Its instinct of hunting is very much alive, and if it has the opportunity, it would love to rush after a rat and catch it. This dog makes a wonderful companion pet because it gets along very easily with children, elder people and all other pet animals at home – including cats. They are very playful and need many naps during the day. They love to be exercised, but since it is extremely energetic indoors as well, it will not hanker for the outdoors. In spite of all this, this dog’s life expectancy is on average more than 15 years. Other common diseases are Perthes disease that affects the hip, liver problems, hernia, and jawbone calcifications.
#West highland terrier tempermant skin#
It is not known exactly why, but this dog is highly prone to all types of skin allergies and infections, and even cancer. The West Highland White Terrier is normally a healthy breed, the most common health problem you will encounter with this Scottish Terrier is skin problems. Grooming involves normal daily brushing and trimming of hair wherever you feel that it will affect its hygiene – around the mouth, around the ears, and also around the eyes, though the latter is for cosmetic purposes. Today, the advantage of its coat is that being dry it does not need a bath too often. The coat was meant for its protection – so the prey was not able to hold it down. This dog has two coats of fur – one dense and wiry, and the other one, soft and fluffy. Their best pastime when not playing is sleeping you will observe that a West Highland White Terrier almost invariably chooses secluded places to sleep, and needs to have his back towards a wall, or something solid. This dog comes with a lot of spirit and makes for an excellent watchdog. It has a single-minded approach when it hunts, even today. Owing to its origin, this dog is known for its tenacity, aggression, and energy.
The color used to help when it was a hunting dog because it was easily distinguishable and hence, not shot at (confused with the prey) by the hunters (of fox and rabbits). The West Highland Terrier is always bright white. They were specifically bred for hunting foxes and rats (vermin in general) and this is how the Westie got the habit of digging in the courtyard. What we see today is the result of more than a century of selective breeding to ensure these dogs have the perfect genetic make-up. What Goes Into the Making of this Spirited Little Animal?Īccording to history, the West Highland White Terrier’s origin is credited to two different people in Scotland, that of Colonel Donald Malcolm (Argyll) around the 1620s and the eighth Duke of Argyll around the 1800s. Though they look extremely cuddly since they are impeccably white and small but they don’t like to be held or handled for long periods of time. Hence, this dog is not really a lapdog – and if that is what you are seeking, this is not the right dog for you.
These dogs, popularly known as Westies, are basically terriers and possess most of this breed’s characteristics.
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