West Highland White Terrier

West Highland White Terrier History

As their name suggests, the West Highland White Terrier has its origins in the rugged West Highlands of Scotland. Many different types of terriers were bred throughout the United Kingdom to rid farms and the surrounding countryside of rodents, foxes and other small mammals. The Malcolm Clan of Poltalloch Estate in Scotland is credited with selectively breeding only white terriers in the 1700's to help distinguish them from their prey. This led to these white terriers being known as Poltalloch Terriers. The Duke of Argyll was a strong supporter of these white terriers and they were also known as Roseneath Terriers after his estate in Scotland. The name, West Highland White Terrier, was adopted around 1900 when these dogs started to appear at dog shows.

West Highland White Terrier Personality

With their irresistible good looks and constantly wagging, carrot shaped tail, it is no wonder these Terriers are extremely popular pets throughout the world. Don't let their charming exterior fool you though as Westies are true terriers and are active, courageous and independent hunting dogs. They can be prone to chase anything that moves, bark at everything that moves and excavate your lovely garden. These traits can be easily managed by consistent and appropriate training from a young age. Ensuring your Westie has enough exercise and environmental enrichment to stop them getting bored will curb these undesirable traits. West Highland White Terriers love attention and being part of the family, although they may become over aroused by the quick movements of very small children. Like all dogs, must be supervised around small children and pets.

West Highland White Terrier Diet and Nutrition

West Highland White Terrier Puppies

Like all small breed puppies, Westies pups require a premium, complete and balanced diet. They mature early and have a short, intense growth period when compared to medium and large breed pups.

Best Food for West Highland White Terrier Puppies

Our Vet Squad recommends the following premium diets for Westie puppies as they provide all the essential nutrients to ensure your pup will thrive. Premium diets contain consistent, highly digestible ingredients and often contain additional beneficial ingredients such as omega fatty acids and antioxidants for skin, coat and immune health.

Want to know more? Check out our article: What is the best puppy food?

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Bringing your new West Highland White Terrier puppy home

The arrival of a new puppy in the home is an exciting time although it can be a little overwhelming for your new pup. Socialisation in the first 12 weeks of a puppy's life is crucial to ensure they become a confident and well-behaved adult. Exposing them in a positive way to new people, animals, environments, sounds and situations will help to prevent fear and anxiety in later life. We recommend puppy preschools as a great way to introduce these new things in a safe way.

These first few weeks will also involve organising your puppy's vaccinations, parasite control, toilet training and crate training. For detailed tips and advice in these areas and more, take a look through our New Puppy Guide. Our Puppy Training Guide will give you the information you need to combat any undesirable behaviours like digging and chewing.

For more information, check out our 10 Frequently Asked Puppy Questions and Common Mistakes Puppy Owners Make.

Best foods for Adult West Highland White Terriers

Westies are prone to skin allergies, so we recommend feeding a premium diet with high levels of omega fatty acids to support skin barrier function. Topical products such as Aloveen Leave in Conditioner can help to keep the skin and hair coat nourished and in top condition.

For more information, take a read through our guide to the Best Food for Small Dogs.

West Highland White Terrier Health Problems

Westies are a generally hardy breed however, they can suffer from a number of inherited conditions and other diseases.

Allergies

The most common health concern seen in West Highland White Terriers is skin problems. Westies have a high incidence of skin allergies and atopic dermatitis which need to be managed throughout their lifetime. Treatments include medication, special diets and desensitisation injections.

Ear Infections

Skin allergies frequently lead to ear infections because the lining of the ear canals is the same as the skin on the body. In the warm, moist environment of the ear canal bacteria, fungus and yeast can overgrow causing painful infections. Ear infections require tests to determine which pathogens are causing the disease and to decide which antibiotics and/or antifungal medications are appropriate for treating the infection.

For more information, take a read through Why is my Dog Getting Ear Infections?.

White Dog Shaker Syndrome

This condition is seen most commonly in small-breed white dogs like the West Highland White Terrier. It causes full body tremors which usually start suddenly at one to two years of age. These tremors can be made worse by stress or excitement. The exact cause is unknown however, it may be due to a problem with the immune system. The good news is that this condition can be treated and most dogs' tremors stop within one to two weeks of beginning treatment although the treatment needs to be continued for life.

