West Highland Terrier: how long does it live, what does it eat and how to properly care for the dog (facts, reviews + photos)

The West Highland White Terrier came to us quite by accident. I went to one of the famous nurseries “Alois Deli” , and there was just a two-month-old puppy there, which the owner of the nursery offered to me. So, in addition to the miniature schnauzers, we got a little Westie - a girl, Marie Antoinette. She is already 9 years old.

In the photo: West Highland White Terrier

History of the origin of the West Highland Terrier breed

The West Highland Terrier dog was created to help hunters catch game (foxes, badgers, etc.). The terrier deftly followed the game into the hole and bravely took it out to the hunter, his white fur prevented him from being confused with the prey, and its stiffness reliably protected him from the bites of the animal.

Geographically, the breed was created in the mountainous regions of northwestern Scotland. West is considered an ancient breed, but there is no more accurate data on this matter.

There is a hunting legend about the beginning of the creation of the breed. The creator of the breed, E. Malcolm, accidentally confused his red terrier with a fox while hunting in 1860 and shot him. From then on, he began to purposefully breed white hunting dogs.

• In the early 1900s, the West Highland Terrier was recognized by English society.
• In 1904, the first breed club was founded by N. Campbell. E. Malcolm also took part in the creation of the second breed club. The modern appearance of the terrier was created by Campbell and Malcolm. In 1907, the first breed nursery was created in the homeland of the breed. In the same year, dogs came to the USA.
• In 1930, the modern appearance of the West was determined - white color, erect ears, short back.
• In 1954, the breed was officially registered.

Representatives of the breed came to Russia in the 90s.

Reviews about the breed

Very rarely do White Terrier breeders regret their choice. Many people highly value their loyalty, energy, playful nature, unpretentiousness and intelligence. However, in order not to be disappointed in the purchase, it is important to know about the existing shortcomings.

Representatives of this breed love to dig in the ground. Therefore, releasing them onto the lawn or beds is not recommended at all. In a couple of hours, a well-groomed, elegant area will turn into Dresden after the bombing: the flower beds are torn up, the lawns are covered with holes, the grass is torn out and scattered. Well, terriers have this habit.

The fountain of energy has already been mentioned above - you need to give the dog the opportunity to let it out, otherwise it will find such an opportunity on its own, and the owner will obviously not be happy about it.

Finally, some dogs have allergies (primarily to food). And terriers sweep literally everything that catches their eye. Therefore, you need to seriously monitor your diet.

Appearance of West Highland Terrier

In the photo, the West Highland Terrier looks like a white plush toy. A strong compact body, wide chest, white shaggy coat and neat ears give the dog a very impressive appearance.

The Westie's head, covered with thick hair, the wide end of the shaggy muzzle and the black nose provide the breed with a mischievous expression. Dark eyes set deep under heavy eyebrows give the dog an unusually intelligent look.

The teeth must be large, in a set, forming a scissors bite (pincers are acceptable). Small ears, erect, with sharp tips, covered with short soft hair.

• The terrier's limbs are short, well-muscled, and end in black pads and claws.
• The tail of dogs is of natural length, approximately 12.5-15 cm in length, with hard hair and straight. Never rolls over on its back.
• The Westie's height at the withers is approximately 28 cm. The weight of an adult dog is usually from 6.8 to 9.1 kg.
• Acceptable color is only solid white. Other impurities in the composition are unacceptable.
• The coat consists of a hard, non-curly awn of about 5 cm and a short, soft undercoat.

Who is it suitable for?

In general, West Highland White Terrier puppies, like adult dogs, can be a good choice for almost any breeder: they will find a common language with children, adults and the elderly. They will run, jump and have fun with the kids. And next to the elderly owner they will snooze and sleep with pleasure, enjoying the closeness of their loved one.

But this breed is clearly not suitable for lonely people who spend most of their free time outside the home. The terrier is very bored, and due to his seething energy, he may well make a mess in the apartment.

In general, you need to walk them a lot so that they spend energy and come home tired, eat heavily and go to bed. Otherwise, chewed wires, shoes and any other objects will become a familiar part of your life.

Character of the breed

The historical description of the West Highland Terrier as an unsurpassed hunter is no longer relevant. Now this is an ideal companion and a sweet, affectionate, family dog.

However, we should not forget about the terrier’s hunting past; many dogs have retained their anger and passion for working with animals.

• West is a true terrier, he is brave, active, cheerful, positive, very playful, a little wary, but has friendliness and sometimes even stubbornness.
• These are very smart and quick-witted dogs who love training and successfully engage in OKD (mini), freestyle, tricks, and nose work.
• Despite its cute appearance, we must not forget that this is a terrier. It is better to start raising a dog as early as possible, and training will only strengthen the relationship with the owner.
• Terriers are not deprived of guard qualities. They will loudly announce the approach of any stranger to your property.

Aggressive and cowardly dogs should be excluded from breeding and are a waste of the breed.

Character

Before getting a West Highland White Terrier, it is very important to know the breed's personality. Otherwise, you will later regret your poor choice, but it will not be the dog’s fault at all.

