West Highland White Terrier

History of the West Highland White Terrier breed

The West Highland White Terrier is a fairly ancient breed, so there is not as much reliable information about its origin and formation as we would like. A few written sources of the Middle Ages claim that the ancestors of today's West Highlands successfully hunted small animals back in the XII century. At the same time, modern researchers are sure that the true history of this variety of terriers began at least several centuries earlier.

The homeland of the West Highland White Terriers is considered to be western Scotland with its rocky ridges and minimalistic mountain landscapes (West Highland from English – western highlands). It was here that small, but grasping shaggies revealed their hunting potential, pulling otters out of stone crevices and digging badger holes. What is interesting: at first, West Highland White Terriers had a more extensive palette of colors, ranging from fawn to tiger varieties. But individuals with white fur in those immemorial times were not quoted, as they were considered unnecessarily painful, so the owners tried to get rid of all white puppies in the litter.

The breed owes its present appearance to two famous Scots who lived at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries – Colonel Edward Malcom and the 8th Duke of Argyll George Campbell. Both gentlemen approached the issue of animal breeding in an innovative way, starting to select and promote white-haired animals in every possible way. Well, since at that time the name of the West Highland White Terrier was not yet fixed for the breed, the colonel's charges were dubbed Poltalloch Terriers (after the name of the estate in which they were bred), and the Duke of Argyle's pets were called Rosenet Terriers.

The first West Highland White Terrier Breed lovers club opened in Scotland in 1904, and its founder was a descendant of the same George Campbell. Pretty soon, or to be more precise, three years later, the first nursery specializing in breeding snow-white vesti began its activity. However, it was possible to put an end to the formation of the unique exterior of the breed only in 1924, after breeders were officially banned from exhibiting dogs in whose pedigree other representatives of the terrier group (Scottish terrier, core terrier) were noted.

Video: West Highland White Terrier

Appearance of the West Highland White Terrier

West Highland White Terrier is a snow–white, compact shaggy with an inquisitive look, vaguely resembling a bichon frise. Due to their cute appearance and more than modest dimensions (the height of an adult dog is up to 28 cm, weight is up to 10 kg), the West Highlands are quite suitable for the role of apartment dwellers. At the same time, they are not particularly fragile, like most representatives of decorative breeds, which means the owner will not have to control every step and jump of the pet.

Head

The skull of the West Highland White Terrier is wide, slightly convex, with a pronounced stop and prominent brow arches.

Jaws and bite

Despite the fact that the West Highland White Terrier is almost a miniature dog, its jaws are powerful. As for the bite, it is full of representatives of this breed, scissor-like.

Eyes

The wide and rather deep-set eyes of the West Highland White Terrier have an almond shape and a dark color of the iris. The dog's gaze is intelligent, insightful.

Nose

Vesti has a large, black-colored nose lobe, almost not protruding beyond the muzzle.

Ears

The small, pointed ears of the West Highland White Terrier are not set too wide and keep straight. The outer side of the ear cloth is covered with velvety fur, which is never cut.

Neck

Dogs have a moderately long and well-muscled neck, which gradually thickens towards the trunk.

Housing

The trunk of representatives of this breed is compact, with a straight back, a strong lumbar region and a wide croup.

Limbs

The front legs of the West Highland White Terrier are short, with developed musculature and without curvature or eversion outwards. In some cases, the animal's paws may be slightly deployed. Experts explain this feature by the fact that during hunting, the ancestors of today's dogs tore up the ground, throwing it aside, which provoked a slight sweep of the limbs. The hind legs of the West Highlands are short but wiry, with a fleshy and broad upper part. The paws of dogs are rounded, with plump pads and tightly joined fingers, while the front paws are noticeably larger than the hind ones.

Tail

The vesti has a straight tail up to 15 cm long, which it carries almost vertically.

Wool

The coat of the West Highland White Terrier consists of a dense fur undercoat and a hard outer hair, the length of which can reach 5 cm.

Color

The West Highland White Terrier belongs to those few breeds whose modern representatives exist in a single color - white. An important point: the color of the coat is extremely unstable and very dependent on external factors, so there are often individuals among animals whose "fur coats" have a yellowish undertone.

