West Highland White Terrier

Origin and History

The West Highland White Terrier (Westie) is a hunting terrier developed in Scotland for hunting rodents, its white coat making it easy to see and not blend into the terrain. With its cheerful, friendly personality, it is a companion loved worldwide.

Appearance and Coat

It has a small, sturdy and compact body, erect ears and dark eyes. Its harsh, wiry outer coat and soft undercoat are always white; it needs moderate grooming and periodic hand-stripping.

Personality and Temperament

The Westie is brave, friendly and extremely lively. It is a cheerful dog, devoted to its family and good with children. It is more sociable than other terriers; it is alert and prone to barking, making it a good watchdog. It has a prey drive; it is self-confident and trainable.

Care, Exercise and Training

Its wiry coat needs regular brushing and periodic hand-stripping; attention should be paid to skin health. It needs moderate to high exercise. Intelligent and trainable, it responds well to reward-based training, and early socialization helps balance barking.

Health

Skin allergies (atopic dermatitis), a jaw bone disorder (craniomandibular osteopathy, CMO), patellar luxation and "white dog shaker syndrome" may occur. Regular skin check-ups are recommended. The West Highland White Terrier suits families and homes with children looking for a brave, friendly and cheerful small dog.