First of all, when talking about the character of these dogs, loyalty will come to mind for connoisseurs. Indeed, this quality is one of the most pronounced. Despite its small size, the terrier will confidently defend its owners (if necessary, to the last drop of blood). However, this also has a downside: dogs do not tolerate loneliness well and become very bored if their owner leaves them in an empty apartment for the whole day. Of course, this can result in complete destruction, chewed and damaged things.

The character as a whole is quite soft and good-natured. They are perfectly trainable, and they themselves get a lot of pleasure from the learning process and demonstrating newly acquired skills to the owner, who in no case should forget to praise the pet, and sometimes pamper him with various goodies.

Grooming

It is important from childhood to accustom the terrier to basic hygienic procedures: examination of teeth, ears, eyes, paws, hair trimming, etc. This will make life with a pet easier in the future.

If the dog does not wear down its claws naturally (on hard surfaces), they must be shortened with special clippers.

• Westies are wire-haired dogs. They do not shed, which is very convenient, but they need to be trimmed to renew their coat.
• The procedure is usually carried out at intervals of 4-6 months. The wool is trimmed in several stages, in layers.
• Grooming a West Highland Terrier consists of minor adjustments to the coat before the show.
• The hair around the ears, eyes, belly, chest and throat, and under the tail is trimmed.
• The main procedure for caring for hair is trimming. Frequent haircuts lead to unnaturally soft hair.

Terriers should not be washed frequently. A healthy dog ​​with a properly selected diet does not have an unpleasant odor. Wool contaminants are cleaned with special shampoos if it is impossible to wash them off with clean water.

Education and training

Many experienced trainers give excellent reviews of West Highland White Terriers. Which is not surprising: dogs are smart and, importantly, love to please their owners. The main thing is to provide them with good motivation: pet them, praise them for their achievements - and the dog will be ready to turn the whole world upside down for you.

Training should begin at about six months. But you need to start training immediately after the dog appears in the apartment. Immediately draw the line of what is permitted: the pet should not sleep in the bed, steal food from the table, and much more. Having given in the slack once, it will be very difficult to restore the taboo.

Nutrition of the breed

The terrier's diet should be balanced, taking into account food allergies (if any) and eliminating their sources from the diet. It is possible to feed both natural products and ready-made high-quality factory feed.

Dogs are prohibited from sweets, salty foods, smoked foods, any boiled bones, or raw tubular bones.

Maintenance and care

Representatives of the breed need care and careful grooming from an early age. The magnificent West Highland White Terrier, the description of the breed includes many positive qualities of the animal, requires active walks for the proper development of the physique.

These dogs can live in an apartment, however, private houses with decent areas are better suited for them. This way the pet will have somewhere to run and dig.

The main problem is caring for the dog's fur. The animal needs to be thoroughly combed twice a week. In particular, you need to carefully comb the fur in the armpits and on the stomach, because it is in these areas that it falls off, resulting in tangles.

About once a month you need to bathe your pet with a special shampoo.

It is necessary to approach the choice of a product for bathing a dog with special attention, since its skin is prone to allergies and dermatitis

Your pet should regularly brush its teeth, wipe its ears, and trim its nails. During cleaning, you should be extremely careful not to hurt the animal. Representatives of the breed require firm, but gentle handling. The dog should be accustomed to all procedures gradually. Under no circumstances should you use force on an animal or raise your voice at it.

In the apartment, the pet should have its own place with toys. The sleeping place can be a small bed. This dog needs toys: balls, ropes, rubber squeakers.

Haircuts and trimming

The cheerful West Highland White Terrier, whose description of the breed’s character indicates the numerous positive qualities of the dog, needs professional haircuts and trimming in special salons. The fur on the pet's face will grow especially actively, for this reason it should be cut at least once every 4 months. Body haircuts should be done once every 5 months. In this case, the fur is uniformly shortened throughout the body.

During trimming, dead or guard hairs are removed from the animal's body. The signal for such a procedure is active hair loss. During the plucking process, movements should be made in the direction of hair growth, but not against it.

Feeding

It must be remembered that prepared feed should not contain chicken or wheat. Representatives of the breed have a small stomach. At the same time, they need a lot of nutrients and energy. For this reason, your pet’s diet should be carefully thought out and naturally balanced. You can give preference to natural nutrition or choose ready-made food that contains rice, turkey, lamb, and fish.

The dog's natural diet should include lean meat, boiled boneless fish, fermented milk products, and cottage cheese. Fish and meat are mixed with cereals and vegetables cooked in water. The amount of fat in the diet should be no more than 16 percent. The portion should not be excessively large, otherwise the animal will quickly gain weight.

Cloth

The cheerful West Highland White Terrier dog breed has many advantages. It should be noted that an outfit for a pet can decorate it and protect its fur from dirt and cold.

Light overalls for autumn and spring are suitable for these dogs. In winter, these animals can be dressed up in a fur vest, sweater or jacket. For girls today there is a wide variety of skirts and dresses, for boys you can choose a stylish shirt and trousers.

More recently, robes have appeared for these pets. You can dress your dog in them after washing. For both girls and boys, choosing a tracksuit will not be difficult.

