West Highland White Terrier
West Highland White Terrier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other names | Poltalloch Terrier Roseneath Terrier White Roseneath Terrier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common nicknames | Westie (or Westy) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Origin | Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dog ( domestic dog ) |
The West Highland White Terrier, commonly known as the Westie, is a breed of dog from Scotland with a distinctive white harsh coat with a somewhat soft white undercoat. It is a medium-sized terrier, although with longer legs than other Scottish breeds of terrier. It has a white double coat of fur which fills out the dog's face, giving it a rounded appearance.
The breed is intelligent, quick to learn, and can be good with children, but does not always tolerate rough handling. The Westie is an active breed, and is social with a high prey drive, as they were once used to hunt
The modern breed is descended from a number of breeding programmes of white terriers in Scotland before the 20th century. Cousin to the Cairn Terrier, the Westie was bred to hunt small rodents at places such as farms. Edward Donald Malcolm, 16th Laird of Poltalloch, is credited with the creation of the modern breed from his Poltalloch Terrier, but did not want to be known as such.
Other related breeds included George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll's Roseneath Terrier and Dr Americ Edwin Flaxman's Pittenweem Terriers. This breed of small white Scottish terriers was given its modern name for the first time in 1908, with recognition by major kennel clubs occurring around the same time.
The breed remains very popular in the UK, with multiple wins at
Several breed-specific and non-specific health problems appear in the breed, including a condition in young dogs nicknamed "westie jaw" which causes an overgrowth of bone in the jaw of the dog. It can also be prone to skin disorders, with a breed-specific condition called hyperplastic dermatosis occurring. They are a very energetic and boisterous breed, needing regular exercise of around one hour per day.[1]
Appearance
Commonly, Westies have bright, deep-set, almond-shaped eyes that are dark in colour. Their ears are pointed and erect.[2] Members of the breed typically weigh between 15 and 20 pounds (6.8 and 9.1 kg), and the average height is between 10–11 inches (25–28 cm) at the withers.[2] The body should be shorter than the height of the dog at the shoulder.[2]
They also have a deep chest, muscular limbs, a black nose, and a short, closely fitted jaw with "scissors" bite (lower canines locked in front of upper canines, upper incisors locked over lower incisors).[3] The Westie's paws are slightly turned out to give it better grip than flat-footed breeds when it climbs on rocky surfaces.[4] In young puppies, the nose and footpads have pink markings, which slowly turn black as they age.[3] Westies also have short and sturdy tails. Some sources suggest that due to their history as rodent catchers, their tails were bred to be thick so that a Westie trapped in a hole could be easily pulled out by the tail.[citation needed]
They have a soft, dense, thick undercoat and a rough outer coat,[2] which can grow to about 2 inches (5.1 cm) long.[3] The fur fills out the face to give a rounded appearance.[2] As puppies develop into adults, their coarse outer coat is normally removed by either "hand-stripping", especially for dog-showing, or otherwise clipping.[2] Most Westies are pure white, although there are some light wheaten colour variations.[5]
Temperament
The temperament of the West Highland White Terrier can vary greatly, with some being friendly towards children, while others prefer solitude.[citation needed] It will not typically tolerate rough handling, such as a child pulling on its ears or fur, and can frequently be both food- and toy-possessive.[citation needed] This makes regular training from a young age of particular importance. It is normally independent, assured, and self-confident, and can make a good watchdog. It is a loyal breed that bonds with its owner but is often on the move, requiring daily exercise (15–30 min though ideally, at least an hour). The Westie is highly social and is the most friendly and jolly of all the Scottish breeds of terriers.[6]
It is a hardy breed, and can be stubborn, leading to issues with training. A Westie may need to have its training refreshed on occasion during its lifetime. Having a typical terrier prey drive, it tends to be highly interested in toys, especially chasing balls. It does retain the instincts of an earth-dog, including inquisitive and investigative traits,[6] as well as natural instincts to bark and dig holes.[7] It is ranked in the average range as 88th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs.[8]
Health
The American breed club puts the lifespan of the Westie at 12 to 16 years.[9] A club survey puts the average lifespan at 11.4 years.[10] Veterinary clinic data from the UK show a typical lifespan of 10.5 to 15 years.[11] The French Kennel Club database gives 8 to 16 years, with a median of 13 years.[12] The typical litter size is between three and five puppies.[3]
The breed is pre-disposed to conditions found in many breeds, such as abdominal
The breed is prone to skin disorders.
