The Chestie is a small faced furry dog that originated from the cross between the Chihuahua and West Highland White Terrier. These joyful, energetic hybrids are great companion dogs for those with a busy lifestyle as they don’t require much maintenance or exercise.
However, they can be sometimes demanding, seeking your attention for a long time if you provide for it. Chestie owners have always maintained that this affectionate dog can be a wonderful companion.
Commonly known as the Westie, their West Highland White Terrier parents have origins in Poltalloch, Scotland, and are believed to have originated during the 17th century. The Westies back then were bred to hunt rats, foxes, and badgers. However, today they are regarded mostly as companion pets.
Bred by Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch, the originally wheatish colored Westies were often mistaken for a fox, causing their demise. To avoid such sad encounters, Colonel bred only white terriers on hunting grounds. This parent breed of Chesties joined the American Kennel Club in 1908.
Then, on the other hand, the Chihuahua shares its ancestry with another desert-dwelling dog, the Techichi, which date back to ancient Mayan times. Spiritually recognized as healers, they were revered.
In 1904, the Chihuahuas got recognition into the American Kennel Club and ranked as the 30th most popular dog registered. The hybrid of the two Chestie makes a great addition to your home.
The Chestie is a small-sized hybrid dog often considered to be quite fine-boned. They tend to inherit dark, round eyes, perhaps with a bit of bulge as observed in their Chihuahua parent, with a black or brown nose.
They have short to medium-length muzzles while standing no more than 10 inches in height. With small short legs, they appear somewhat stocky like their Westie parents. Depending on their dominant parental genes, Chesties have a coat that is medium to long in length, in the colors of fawn, black, cream, white, or brown.
They either have upright ears with a rounded tip, or flopped down ears. You could notice feathering of the fur distributed on and around the muzzle area, ears, and chest. Their tails could either be upright or hanging down but not overly thick.
Chesties are often well known as low maintenance dogs, given the fact that they are pretty small in size with not very long coats. The brushing frequency can be set to weekly and done easily with a pin brush to ensure that their furry coat remains sharp and neat. If the fur is short and smooth, you could use the slicker brush too.
In general, Chesties are clean little dogs and frequent baths won’t be necessary to keep them healthy unless your pet loves to roll in the mud. For their fur, always use a clinically approved dog shampoo.
As for the nails, a trimming once every few weeks would do the job. One important step is to brush their teeth regularly given their tiny teeth could face dentition problems. In fact, if possible, do brush their teeth daily.
