West Highland White
The West Highland White Terrier was originally bred in Scotland for hunting and ratting. They are big dogs in little packages.
They are independent, fun and affectionate dogs. This could be the perfect breed for you if you are looking for a busy addition to your family or household.
They need plenty of exercise so as long as you have an active life and time to play outdoors and take them on a good daily walk, they are a fantastic addition to your busy family. They can cope quite well with apartment living as long as all their exercise needs are met and given plenty of playtimes.
Westies make great affectionate family pets. They are unsuitable for families with young children as they have their limits to being pulled around. They are very playful, so they will spend hours running around with older children and playing endless games.
They are not the most excellent watchdogs but will soon alert you to people at the door, but once inside, people will usually be treated as new friends. They just love people, so don’t expect any suitable guarding activities.
West highland whites should be OK with other dogs, but they may be better as the only dog in the household. You might want to avoid two males together. Cats and small animals may be OK if brought up in the same home. They will generally chase neighbourhood cats with delight!
They are intelligent and relatively easy to train. Still, they are stubborn and independent, so you might want to discover what their motivation reward is early on to make the best progress. They prefer fun and playful training rather than being harsh or forceful. They can be barky, so training them to be quiet on command will help you and your neighbours.
They are moderate shedders, more in Spring and Autumn. At least weekly brushing will control the hair. You will probably want to get them professionally clipped or trimmed unless you want to do it yourself.
West Highland White Stats
The West Highland White Terrier, or ‘Westie’ as they are affectionately known, is a member of the small group of Scottish National Breeds that includes the Scottish Terrier and also the Cairn, from which the Westie originated. Until the early 19th century, Terriers tended to be dark in colour, and it was not uncommon for hunters to mistake a brown terrier for a fox and shoot them by mistake.
- Weight -8kg –10kg
- Size – 25cm – 28cm
- They live for 12-16 years
