The ideal image of the companion dog corresponds to a small, cheerful, playful lap dog, with a tender appearance and covered in attractive white fur. This is exactly the image of the West Highland White Terrier, a beautiful breed originally from the Scottish highlands with a lot of personality and popularity.
Features
It is very important that owners responsibly investigate as much as possible about the breed of dog they will have as a pet.
Regardless of whether the dogs descend from the wolf different races have their peculiarities that result from the country of origin, genetic crosses, work carried out and by their ancestors, among others. This outlines both physical and temperamental characteristics.
For this reason it is necessary to have this information as it will facilitate all the care that must be provided to the pet, from proper nutrition to hygiene habits, education, training and disease prevention.
The Westy has very particular physical characteristics of the breed. The size is small, compact, with a double-layered white coat, tender and expressive face and a fast and agile gait.
Their weight varies from five to nine or eight kilos depending on whether it is male or female since the latter are usually lighter and smaller in size. The males measure about 28 centimeters from the legs to the withers and the female 25 centimeters.
The head is round in shape and well proportioned to the body and the eyes are set apart, they have a certain almond color of great liveliness. It has separate, small ears, triangular in shape and rounded at the tip.
The nose is large and black. The muzzle is strong and hides powerful teeth quite long considering the physical proportion of the animal.
A broad, muscular neck supports the head and sits between the shoulders. They are followed by a compact and symmetrical body with well developed muscles. The back is straight and the legs have bent elbows, something that gives you a lot of boost when running.
The coat contains double coat is thick and smooth. The inner layer is a bit softer than the outer layer which should never be fluffy. The hair in the ears is short and soft and the color is totally white with certain champagne shades on the face around the muzzle.
Origin of the West Highland White Terrier breed
The West Highland White Terrier is originally from the Scottish highlands, specifically from the area known as Poltalloch.
Its closest relative is the Cairn terrier which is the breed from which it is descended. These short dogs they were used for hunting small prey. Because they originally had a coat of different shades, they were often confused with the undergrowth or worse still with the possible prey.
Surely this inconvenience generated more than one unpleasant accident, but the most widespread story is that of Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm.
There is a legend that Colonel Malcolm had a much loved pet with reddish fur that he accidentally killed with his shotgun by mistaking it for a fox. Other versions state that mistook it for a rabbit and that the dog was brown with lighter speckles. The truth is that both cases the dog ended up dead.
From that moment the colonel decided to carry out a genetic selection that favored only the white pups since in this way it would be easier to distinguish them.
Another theory is inclined to affirm that the creator of the race was the Duke of Argryll. However and beyond the certainty that the dog retains obvious Terrier characteristics and currently it is a very showy and accepted breed, there is no way to confirm the assumptions about its origin.
Care
Little Westy is a pretty healthy breed, except for a few genetic complications he might have. The care required does not vary too much of the normal ones for any race.
In the beginning, it should be considered to bind the female of the breed only after the third heat in order to guarantee maturity and avoid complications. Due to its compact size it is it is preferable to keep track of the stage of pregnancy with the vet.
Once the young are born weaning should be done three months later. The puppies will be fed three times a day with a feed that contains all the necessary nutrients for the stage of development in which they are.
Once adults it is recommended two balanced meals according to physical activity and the expenditure of calories, always avoiding being overweight.
In old age it is necessary to provide them with a diet that provides them with nutrients aimed at cell regeneration. Well cared for the breed is quite long-lived and can live between twelve and fourteen years.
Like all pets, it is necessary to take them for regular visits to the vet. All vaccines must be given in the corresponding periods and be very aware of regular deworming.
It is necessary to pay special attention to the ears and clean them with the indicated products to avoid infections.
With regard to the coat, it also requires its basic care. In principle it is perfectly reasonable that the owners prefer to see it as neat as possible so that its beautiful white color stands out, but this breed has delicate skin and continuous baths dry it out and it is not recommended.
Avoiding knots is a daily task since this breed of dog it should be brushed in the direction of the hair, daily or at least three times a week. Always avoid wet conditions, so they should be dried with a hand dryer at a low temperature with a reasonable distance to ensure that there is no remaining moisture.
Management
The health deficiencies to which this breed is prone are mostly genetic in origin.
The main condition to be aware of is craniomandibular osteopathy that causes the jaw to grow too large between three and six months of age. After a year it disappears normally and some vets treat it with medications.
By genetic disposition some Westy with two positive parents in the liver abnormality of accumulating copper in the liver, become seriously ill at about three years of age.
Once the disease appears it is difficult to treat so it is recommended to perform a liver biopsy at twelve months of age to successfully diagnose, prevent and treat.
Recommendations
The character of the West Highland White Terrier is very cheerful and friendly but this does not mean that it should not educate with patience, firmness and good treatment. From puppyhood it is necessary to teach him to socialize with children, people and other pets.
Due to its color, an interesting tip is to use wet baby towels to clean it if necessary.