Defects and disqualifying vices

Any more or less noticeable deviations from the standard can affect the exhibition rating of West Highland White Terriers of the show class. These are usually wavy or curling fur, large ears, short or vice versa – an excessively long neck, an atypical set of limbs. As a rule, a dog can be prevented from participating in competitions for two reasons: for the manifestation of gratuitous aggression or cowardice, as well as for obvious defects in behavior and physical development.

Photos of West Highland White Terriers

Character of the West Highland White Terrier

White and fluffy West Highland White Terriers only on the outside. Inside, these charming "Scots" are far from being as good as they seem at first glance, moreover, they are quite stubborn and do not really like to observe subordination. At the same time, against the background of their more aggressive and temperamental relatives in the West Highland White Terrier group, terriers seem, if not quite quiet, then quite manageable pets. However, this is not an innate advantage, but rather the result of the work of breeding specialists, who for a long time "extinguished" the hunting instincts of the breed and stimulated its companion qualities.

All West Highland White Terriers do not like to be ignored, and these snow-white babies do not cope well with loneliness. So before you introduce a young vesti into your house, think about whether you are ready to sacrifice silence and your own peace for the sake of a four-legged hustler. With children, West Highland White Terriers have a partnership relationship: they are happy to play together, while both parties involved in the process feel equal. Another thing is if the dog has to deal with babies who, through their thoughtlessness, can annoy her with obsession or cause pain. In this case, vesti will definitely fight back (guess in what way).

It is easy for a West Highland White Terrier to delegate the duties of a watchman. Most representatives of this breed have acute hearing and are able to warn the owner about the appearance of a stranger by ringing barking. At the same time, they do not feel any special hostility towards strangers, which means they will not frighten your guests with sudden attacks and dissatisfied grumbling.

Despite all the efforts of breeders, experts in burrowing hunting in the West Highland White Terriers have not completely died, so from time to time the dogs will pull on feats. In particular, on walks, westies will selflessly dig trenches in search of an imaginary gopher, and when they see a garbage rat or some other small animal, they will immediately rush into battle. Treat this behavior of the pet with a slight irony: in the end, each breed has its own harmless cockroaches.

Education and training

The West Highland White Terrier will never follow the commands of someone whom it does not respect and considers to be obviously stupider than itself, so the first thing to start training a dog is to assert its own authority. In addition, the pet will have to be constantly stimulated, since this is not a breed that will work on naked enthusiasm. If your ward has successfully completed the command, appease him with a tasty treat, then arrange a game break for him – aimlessly rampage and fool around West Highland White Terriers love no less than hunting. By the way, about games: from the very first days, let your pet understand that it is strictly forbidden to practice hunting skills on the owner and other family members. If the enraged West Highland White Terrier is still trying to taste your arm or leg, gently switch his attention to the toy.

Important: during training and team development, try to stay alone with your pet. The presence of outsiders only slows down the training process, since it is more difficult for a dog to concentrate if two people communicate with it at the same time.

To train a West Highland White Terrier puppy to a collar and leash should be even before going out for the first walk. To do this, buy a one-and-a-half-two-meter strap and an unbuttoning collar with a lock that will not need to be worn over your head, thereby scaring the animal. After vesti turns 10 months old, you can train with him on the playgrounds. It is better to enroll difficult-to-educate and especially stubborn individuals in some kind of cynological club, where they will be selected for an individual training program, as well as their behavior will be corrected.

If you do not want your cohabitation with the West Highland White Terrier to turn into a confrontation in the style of "who is who", pay special attention to teaching the pet basic norms of behavior. In particular, do not let vestik lie on your bed and do not let him look with hungry eyes at the family members gathered at the table. And there are no exceptions to the rules and indulgences: despite the external weakness and fragility, it turns out to be simply masterly to twist the rope from the owner of the West Highlands.

Hunting with West Highland White Terrier

As noted earlier, it is not accepted to go with today's West Highland White Terriers to foxes and badgers. Moreover, at competitions and exhibitions, representatives of this breed have long been evaluated exclusively by external parameters and almost never by working qualities. On the other hand, no one has the right to forbid the owner of the West Highland White Terrier to go with his ward to the beast, too. So if you are eager to try out a pet in business, sign up for any kennel club where there is a training hole, and work out the hunting talents of your pupil as much as you want. As practice shows, they are extremely adventurous in their work, but at the same time they do not lose their mind. In addition, they learn the habits of a wild animal very quickly and can quickly change the tactics of behavior if the situation requires it.

