kitties sitting together. But once in a while, you can observe them chasing the cat around the house. One thing they are not good at adopting is small animals that run around freely in the house, such as gerbils or rabbits since the white westies have a strong hunting instinct for them.

They feel great in both - house & apartment

Westies are also happy to get accustomed to any living situations, be it the countryside or the city. They also make excellent apartment residents, given they have properly exercised training not to bark in any situation. They love living with the family inside the house rather than having separate homes outside.

They can be left alone if well prepared

Westies can stay happily alone at home while you are at work and you just need to arrange a proper source of entertainment for them along with safety precautions. They would entertain themselves all through the day. To top it all, they are happy travelers and love going out on vacations or errands.

Westie's personality

Talking of the breed’s personality traits, The West Highland White Terriers or the westie is a confident and fun-loving intelligent dog that would find pleasure in the simplicities of life, such as squeaky little toys, a head-rub, and good food. Their happy state of mind and loving nature makes them a favorite of many, in spite of them being mischievous. Holding strong with self-esteem, but not overflowing, their confidence and self-assurance are good to find in a pet.

Westies are loyal and affectionate towards their owners but still independent enough without the need for self-assurance, so you wouldn’t have to pamper them every time, even though they love getting pampered.

Westies are friendly and get along well with everyone, and they love being part of a happy family. For a first timer or inexperienced dog owner, they make a great student trainee and perfect companion at home. A Westie can melt even the coldest of hearts. They would rarely start a fight but after all, they, too, belong to the terrier breed and won’t evade one fight. Westies are lively guys and love going out on adventures in life with a sparkle in their eyes.

Westies are generally calm when indoors but they could get restless when outside. He can play a speedrunner zooming around the dog park, and he can hike with his family all through the day. Westies love playing with toys or just roaming around the backyard sniffing and surveying his area of reign, also they love to be the center of attraction!

Westies aren’t always on the move, and they can sit idle for a long time watching the household while you're at work; although some individual westies might suffer separation anxiety, it is not a general trait among the breed. Just keeping them safe and entertained with toys to play with will do the magic. Like you could turn on a radio, or leave them with the food they love with added peanut butter and provide them a cozy couch.

Same-sex aggression is still strong among the dogs, though in the case of westies, the female counterparts tend to be more alpha than the male ones.

Westie's health

Westies are generally a healthy breed of dogs, but are prone to many health issues over time. Not all westies would get one or more of these diseases but it is important to be aware of the most common of them if you wish to pet a westie.

First things first, find a good and certified dog breeder who shows you all the health certifications of both the parents of the pup. These Health clearances are proof that the westie has been treated and found free of a particular health condition.

In westies, you would generally expect to see health clearances from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) with a score of fair or better for hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, elbow dysplasia, and von Willebrand's disease. For thrombopathia, you would need to see the certification from Auburn University and for normally functioning eyes, a certification from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF). You can look up for other health clearances by checking out on the OFA web site (offa.org).

Westie Nutrition

West Highland White Terriers or westies should do well on healthy dog food that is commercially manufactured or home-prepared under your pet’s veterinarian’s approval and supervision. The recommended daily amount to be fed is around 100-150 grams (0.035 ounces) of high-quality dry food every day, separated into two meals at different hours.

How to decide on your westie’s nutritional diet? How much your pet eats like an adult would totally depend on their size, build, age, metabolism, and daily activity level. Just like us, dogs, too, are individuals who can’t eat the same amount of food on average. And as can be said, a highly active dog would need more nutrition than a couch potato dog.

Also, the quality of dog food makes a difference. In fact, the healthier the dog food, the better it goes towards providing nourishment to their body, and the less you would need to struggle in feeding them. For more info and a planned out nutrition chart for your westie, you can refer to a veterinary for the best advice.

Westie's grooming

Did you know westies have a double coat on their small bodies, with a short undercoat and a topcoat that is close to two inches? This double coat helps them protect themselves from harsh weather conditions and the sharp teeth of their enemies. The westies would generally be wee white and any other shade on their furry body can be considered an outlaw or fault in the color.

The westie’s coat is easy to groom and with regular brushing and trimming, the coat remains healthy. The show dogs would generally need to undergo stripping twice a year, but for most pet owners, that won’t be bothering. Trimming is usually needed on their feet and around their ears and eyes. The hair on their head is often plucked to give a good shape that we see on most of them. Their coat-shedding tendency is very low and close to zero. Their coat is fairly clean most of the time and should be bathed as and when necessary. To keep their coat as a shiny white sparkle, westies would need some tidying and wiping - sometimes frequently.

Also, check their ears regularly, say, once a week, for any redness, dirt, redness, or a bad odor that might signal a probable infection. Again, wipe them out once a week with a cotton ball dampened in pH-balanced ear cleaner to keep your westie safe from infections.

Westie Training

Westie with children & other pets

The West Highland White Terriers or the westies are lovable pet dogs that fit in perfectly with children at home, but are better with older children. However, adult supervision is a must if you allow your kid to play with the westies, particularly the younger ones. Some breed clubs have overemphasized how good westies are with kids around. But it is often recommended by other breed clubs that all children playing with westies should be at least seven years or older in age. The westie won’t generally hurt your kid, but adult supervision only ensures it.

A West Highland White Terrier is a suited dog in families having multiple other pet dogs. However, make sure to keep the males apart because it is their basic instinct to raise a fight. They also adjust perfectly with cats, but it would be better if they are raised with cats from a very young age rather than introducing them at a later phase of life.

Given their strong prey drive, they wouldn’t stop chasing cats. Also, as a must note, westies should not be trusted to dwell with small animals because they raise their prey drive. Originally bred to go after vermins, they can’t distinguish them from pet mice caged in your child's bedroom and a wildling mouse on the run indoors. If you wish to keep a pet dog with small pets, including rabbits or birds, westies wouldn’t be the ideal breed to pet.

Westie rescue groups

Westies are often taken up by their owners without studying about their characteristics well in advance, only to not be able to handle one efficiently. Today, there are many westies left abandoned due to various reasons waiting for adoption in a loving family.

Multiple rescue groups across the country and in your area operate with volunteers on a no-profit basis to rescue westies in need of attention. If you really wish to pet a westie, you could choose to adopt one in need of buying one. You just need to find and contact the nearest national breed club listed in your neighborhood to take a strong step towards a Westie rescue.

Some of these Rescue groups are:

Westie Rescue of California
Westie Rescue USA
National Westie Rescue

That’s covering almost everything you may need to know before adopting a westie. Now it’s time to know your steps as a westie guardian to look after them and understand their feelings and state of mind. Do consider the idea of adopting a westie over buying one.