The West Highland White Terrier is an intelligent, lovable, active, and fun-loving animal. I’m a bit biased, being the author of crazy about westies. To be honest, I preferred larger dogs until we got our Westie pup named Pepper. Now I am completely conquered.
I find him very funny, especially when he plays soccer. He’s just excellent at dribbling the ball. They make excellent watchdogs (ask my neighbor) and will announce to the world the present of any stranger in the house.
Our own Westie loves to ride in the car; like most dogs and he freaks out when he gets off the leash to take him for a walk. It’s hard to imagine how small he was when he first entered the house. He still goes after our poor cat, though he’s been hitting him lately, just to let him know that she was in the house before he got there.
When the Westie dog is fully grown, it stands at around 10-11 inches in height for the male breed and slightly smaller for the female. Weight can range from 14 to 20 pounds, and if cared for with regular health checks, can have a lifespan of more than 15 years.
The westie originates from Scotland, as you can guess from the name. He was originally bred to fight vermin, but will make a great companion dog. From my own experience, I think he still thinks he’s a big dog in a small body. I have also found that he rarely backs down from any dog.
Introduce your Westie pup to the grooming cycle as soon as possible. If you brush the coat regularly, this will remove any dead hairs from the coat. When he is an adult, it is recommended that you try to cut his coat every 6 weeks, especially during the warm months.
In general, you will have a loyal friend and a great companion if you treat him with love and respect. They also need to know that you are the boss (alpha dog). Whatever your reason for getting a Westie puppy or dog, you must remember that dogs are animals, not humans. In reality, for some owners it is a difficult bridge to cross, because their dogs are their children.
Dogs are by nature pack animals and in each pack there is a leader, known as the alpha dog. This alpha dog makes decisions for the entire pack and everyone else in that pack has a place and knows their place. If he doesn’t assume the role of leader, the Westie will usually try to step in to try and fill this role of alpha dog. This is where the problems start.