Maintenance and care

Every year, West Highland white Terriers are increasingly turning into room-sofa pets, and the reason for this is the desire of the owners to keep the branded "fur coats" of their wards relatively clean. However, by nature, they are not such sissies and are quite capable of spending time outside, even if the weather leaves much to be desired. Bright, cute clothes and blankets, which are often worn by West Highland White Terriers, are by no means a forced measure, but rather the owner's desire to emphasize the uniqueness of his pet. In reality, West Highland White Terriers practically do not suffer from the cold even in the winter months, of course, provided that you do not keep the dog outside all day.

Trimming and cleaning the wool of the West Highland White Terrier

A nice bonus for fans of sterile cleanliness: West Highland White Terriers do not shed and practically do not smell. Of course, the fur coat of animals is regularly updated, but the dead hairs from their "fur coats" do not fall out, but simply fall off. Accordingly, in order to preserve the image of the pet, it will have to be trimmed once every couple of months or, if it is a show dog, every 30 days. Haircut for these charming shaggy men is prohibited, as it changes the structure of the wool, softening it and provoking the twisting of the hair into a curl. As a result, the West Highland White Terrier loses its original appearance and becomes like a hybrid of a lapdog and a bichon frise. However, if you are not ambitious and do not plan to go to exhibitions, you can try to cut your ward's hair. The self-esteem of the news will not suffer at all from this.

Before trimming, the West Highland White Terrier is carefully combed, after which the throat area and the area at the elbows are treated as briefly as possible with a stripping knife. The line from the withers to the croup, as well as the crest part of the neck, is also pinched with a knife, maintaining the total length of the coat 4-5 cm and smoothing the transitions. As an example: an exemplary West Highland White Terrier should have short hair on the sides and a so-called skirt - a lush, adorning coat on the sternum. The hair on the forehead, crown and cheekbones is pinched by hand (the technique of plaking), giving the head the shape of a chrysanthemum. The hair on the legs is usually not shortened.

If you want to preserve the unique snow-white color of the West Highland White Terrier, get ready to devote an extra hour and a half to the pet's "fur coat". The fact is that the wool of representatives of this breed often turns yellow when dog saliva gets on it or from feed, therefore, to neutralize an undesirable undertone, it is necessary to use a cleaning compound of crushed chalk and boric acid. The mixture is rubbed into the slightly moistened wool of the vesti, after which its chalk particles are combed out with a conventional hair brush.

Hygiene

Once a month, West Highland White Terriers are bathed using a diluted pet shampoo (conventional remedies are not suitable). Not the most useless purchase is a whitening shampoo that allows you to preserve the refined shade of the vestik's coat. Just do not test it on a puppy, otherwise you risk thoroughly spoiling the baby's hair structure. For the rest, representatives of this breed are suitable for any detergent compositions designed specifically for wire-haired dogs.

Once every 5-6 days, the West Highland White Terrier is supposed to be combed with a rare comb with metal teeth, which will not tear the undercoat, but only gently remove dead hair and debris. But this is if the pet's fur coat is tough and healthy. Individuals with soft fur will have to be combed more often, otherwise tangles are provided for you. In addition, do not forget to wipe the dog's muzzle with a napkin after eating, so that the remnants of food do not get stuck in the wool and do not provoke a change in its color.

Once a week, it is necessary to pay attention to the ears of vesti: pluck out a long hair that interferes with the free circulation of air inside the ear funnel, and remove dirt accumulated in the sink. The eyes of the West Highland White Terrier should be examined every day. If brown streaks are found on the fur under the lower eyelids, most likely the dog has an allergy, so grab the pet in your arms and run to the vet for a consultation. Westik's teeth are cleaned a couple of times a week. In addition, it is useful to introduce various solid foods into the dog's diet, the particles of which work as abrasives and partially remove plaque. The paws of the West Highland White Terrier also need care, so after each walk they should be thoroughly washed, and in winter, when the roads are sprinkled with reagents, they should also be lubricated with vegetable oil.

