Origin

A breeder in Scotland gave rise to West Highland White Terriers. Actually his target was to breed a white breed from the white puppies of Cairn Terriers. The West Highland White Terriers was used to hunt small animals like rats and all. Nowadays the breed has proved to be a great companion.

General Description

The West Highland White Terrier is a small dog about 10 inches in height. They have a small stout body. The West Highland White Terrier has a small head round in shape and a small muzzle with a black nose at the tip. They have round black eyes and triangular small ears standing on their head. Their muzzle is small but round in shape and has a lot of fur on their face. their limbs and legs are short and close to ground mostly covered by fur. The West Highland White Terrier has a long tail standing straight and docked. They have a long coat and they are found in white colour.

Character

The West Highland White Terrier is very intelligent and brave. This breed is full of life and they have a tendency of bossing on everyone. They are very clever and independent in nature. The West Highland White Terrier is very much active and they are always ready to bark and chase. This is a very energetic and spirited breed and is always ready to work. They are very cheerful, loyal, gentle, loving and also independent in nature. They are very obedient and that why it is easy to train them. This breed has a bad habit to barking a lot so it is necessary to train them from early age. They are very good to children but they may not be safe for small non canine pets. They are great diggers and they have a tendency of chasing small animals as I told you before. Sometimes their protective nature can become dangerous for them only. The cairn terriers are very protective of their territory against large breed. But it may be sometimes very dangerous for them as they are not big in size and they may be unable to protect themselves from a large dog.

Temperament

This breed is very restless and full of adventure. They are very spirited, brave and bold. Highly mischievous and loyal to their families. The West Highland White Terrier is very gentle and they prove to be great companions. This breed is very playful and always loves to indulge in activities. Their barking tendency also makes them a good watch dog. They are sometimes stubborn so it is good that the owner should be a bit experienced. They are good to children and things may be even better id the children are a bit older. They love family activities and human companion ship. Generally the cairn terriers are good to other pets but they have a habit of bossing. They are very protective of their territory against other breeds and this may prove to be dangerous for them sometimes as they are not that big in size to fight a large breed. Their behaviour with strangers may vary. Some may be very shy and some are friendly.

Training

It is very easy to train this breed as they are very quick in learning. They would not respond to harsh training methods as they are sensitive. Early training classes are required as without training they may become real brutes.

Health

The West Highland White Terrier can be affected by many types of diseases like cataracts, copper toxicosis, hearing problems, hernia etc. Their average life span is 15 years.