West Highland White Terriers make great watchdogs, and exhibit a strong desire to protect the family. True to its small dog stature, Westies love to bark, and if you leave it alone for long periods of time, the neighbors won’t be happy. When its finally time to go to bed, your Westie will need 13 hours to rejuvenate and get ready for another busy day. Give your West Highland White Terrier lots of toys to play with, as it will need to expend its energy to be healthy. Be careful if you let your Westie out in the backyard unsupervised – this dog will dig and may try to find a way to escape. Since this breed is so energetic, the West Highland White Terrier needs exercise, such as a brisk daily walk. Known to be one of the most affectionate terrier breeds, the Westie loves to be center of all household activity. Westies don’t do well among other animals, so if you’ve got other pets in the household, be sure to socialize your puppy from an early age give your new addition lots of attention to avoid feelings of jealousy. Male West Highland White Terriers weigh 15 to 22 pounds, while females weigh 13 to 16 pounds.įull of energy and joy, the West Highland White Terriers are attention seekers and lovable companions. After every new training session, end the session with a command your dog has already learned in order to boast confidence and cooperation. Use positive reinforcements after your Westie successfully completes a command. Once your West Highland White Terrier has mastered the basic commands, you can move on to something more complicated. If you hit a road block with your training, consider other obstacles – is your dog happy, well exercised, getting enough attention at home? These factors will affect training – until your dog’s needs are met, training will not progress smoothly. Start obedience training immediately make sure your Westie understands discipline, but never use in a harsh manner. If not, your West Highland White Terrier can bite, snap and retaliate when being trained. From the start, you need to show your Westie who is the dominant one. The Westie will make it clear from the get-go that it demands your attention and expects to be the center of your life.Īn intelligent dog, the West Highland White Terrier is known to be willful and stubborn. Westies do well with a diet of chicken, choice cuts of beef, fruits and vegetables.

The West Highland White Terrier was recognized by the AKC in 1908.ĭo not feed Westies canned dog food, even if it states to be “high quality.” The main ingredients in this food are corn and wheat, and in such high amounts, are not good for West Highland White Terrier. Other terriers from Scotland include the Scottish Terrier, Skye Terrier, Cairn Terrier, and the Dandie Dinmont, and all of these breeds descended from the same roots. The West Highland White Terrier is descended from a number of breeding initiatives of white terriers in Scotland. The first of these dogs were known as the Poltlloch White Terrier. After that, he began breeding entirely white dogs. It wasn’t until one of the dogs owned by Colonel Edward Donald Malcom, of Poltlloch, Argyllshire, Scotland was killed on the hunt after being mistaken for a fox. At first, the white dogs were killed at birth, as this color wasn’t deemed desirable. The West Highland White Terrier didn’t start out white – it started out as red, then changed to cream, and finally to the solid white that we see today. As a throw back from its hunting days, the Westie still loves to dig up a storm,

This breed was found in Scottish mining communities, mills, villages, homes, fields, gardens, and farms so it would trap and kill vermin. Tracing its origin to the Scottish Highlands in the 1800s, the short-legged West Highland White was originally bred as hunting dogs specializing in small game. Will the West Highland White Terrier fit into your lifestyle? Read on to find out.Įasily recognizable with its white mane and dark eyes, the West Highland White Terrier will amaze you with its joyful, loving and devoted personality. This means you can’t leave this pooch alone for too long, or else you’ll be coming back to some destroyed furniture or annoyed neighbors that have had to put up with marathon-length barking sessions. The West Highland White Terrier is a busy dog that always seems to be into something. And how can you resist? Trust us, it’s impossible, just make it easy on yourself and give in to all of your Westie’s demands for attention. This dog will make it clear from the get-go that it demands your attention and expects to be the center of your life.

Easily recognizable with its white mane and dark eyes, the West Highland White Terrier (also known as a “Westie”) will amaze you with its joyful, loving and devoted personality. A robust and healthy terrier breed, the West Highland White Terrier is a favorite with dog lovers across the globe.

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