West Highland White Terriers

A small, game and hardy looking terrier, full energy and no shortage of self-esteem which was originally bred to hunt vermin. Brave and tough

The breed has striking black eyes and a piercing expression and sparkling white coat with a rough texture.

A dog always up for sporting pursuits but also a lovely family pet who adores companionship who will regularly be found snuggled in the warmest part of the house if not buzzing round.

The Westie is superbly adaptable – home, town, country, sport or even just the sofa – this little terrier would be your companion for it all.

Feeding or exercise is usually no problem with West Highland White Terriers, they will happily take all the exercise you can give them, but as terriers they’ll probably tell you when they’ve had enough.

They require regular grooming, and trimming several times a ear to keep their coat in good condition. With a white coat they need bathing from time to time to keep them from going yellow.

Their tails are short and should never be docked.

Height: Approximately 28 cms (11 inches)

Colour: White

Grooming:

Exercise:

Availability:

Lifespan: Over 10 years

Kennel Club group: Terrier

Watch: The expert view

Hear all about this popular little breed from owner and breeder of Devon (Ch Burneze Geordie Girl), the Crufts Best in Show winner in 2016 – Marie Burns.

History

The Westie’s ancestry is traced back to the Cairn Terrier, specifically the Malcolms of Poltalloch in Argyllshire who developed a white strain of Cairns in the mid 19th century. Prior to this breeders would often cull their Cairn puppies who were born white. However the Malcolms decided to develop the West Highland White Terriers as the breed was far easier to locate when working on the moors than the sandy coloured Cairn cousin.

The West Highland White which was registered with the Kennel Club in 1907 was eventually bred to become a little shorter in the body and with a higher tail carriage than the Cairn.

The breed was once know as the Poltalloch terrier or the Roseneath terrier – after a strain developed on the Duke of Argyll’s Roseneath Estate.

The rise in popularity of this breed may have also seen the decline in other similar terriers like the Sealyham Terrier which have coats which are harder to maintain but are similar in many other ways.