An inherited genetic problem that exists in the breed is
Other less common conditions which appear in the breed include hydroxyglutaric aciduria, which is where elevated levels of
The breed is predisposed to atopic dermatitis.[24]
Hyperplastic dermatosis of the West Highland White Terrier, also known as epidermal dysplasia or colloquially armadillo westie syndrome is an uncommon condition exclusively identified in the West Highland White Terrier. It is a severe chronic hyperplastic dermatological disease that is similar to
History
Scottish white terriers were recorded as early as during the reign of
Reports of a ship from the
George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell, bred a breed of white Scottish terriers known as the "Roseneath Terrier".[30] Another breed of white Scottish terriers also appeared at this point, with Dr. Americ Edwin Flaxman from Fife developing his line of "Pittenweem Terriers" out of a female Scottish Terrier which produced white offspring.[30] The dog seemed to produce these white puppies regardless of the sire to which she was bred, and after drowning over 20 of these offspring, he came upon the theory that it was an ancient trait of the Scottish Terrier that was trying to reappear. He re-dedicated his breeding programme to produce white Scottish Terriers with the aim of restoring it to the same stature as the dark-coloured breed. Flaxman is credited with classes being added to dog shows for white Scottish Terriers towards the end of the 19th century.[31]
The person most closely associated with developing the modern breed of West Highland White Terrier is Edward Donald Malcolm, 16th Laird of Poltalloch. Malcolm owned terriers used to work game; the story told is that a reddish-brown terrier was mistaken for a fox and shot. Following this, Malcolm decided to develop a white terrier breed, which became known as the "Poltalloch Terrier". The first generation of Poltallochs had sandy-coloured coats, and had already developed prick ears, which is a trait seen later in the modern breed.[30] It is unknown if the Poltalloch Terriers and Pittenweem Terriers were interbred.[30] In 1903, Malcolm declared that he did not want to be known as the creator of the breed and insisted that his breed of white terriers be renamed. The term "West Highland White Terrier" first appears in Otters and Otter Hunting by L.C.R. Cameron, published in 1908.[30][32]
The first breed club was set up in 1904;
In major
The popularity of the breed during the early 20th century was such that dogs were being exchanged for hundreds of
References
Notes
- ^ "West Highland White Terrier". thekennelclub.org.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-470-00921-5 – via Google Books.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8120-3951-1 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Bruette (1921): p. 191
- ^ Dekkers, Carly (7 October 2019). "Poodle Terrier Mix: See How Incredible This Hybrid Breed Is". petdt.com. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ a b Rice (2002): p. 6
- ^ "Westie Earthdog or 'Going-to-Ground'". West Highland White Terrier Club of America. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-0287-6.
- ^ "Westie FAQs". West Highland White Terrier Club of America. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ "West Highland White Terrier Health Survey Final Report" (PDF). 20 February 2007. West Highland White Terrier Club of America. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- PMID 24206631.
- S2CID 27631883. mean=11.89 ± 3.92 median=12.93
- ^ Ackerman (2011): p. 115
- ^ Cox, Charlotte (6 May 2016). "Puppy farmer Grace Banks jailed for selling sick dogs... while on bail for selling sick dogs". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ Ackerman (2011): pp. 116–117
- ^ Grayson, J. Kevin. "2007 West Highland White Terrier Health Survey Final Report" (PDF). Westie Foundation of America and the Health Committee of the WHWTCA. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-632-06452-6.
- ^ Ackerman (2011): p. 105
- ^ Ackerman (2011): p. 155
- ^ Ackerman (2011): p. 108
- ^ Ackerman (2011): p. 125
- ^ Ackerman (2011): p. 126
- ^ Ackerman (2011): p. 134
- ISBN 978-0-8138-1596-1.
- ISSN 0916-7250.
- ISBN 978-0-8138-1596-1.
- ^ a b Smith (1921): p. 84
- ^ a b c Rice (2002): p. 5
- ^ Dalziel, Hugh (1879). British dogs; their varieties, history, characteristics, breeding, management and exhibition. London, UK: The Bazaar Office. p. 350.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Horter, Ria (April 2009). "Col. Edward Donald Malcolm, 16th Laird of Poltalloch, and the West Highland White Terrier" (PDF). Dogs in Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ Lane, Charles Henry (1902). Dog shows and doggy people. London, UK: Hutchinson. pp. 100–102.
- ^ Cameron, Ludovick Charles Richard Duncombe-Jewell (1908). Otters and otter-hunting. New York, NY: C. Scribner's Sons. p. 43.
- ^ a b Hochwell, A. F. (1925). Dogs as home companions; a book for all dog lovers. Cincinnati, OH: Sportsman's Digest. pp. 26–29.
- ^ "She Asked For It". Time. 23 February 1942. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ "Fads: The Poodle Dethroned". Time. 23 February 1962. Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ Dogworld: Digital Crufts Edition (2010): p. 84
- ^ Dogworld: Digital Crufts Edition (2010): p. 88
- ^ Smith (1921): p. 85
- ^ "Comparative Tables of Registrations for the Years 2001–2010 Inclusive" (PDF). The Kennel Club. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "AKC Dog Registration Statistics". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ Reisen, Jan (16 March 2021). "The Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2020". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
Bibliography
- Ackerman, Lowell J (2011). Genetic Connection: A Guide to Health Problems in Purebred Dogs (2nd ed.). Lakewood, CO: ISBN 978-1-58326-157-6.
- Bruette, William A (1921). The Complete Dog Book. Cincinnati, OH: Stewart Kidd Co.
- Rice, Dan (2002). West Highland White Terriers. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's. ISBN 978-0-7641-1899-9.
- Smith, Arthur Croxton (1910). The Power of the Dog. London, UK: Hodder & Stoughton.