Description: The White Highland West Terrier is a sturdy little dog. The head is in good proportion to the body, and when viewed from the front it gives a rather round appearance. This breed has a muzzle that tapers towards the nose. The teeth are scissor bite. The White Highland West Terrier has deep, brown, almond-shaped eyes that are set quite far apart. The ears are set wide apart on top of the head and erect, triangular in shape. The legs are short, but not too close to the ground. In countries that allow mating, the tail is docked, if not, the tail remains short at about five to 6 inches, it is a thick tail that tapers to a point. The White Highland West Terrier coat is a double coat that is straight and about 2 inches long, with a soft, dense undercoat. The color of the West Highland White Terrier should always be a solid white. The height of the dog is 10 to 12 inches and the bitches are 9 to 11 inches. Dog weight is 15-22 pounds with female dogs 13-16 pounds. This breed has a good life expectancy of 15 or more years.
History: The White Highland West Terrier comes from Scotland, from a place called Poltalloch and its original name was Poltalloch Terrier. This breed came about in the 19th century, when a Cairn Terrier breeder named Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm had some white puppies in his litter, he decided to select the white puppies and use them to breed more white cairns. This was said to be due to a sad accident that happened to his red terrier being shot by mistake as it was thought to have been a fox. This became popular as people searched for the white puppies. The White Highland West Terrier dog was first shown in the US in 1906 and was quickly recognized by the AKC in 1908. The breed name changed to the West Highland White Terrier in 1909. This dog was originally bred as a working dog to control the population of rats that plague farms and buildings. The White Highland West Terrier has been known to take on foxes, otters, and even the largest badger.
