Are Westhighland Terriers the Right Dogs for You?Written by Jeff Cuckson
You can look at westhighland terriers and know if it is right size for your yard, home, or lifestyle, but a little more in-depth knowledge is necessary to determine if westies have personality for you.Westie terriers are exuberant little dogs, but owners do report that they are usually content to lie at their side throughout day. However, once they are let outside, westies will want to run and jump and play. Like any dog, they require outside playtime every day. Westies are not dogs that perform well when left alone all day. Some people describe them as obstinate and naughty. This is a trait of many terrier breeds, but westies dogs usually have it to a lesser degree. They are very independent, but they are also intelligent and easy to train if they handled in a firm, consistent way. Westie terriers are considered easy to housetrain, because of their natural desire to remain clean. Most are not described as cuddlers. They are not lap dogs. However, they are extremely companionable, and want to be with you no matter what you do. You can take westie dogs just about anywhere that dogs are allowed to go. They will bark to announce that a stranger is approaching. They make good guard dogs. They can be trained not to bark, or to bark once and then stop. Although they announce strangers, they are also extremely friendly with everybody. Your westie terriers will get along with your children if they respect dogs' boundaries. One that has been poked and pulled to point of irritation will nip or become aggressive. Some authorities on westies do not recommend dogs for homes with children under six years of age. West highland white terriers were bred to chase down small prey. If a cat runs away, it will chase it. Westie rescue organizations report that terrier's inability to tolerate cats can be a problem. Other small pets, such as rodents and birds, are not safe to run loose in a home with a westie terrier. Your westie will usually accept other dogs, although males are less likely to accept another unaltered male of any breed.
| | Scottie & Westie - This Mistake is Perfectly UnderstandableWritten by Jeff Cuckson
Show an uninformed dog lover a photo of a Westie, and they’d identify a Westie as a white Scottie. This mistake is perfectly understandable, since they do have similar physical attributes and both originated from Scotland.There are a lot of postulated theories about these similarities. However, one valid assumption is that centuries ago, a generic terrier was once a native to Scotland. Over years, different breeds came about from interbreeding, locations, conditions and human requirements, which resulted in different breeds. So when you compare modern Westie to its’ two closest relatives, Scottie and Cairn, you’ll see more similarities than differences. Here are just some of differences between a Scottie & Westie. A Westie is usually between 12-15 inches tall terrier with a straight and erect tail, about 5 – 6 inches. This breed has a two inch white double coat, while outer coat is hard straight hair under coat is soft. They possess a black button nose and pointed erect ears. Their deep chests and muscular limbs give westies agility and power that was required in original line of work for their breed. They were originally developed to hunt for vermin in mountains of West Scotland. The shorter Scottish Terrier is about at 10-11 inches tall. The coat of a typical Scottie is hard, wiry, weather-resistant and a thick-set, cobby body which is hung between short, heavy legs. Unlike westie, they come in different colors; black, brown and bindle. Another difference is that their noses are larger compared to westie, although sometimes, you’ll come across a Scottie that has a button like nose. The Scottie’s ears and tail are pointy and erect.
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