MEET THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER
The West Highland White Terrier! His name says much. A terrier, therefore a breed of earth dog. White! A white dog, neither black, brown nor brindle. And he hails from the West Highlands, surely the little fellow is from Scotland, where the countryside is rugged, the brogues thick and the dogs courageous.
This book will give you the history, characteristics and description of the Westie. You will also learn about puppy care, training and the health of the breed. In the color photographs, you will see that the Westie is cute as a button and a wonderful companion. This may not be the dog for everyone, as terriers are active, busy dogs and this breed has a white coat to keep up. However, if you like a plucky, lively dog, one that will be a devoted family member, this may be the dog for you. And, as is true with most other breeds, once you give your heart and home to a Westie, you will remain a devotee to the breed for a lifetime.
An early representative of the West Highland White Terrier, Eng. Ch. Place more Prosperity, owned by Mrs. Allow.
HISTORY OF THE WHITE TERRIER
In the history of dogs, the West Highland White Terrier is not an ancient breed; however, its official beginnings, which trace back to the late 1800s, place it among one of the older breeds recognized in the world of pure-bred dogs.
A DELICATE BALANCE
Since dogs have been inbred for centuries, their physical and mental characteristics are constantly being changed to suit man’s desires for hunting, retrieving, scenting, guarding and warming their master’s laps. During the past 150 years, dogs have been judged according to physical characteristics as well as functional abilities. Few breeds can boast a genuine balance between physique, working ability and temperament.
Three typical representatives of early Westies from the original Scottish stock: Col. Malcolm’s Boidheach, the Countess of Aberdeen’s Eng. Ch. Cromar Snowflake and Col. Malcolm’s Doichioll II.
The West Highland White Terrier belongs to the group of dogs known as terriers, from the Latin wordterra, meaningearth. The terrier is a dog that has been bred to work beneath the ground to drive out small and large vermin, rodents and other animals that can be a nuisance to country living.
All of the dogs in the Terrier Group originated in the British Isles with the notable exception of the Miniature Schnauzer, which derived from Germany. Many of the terrier breeds were derived from a similar ancestor and, as recently as the mid-1800s, the terriers fell roughly into two basic categories: the rough-coated, short-legged dogs of Scotland and the longer legged, smooth-coated dogs of England.
The family of Scotch Terriers—those bred in Scotland—divide themselves into the modern Scottish Terrier, the West Highland White Terrier, the Cairn Terrier and the Skye Terrier. In the early 1800s, dogs referred to as the Scotch Terrier could be any of the first three breeds mentioned. Interbreeding was common among these breeds and all three breed types could come from the same litter.
As breeders started exhibiting at dog shows, it was realized that there must be more uniformity within the breed, i.e., all pups in a litter should look alike as well as be of the same type as their sire and dam.
The Westie’s history is better known than the background of some of the other terriers, where the history is often a bit murky and convoluted. In the early 1800s, the Malcolm family of Poltalloch in Argyllshire kept a group of small white dogs. As with all terrier breeders, these dogs were bred for working and not for the show ring. “Unless they were fit and game for the purpose, their heads were not kept long out of the huge butt of water in the stable yard.” Those who bred and kept dogs had a specific purpose of work for their particular dog—long legs for speed, short legs for going to ground double coats for protec