Walking

If your West Highland White Terrier does not hunt (and he most likely does not hunt), he will have to compensate for the lack of adrenaline and positive emotions by walking and training. It is necessary to take vestiks outside at least twice, preferably three times a day, and it should not be 15-minute runs on the playground. The first walks begin at the age of 3 months, after the puppy has been vaccinated and spent a week in quarantine. By the way, up to 6 months old babies are taken outside (they are taken out, not taken out) 5-6 times a day, which is due to the need to form their ability to relieve themselves outside the house.

Vesti love to rummage in the ground and are able to destroy a well-groomed flower bed or a green lawn in a matter of minutes, so if you don't want to constantly debate with landscape designers and utilities, it's better not to let your pet off the leash in the city. Walking with a West Highland White Terrier in nature, it is also better not to lose vigilance. Firstly, because drugged by unfamiliar smells and sounds, dogs instantly become difficult to control. And secondly, because they have a real passion for carrion, in which they prefer to have a good time before reacting to the owner's command.

Feeding

The diet of the West Highland is not much different from the menu of its other brothers in the terrier group. In particular, half of the dog's meal should be lean meat, which is supplemented with vegetables (broccoli, pumpkin, turnips), cereals (rice, buckwheat), fermented dairy products and fruits. However, since most people are prone to food allergies, you should approach the menu as carefully as possible and preferably with the involvement of a veterinarian.

Once and for all exclude chicken and wheat groats from the diet of the West Highland White Terrier. The same rule applies to industrial feed. If wheat flour and chicken are found in the composition of the store "drying", return this product to the shelf and never look at it again. As for vitamin supplements, then periodically crumbled greens (nettle, dandelion, parsley), brewer's yeast and salmon oil can be mixed into the feed of West Highland White terriers. Once a week it will be useful to treat a fluffy with a quail egg, and in season it can be pampered with half an apricot, a piece of pear or a ripe plum. By the way, despite the fact that sweets are strictly forbidden to West Highland White Terriers, dogs are just crazy about them. So when you are going to eat ice cream or candy, do not forget to hide well from the four-legged beggar.

Note: the coat of the West Highland White Terrier can change its shade and acquire a yellowish undertone if the dog's diet includes products containing artificial or natural dyes. For pets, this is not critical, but for show-class individuals, such changes can thoroughly spoil the exhibition career.

Health and diseases of West Highland White Terriers

West Highland White Terriers live on average up to 13-15 years and are less prone to hereditary ailments than their relatives in the terrier group.

Diseases that can occur in West Highland White Terriers:

• cranial osteopathy;
• atopic dermatitis;
• epidermal dysplasia;
• ichthyosis;
• congenital deafness;
• hip dysplasia;
• diabetes mellitus;
• Willebrand's disease;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• meningoencephalitis of white dogs;
• Perthes disease;
• Shaker syndrome;
• hypeuricosuria.

How to choose a puppy

• Choose reliable, proven nurseries registered by the RCF. They usually have all the mating planned.
• Give preference to breeders or kennels who are ready to provide their clients with advisory support throughout the entire period of the puppy's maturation. Unscrupulous "divorcees", whose main goal is to profit from the sale of animals, usually do not make such concessions.
• If possible, take a closer look at a few litters. Offspring from different parents can differ significantly in both external and behavioral indicators.
• The gender of the West Highland White Terrier practically does not affect the type of its temperament and intellectual abilities, although it is believed that males of this breed learn faster than bitches.
• Evaluate the level of hygiene and conditions of keeping puppies in the kennel. It's great if the kids do not sit in dirty cages, but move freely around the territory assigned to them.
• Touch the belly of the puppy you like. If additional swellings are felt in the navel area or there is a protrusion of the peritoneum, it is likely that in the future the baby will be diagnosed with a hernia.
• Responsible breeders of West Highland White Terriers are tested for the presence of genetic diseases, so before buying, do not be lazy to get acquainted with the results of the check, so that you do not wonder where your baby's health problems come from.

Photos of West Highland White Terrier puppies

How much does a West Highland White Terrier cost

The average price tag for a promising West Highland White Terrier puppy, in whose pedigree interchampions were noted, is $300 - $450 . A pet with minor exterior defects can be purchased for $150 - $200.