Health

Westies should not be overfed and become obese.

The breed has a naturally strong immune system. Genetically, Westies may suffer from deafness associated with white coloration, cataracts and other eye defects, dermatitis, demodicosis, luxations of the patella, dysplasia, diabetes mellitus and others.

Allergic reactions (usually food), dermatological diseases are often observed

How to choose the right West Highland White Terrier puppy

When buying a West White dog, the main attention should be paid to the health of the puppy and its character. The White Highland West Terrier has a cheerful and active character, without excessive importunity.

No need to give preference to dull and lethargic babies

It is important that external data indicate the good health of the animal:

• his coat should be thick and shiny and not have bald patches;
• ears are clean;
• eyes are clear.

When choosing a West Highland pet, you need to keep in mind that there are no varieties within the breed. There are varieties of terriers, of which there are up to 30 species. All of them are burrowing dogs, rodent hunters (from French). They are used as:

• fighting;
• hunting;
• decorative and service.

These animals have different appearance, color and size, and characteristic features of the breed. They also include West Highland Black or West Highland Wide Terrier Black (this is actually Scotch). Adult animals of the West Highland White breed are divided into certain classes.

Under the age of one year, these parameters are not officially assigned to the puppy. And it gains significant significance in the dog’s adult state. This is what representatives of the white terrier breed classes look like, photos of varieties.

The price for a puppy is determined taking into account age. The younger he is, the lower the price. You need to select a West White dog from nurseries. The cost of an animal can range from $200 to $1000.

Photo of the dog breed West Highland Terrier

Features of care

Combing

The West's white coat requires constant care. The dog should be combed two to three times a week with a furminator, and washed once a month.

To maintain the characteristic appearance of the Westie, it is necessary to cut or trim it several times a year.

Grooming is a mandatory procedure for show class dogs.

If you are not going to go to exhibitions, you can simply cut your pet with a clipper.

This is faster and cheaper, but degrades the quality of the wool.

Your pet's long coat needs regular trimming.

Owners usually prefer to trim the hair around the anus and genitals themselves. This is necessary for hygiene and ease of care.

It is imperative to regularly inspect your dog’s ears and trim his nails if they do not wear off on their own.

Walk

You need to walk your Westie for at least 2 hours every day, and during the walk the dog should run around a lot and release its energy.

Sedate, leisurely walks on a harness are not for a Westie.

You need to play with him, work out, run.

This is why terriers are not very suitable for older people, but are great for families with middle-aged children.

Westies love to walk in the fresh air

If you live in your own house with a plot, disappointments may await you. Westies love to dig everything and everywhere.

If you value your flower beds and well-groomed garden, then it is better not to let your dog there.

But you can fence off a small area for your pet, where he can satisfy his digging tendencies.

Pour a bunch of sand and sawdust there, and the West will selflessly dig without causing harm to the garden.

Nutrition

Westies are unpretentious eaters, but are prone to food allergies. The diet of terriers should include enough meat, fish, and vegetables.

Having made a choice in favor of dry food, use professional super-premium and premium food.

Some food lines have special ones designed for small terriers and West Highlands.

Natural feeding is more difficult, but dogs grow better and faster on natural food.

True, provided that you can feed your Westie in a balanced manner.

Meat should make up at least a third of the total volume.

Lean beef and veal, rabbit, lamb, and beef by-products (especially tripe) are preferable.

Pork should not be given. 1-2 times a week you can offer low-fat boiled sea fish without bones.

Choose your dog's diet carefully

A third of the diet consists of porridge, of which preference should be given to buckwheat and rice.

Barley, corn, millet, pearl barley and semolina are not suitable: they only burden the digestive system.

Milk can only be given to puppies, but fermented milk products must be included in the diet.

Low-fat kefir and cottage cheese should make up at least 1/5 of a dog’s diet.

Suitable vegetables include zucchini, cabbage, and greens.

Terriers happily nibble on both carrots and beets, but these brightly colored fruits can cause their coat color to change, which is undesirable for show dogs.

From fruits, you can give apples, pears and other fruits if your pet does not suffer from allergies.

It is forbidden to give bird bones, smoked and spicy foods, as well as feed the dog table scraps.

Don't forget to feed your pet with vitamins

Pros and cons of the breed

The West dog, like many other breeds, has its pros and cons. The main advantages of these dogs include:

• absence of glands that deplete the dog’s smell;
• Parasites and dirt are clearly visible on white fur;
• they love to play at any age, even when they grow up;
• very clean;
• dogs are happy to learn new things and explore the world, so they can easily be taken with you on a trip;
• friendly and do not show aggression towards humans.

Among the disadvantages of the breed are:

• the need for frequent haircuts and trimming;
• tendency to allergies;
• not suitable for protecting the territory.

This Westie Dog Won't Smell Like Dog

If you get a West Highland Terrier, your life will be filled with fun and joy. There will never be a dull moment in the house. This little white lump will always cheer you up. The main thing is to surround him with warmth and care, and he will repay the owner in the same coin.

*Prices are as of October 2022.

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