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Just like your mom decided to give you a bowl cut when you were five, you get to decide what kind of hairstyle your Westie will have. Rather, once your visitor has settled in, your Westie will want to become their new best friend and show off their antics for a new audience. Westies won’t hesitate to sound the bark alarm (again and again) at a passing leaf or when visitors come to the door, but that rarely translates into aggression. These behaviors can be tempered through training, but it does take time and commitment. Westies also have a strong prey drive that could send them chasing after smaller pets.
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If you’re bringing an older Westie into a multi-pet home, it’s best to consult with a certified dog trainer with experience of West Highland White Terrier types to help with the transition. The West Highland White Terrier puppy can learn to adjust, especially if socialized from puppyhood. Like all terriers bred to hunt vermin, they have a feisty, independent streak and could get nippy if someone invades their space too often.Ĭare should be taken when introducing Westies to other pets.
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Don’t expect a Westie to be your lapdog, though. They are good dogs for families with older kids, but can do well with younger children if they’re trained and socialized properly at a young age. You may find them chasing other animals, digging in your yard or barking a lot. But if they don’t get the exercise they need, those antics can become… less entertaining. These dogs love to play games like chase and fetch and show off all the tricks they know. Outgoing and loyal, the Westie dog loves to be the center of attention and will keep you entertained with their energetic antics. Not only are they a friendly, cheerful pet, Westies are confident, smart and tenacious. Minus the ability to bake an amazing cupcake, West Highland White Terriers (Westies) are just like that in canine form. They’re like that popular girl in high school who was student council president, captain of the field hockey team, took all honors classes, remembered everyone’s birthday and made a mean red velvet cupcake. The West Highland was first shown in the USA in 1906 and first recognized by the AKC in 1908.Westies are active dogs who pack a lot of life and love into that small frame. This, too, is the origin of the West Highland White Terrier, which is thought to have originally been part of the Cairn breed. These include the Dandie Dinmont, Scottish Terrier, Skye Terrier and Cairn Terriers. The early vermin-catching dogs indigenous to Scotland, collectively known as the “Terriers of Scotland,” developed from common root stock and eventually separated into defined breeds. It enjoys a daily romp in a safe area or a walk on lead, as well as playtime at home. It is not friendly, however, toward small animals. It is affectionate and demanding, one of the friendliest terriers. The busy Westie is happy, curious and always in the thick of things. The tail needed to be sufficiently long to provide a handhold by which the dog could be pulled from shallow holes. The harsh double coat, especially the hard, straight outer coat, provided protection from the fox's teeth, especially around the head, as well as from the elements. It had to have formidable teeth and jaws in order to face a fox in closed quarters. Short legs aided in maneuverability in the cramped passages. These passages were often so narrow that the dog could not turn around.
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It must be small enough to fit between rocks in a narrow passageway that was the typical fox den in its area of origin. The West Highland White Terrier is compact and short-coupled.