Despite the fact that reviews about West Highland White Terriers dog lovers around the world leave mostly positive, in our country the breed is not too common. Some dog lovers simply do not know about it, while others know little about the virtues that connoisseurs highly value. We will try to fix this shortcoming.
History
Let's start with the history of the West Highland White Terrier.
It is impossible to say unequivocally when exactly this breed appeared, as it happens in most cases. The breed was officially registered in the county of Argyllshire (Scotland) by Donald Malk in 1904. But in general, it exists much longer than one century. By studying the manuscripts of the fifteenth century, one can already find a description of dogs very similar to West Highland White Terriers.
Perhaps today, looking at these small doggies, it is difficult to believe that they were originally used on the hunt. Thanks to the small size of the dog, they were perfect for burrowing. Breeders did a great job creating an ideal dog sample for hunting badgers and foxes hiding in any deep and narrow burrows under any danger.
A height of 30 centimeters allowed the dogs to easily squeeze into the narrowest hole. Small, but rather powerful paws helped a lot with this. The jaws, despite their small size, are strewn with sharp teeth - a powerful argument in a dispute with the host of the hole.
The coat is short and rather stiff. It is not only less clogged with dirt and earth, but also laundered very easily. White color was also not chosen by chance: thanks to it, the owner will be able to see the pet from afar at dusk. Because of this color, the dog cannot be confused with a badger or a fox, and therefore a random shot that injures or kills an assistant is almost completely excluded.
The West Highland White Terrier also gets great reviews thanks to its sharp mind. Still, a hunting dog, and even such a miniature one, simply cannot survive without a sufficient level of intelligence.
Appearance
Now let's move on to the next important point - the description of the West Highland White Terrier breed. The size of the dogs is very modest. The average height of a male at the withers is 28 centimeters, and the bitches is 26 centimeters. The standard provides for weight in the range of 8-12 kilograms. The coat is not too long, stiff, white. But the undercoat, although short, is very soft, more reminiscent of fur.
The head is large, the muzzle is elongated, proportionately and delicately folded. Ears are slightly protruding, small, set quite high. The nose is wide (which provides a better sense of smell) and jet black.
The body is small, and the legs are short, but, despite this, are quite powerful, which allows the dog to jump well and develop unexpectedly high speed at short distances. True, the breed does not differ in endurance, so a person’s friend will not be able to run for a long time.
A straight tail has an average length of 13 to 15 centimeters. Pretty thick in the base area, gradually tapering towards the end.
Character
Before you start the West Highland White Terrier, the nature of the breed is very important to know. Otherwise, later you will have to regret the bad choice, and the dog will not be at fault for this.
First of all, talking about the nature of these dogs, connoisseurs will come to mind loyalty. Indeed, it is this quality that is one of the most pronounced. Despite its small size, the terrier will confidently protect its owners (if necessary, to the last drop of blood). However, this also has a flip side: dogs do not tolerate loneliness and are very bored if the owner leaves them for an entire day in an empty apartment. Of course, this can turn into a complete defeat, gnawed and spoiled things.
The character as a whole is rather mild and good-natured. Perfectly trained, and they themselves get a lot of pleasure from the learning process and demonstration of recently acquired skills to the owner, who in no case should forget to praise a pet, and sometimes - indulge in various goodies.
Care
Many breeders give positive feedback to the West Highland White Terrier because of the fairly simple care. Indeed, they are rather unpretentious to food, are sick relatively rarely and almost never have problems with their heart or musculoskeletal system.
Often they do not have to bathe. If the dog is neat, then you can refuse to wash at all. It is enough to wipe the paws after a walk. Otherwise, you can bathe about once a month. Short hair dries quickly enough, and terriers are not too afraid of hypothermia: dense wool, combined with warm undercoat, reliably protects from the cold. True, until the dog dries, it is advisable to close the windows and balcony, at least in winter, so that it is not blown by a draft.
Also, one does not have to deal with wool, which breeders of other dogs often cover all furniture and floors with an even layer: the white terrier almost does not fade. Alas, this has a flip side. After all, the hair still dies, but it practically does not fall out. Instead, she grows young. As a result, the pet acquires an untidy appearance, and an unpleasant odor starts to come from the old coat. In addition, the dog begins to itch severely, causing many problems to both her and the owner.
Therefore, you have to regularly drive the West Highland White Terrier to trim. The procedure is not too pleasant, but it allows you to remove dead hair without residue. How to find out it's time to go for the procedure? It is enough to grab a bunch of wool and easily yank - if there are a lot of hairs left in the fingers, then you need to visit trimming. And the owners of the exhibition dogs will have to drive a pet into the salon every month.
Who will suit
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. With the kids they will run, jump and have fun. And next to the elderly owner they get laid down and will sleep with pleasure, enjoying the closeness of their loved one.
But for lonely people spending most of their free time outside the home, this breed is clearly not suitable. The terrier is bored, and because of the seething energy, it may well make a mess in the apartment.
In general, you need to walk a lot with them, so that they spend strength and come home tired, ate tightly and went to bed. Otherwise, broken wires, shoes and any other items will become a familiar part of your life.
Training and training
Many experienced trainers give great feedback to West Highland White Terriers. What is not surprising: dogs are smart and, importantly, they love to please the owners. The main thing is to provide them with good motivation: to stroke, praise for achievements - and the dog will be ready to turn the whole world for you.
Starting training is about six months old. But education should be done immediately after the appearance of the dog in the apartment. Draw the line immediately: the pet should not sleep in bed, carry food from the table and much more. Having given slack once, it will be very difficult to restore the taboo.
Breed Reviews
Very rarely, White Terrier breeders regret their choice. Many highly value devotion, energy, playful character, unpretentiousness and smartness. However, in order not to be disappointed in the acquisition, it is important to know about the existing shortcomings.
Representatives of this breed love to delve into the ground. Therefore, releasing them on the lawn or beds is not at all recommended. In a couple of hours, a well-groomed, sophisticated site will turn into Dresden after the bombing: the flowerbeds are ragged, the lawns are covered with holes, the grass is torn and scattered. Well, terriers have such a habit.
We already spoke about the energy that beats the fountain - you need to give the dog the opportunity to release it, otherwise it will find such an opportunity itself, and the owner will obviously not be pleased.
Finally, some dogs have allergies (primarily food). And terriers sweep literally everything that only catches their eye. Therefore, the diet should be seriously monitored.
Conclusion
On this our article comes to an end. Now you know about the main pros and cons of the West Highland White Terrier. So, you can easily decide whether this breed is acceptable for you or it makes sense to give preference to another dog.