West Highland white terrier

The Westie is the most recent Scottish Terrier, although dogs of the same type were recorded as early as the 17th century under the name white doggies. Its two ancestors are, for sure, the Cairn Terrier, and more hypothetically the Maltese Bichon, survivor of the wreck of the Spanish Armada in the 16th century on the Isle of Skye. It is a dramatic story that was at the origin of the creation of the Westie. One day, in the 19th century, in Argyll, Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch went hunting with his Cairns and accidentally killed his best red-colored dog that he had mistaken for a fox. Very affected by this tragedy, he decided, from that day on, to breed only white Cairns so that no such confusion would happen again. With patient selection work on his fawn Cairns, he obtained very light sand-colored dogs, which were the first Westies. The color was not perfected until later. The Westie was officially recognized in 1906 by the English Kennel Club. With the recognition of the Cairn Terrier in 1912, the two breeds, which were only two varieties at that time, could be crossed. These crosses were prohibited in 1924 and the Westie, which was then only a "white Cairn," acquired its own characteristics to move toward a more sophisticated model, while the Cairn remained in the original type. Now with more than 2,500 births per year the Westie is the most popular Scottish Terrier in France, notably thanks to the ads of the César dog food brand, whose Westie is the mascot.

This breed belongs to the Terrier family. The Westie has not denied its origins as a hunter, hence its curiosity. A ruthless hunter, it is a great athlete, an ideal companion for joggers. It adapts as well in a house as in an apartment. Long outings in nature, or sports such as agility, do it a lot of good. At home, it is a very affectionate, playful and very clever dog. It has a great need for company. It is very close to its master. It is not at all a guard dog but it still wants to do its job by barking when a strange noise occurs. It is fundamentally sociable and friendly toward all humans, including strangers. It can be very calm when its master asks it and be very active. It is very cuddly and loves children, it is always ready to go for a walk and play. The Westie can surprise with its ease in quickly understanding orders.

It is recommended to pluck the Westie but grooming professionals each have a different opinion. Plucking is painless as it consists of removing dead hair. It is recommended for show dogs. The Westie cannot be shaved. Shaving would give soft hair difficult to untangle but with daily brushing, and the hair would have lots of frizz, detangling is easier and also allows you to remove dead hair. Daily: brush the hair well under the belly, on the back, on the legs and between the hind legs, against the direction of growth. Don't wash it too often (it depends on its activity), and use appropriate shampoo for your Westie. To keep it white, you can give it a kind of dry shampoo with calcium carbonate: sprinkle, work it in and brush the coat or use talc (which will preserve it from skin infections).