Craniomandibular Osteopathy (Westie Jaw)

This is an inherited disease in West Highland White Terriers and, unfortunately, there is no test to identify dogs that carry the gene responsible. Conscientious breeders are aware of this problem and will not breed dogs that are suspected to have this condition in their bloodline. Craniomandibular Osteopathy causes the bones of the skull, particularly the lower jaw, to overgrow. The first sign of this is often a pup that is a messy eater due to being unable to open and close their mouth properly. The overgrowth of the bone occurs on and off during the dog's first year of life and then slows down or stops completely. There is no cure for this condition and treatment consists of providing relief for the pain and swelling.

Cruciate Disease

Cruciate ligaments are responsible for keeping the knee joint (the 'stifle') stable, and problems with these ligaments are very common in most breeds of dogs. Westies are one of the breeds that is more likely to suffer from rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament and it is thought there may be a genetic component to this. When the cruciate ligament breaks, the dog will suddenly become lame on the affected hindleg and may not want to carry weight on it at all and the knee may become swollen. Cruciate ligament rupture can be managed in some small dogs without the need for surgery, however, in the majority of cases, surgery is required to stop the pain and decrease the instability of the knee joint. Injury to the cruciate ligament will predispose to arthritis in the affected joint.

Canine Idiopathic Pulmonary Lung Disease (Westie Lung)

This lung disease occurs in middle aged to senior Westies and the symptoms of decreased ability to exercise, rapid and/or laboured breathing and coughing are often put down to old age. Affected dog's lungs gradually become thickened (fibrosed) which results in a decreased amount of oxygen in the blood. Diagnosis of this disease is usually made by clinical signs, abnormal lung sounds, measurement of the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood and chest X-rays. Sadly there is no cure for this disease and treatment with medications to reduce inflammation, dilate the airways and clear mucus from the lungs is aimed at making breathing easier for affected dogs. Recently research has been undertaken to determine if there is a genetic cause for this disease and hopefully develop a test to screen dogs for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Related Breeds

Westies are part of the Terrier group of dogs, along with breeds such as the Cairn Terrier, Scottish Terrier and the Skye Terrier.

Cairn Terrier

The Cairn Terrier also originated in Scotland and is recognized as one of Scotland's earliest working dogs. The name Cairn comes from the word for a pile of rocks that were often used as road markers or memorials. Rats, mice and other small mammals that used these cairns as shelters were flushed out by these feisty little terriers. A female Cairn Terrier called Terry went on to become famous as Dorothy’s faithful companion Toto in the movie The Wizard of Oz.

Scottish Terrier

The Scottish Terrier has an unmistakable appearance with its pointed ears, shaggy eyebrows and impressive beard. They are well known for being a playing piece in the board game Monopoly and for gracing the necks of Black and White Whiskey bottles with their cousin the Westie. Most people are familiar with black Scotties, however they also come in wheaten and various shades of brindle. They are a reserved and dignified little dog that is intensely loyal and faithful to their family.

Skye Terrier

One of the least well known of Scotland's terriers is the Skye Terrier which originated on the remote Isle of Skye. These terriers are twice as long as they are high and usually have distinctive "bat wing" style ears although they can also have drop ears. Like most terriers, they have a double coat with a short woolly undercoat, however, their topcoat is long and lies flat.

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

This diminutive terrier is also much longer than it is high and sports an adorable silky topknot of hair on the top of their head. The Dandie Dinmont is named after a character in Sir Walter Scott's novel "Guy Mannering" and was virtually unknown outside the Scottish Borders until this book was published. The numbers of Dandie Dinmonts has sadly declined and, in 2006, the breed was named as one of the rarest dog breeds native to the British Isles.

Further Reading

Complete Beginner's Guide To Puppy Care

How To Spot A Good Pet Food

Does Your Dog Have a Food Allergy?

What's in Your Pet's Food?

How to read the label on a bag of pet food

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Want to know more? Check out our Discover Page for more tips from our expert vets on keeping your pets happy and healthy.

References:

Australian National Kennel Council Limited, Breed Standard West Highland White Terrier

Davies Veterinary Specialist UK Fact Sheet Cranial Cruciate Ligament Failure

Corcoran, B MVB, Dip Pharm, PhD, MRCVS: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis of the West Highland White Terrier, World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2004