General Information
The West Highland White Terrier, commonly known as the Westie, is a Scottish breed of dog
with a distinctive white coat. The modern breed is descended from a
number of breeding programes of white terriers in Scotland prior to the
20th century. Edward Donald Malcolm, 16th Laird of Poltalloch, is
credited with the creation of the modern breed from his Poltalloch Terrier, but did not want to be known as such. Other related breeds included George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll's Roseneath Terrier and Dr. Americ Edwin Flaxman's Pittenweem Terriers.
The breeds of small white scottish terriers were given its modern name
for the first time in 1908, with recognition by major kennel clubs
occurring around the same time.
The breed is a small terrier, although with longer legs than other
scottish breeds of terrier. It has a white double coat of fur which
fills out the dog's face giving it a rounded appearance. The breed can
be good with children, but will not tolerate rough handling. The Westie
is an active breed, but are social with a high prey drive. Several breed
specific and non-specific health issues appear in the breed including a
condition in young dogs nicknamed "westie jaw"
which causes an overgrowth of bone in the jaw of the dog. It is also
prone to skin disorders, with a breed specific condition called
Hyperplastic Dermatosis occurring.
Scottish white terriers were recorded as early as during the reign of James I of England (VI of Scotland), who reigned between 1567 and 1625. The king ordered that a dozen terriers be procured from Argyll to be presented to the Kingdom of France as a gift. Sandy and brindle coloured dogs were seen as hardier than those of other colours, and white dogs were seen as being weak. At various times during the breed's existence, it has been considered a white offshoot of both the Scottish Terrier and the Cairn Terrier breeds.The person most closely associated with developing the modern breed of
West Highland White Terrier is Edward Donald Malcolm, 16th Laird of
Poltalloch. Malcolm owned terriers used to work game, the story told is
that a reddish-brown terrier was mistaken for a fox and shot. Following this Malcolm decided to develop a white terrier breed, which became known as the "Poltalloch Terrier".
Commonly, Westies have bright, deep-set, almond-shaped eyes that are dark in colour. Its ears are small, pointed, and erect.
Members of the breed typically weigh between 15 and 20 pounds (6.8 and
9.1 kg), and the average height is between 10–11 inches (25–28 cm) at
the withers. The body should be shorter than the height of the dog at the shoulder; its legs are typically longer than those of other Scottish terrier breeds.
It also has a deep chest, muscular limbs, a black nose, a short and a
closely fitted jaw with "scissors" bite (lower canines locked in front
of upper canines, upper incisors locked over lower incisors).
The Westie's paws are slightly turned out in order to give it better
grip than flat footed breeds when it climbs on rocky surfaces. In young puppies, the nose and footpads have pink markings, which slowly turn black as it ages.
It has a soft, dense, thick undercoat and a rough outer coat, which can grow to about 2 inches (5.1 cm) long. The fur fills out the face to give a rounded appearance.
As it develops into adults, its coarse outer coat is normally removed
by either 'hand-stripping', especially for dog-showing, or otherwise
clipping.
US owner surveys put the average lifespan of a Westie at 12 to 16 years, and some beyond that.
Westie puppies may be affected by Craniomandibular osteopathy, a disease also known "lion jaw", and is sometimes also referred to as "westie jaw". It typically appears in dogs under a year old, and can cause problems for the dog to chew or swallow food. Radiographic testing can be conducted to diagnose the condition, in which the bones around the jaw thicken; additionally the blood may show increased calcium levels and enzyme levels. The condition often stops progressing by the time the dog is a year old, and in some cases can recede. It is normally treated with anti-inflammatory medications, and the feeding of soft foods. In some cases, tube feeding may be necessary. However, if the animal still cannot eat and is in uncontrolled pain, then euthanasia may be the only medical option remaining.
The breed is prone to skin disorders.
There is a breed-specific skin condition that may affect West Highland
White Terriers affecting both juveniles and adults dogs. This condition
is called Hyperplastic Dermatosis. Affected dogs can suffer from red hyperpigmentation, lichenification and hair loss. In the initial stages, this condition can be misdiagnosed as allergies or less serious forms of dermatitis.
An inherited genetic problem that exists in the breed is globoid cell leukodystrophy. It is not breed specific, and can appear in Cairn Terriers and other breeds including Beagles and Pomeranians. It is a neurological disease where the dog lacks an enzyme called galactosylceramidase. The symptoms are noticeable as the puppy develops, and can be identified by the age of 30 weeks. Affected dogs will have tremors, weakness in its muscles and difficulties in walking. Symptoms will slowly increase until limb paralysis begins to occur. Due to it being a hereditary condition, it is recommended for owners to avoid breeding affected animals in order to eliminate it from the breed.Another genetic condition that affects the breed is "White dog shaker syndrome". As this condition is most commonly found in Westies and in Maltese, the condition was originally thought to be connected to the genes for white coats The condition typically develops over one to three days resulting
in tremors of the head and limbs, ataxia and hypermetria.
The West Highland White Terrier, commonly known as the Westie, is a Scottish breed of dog
with a distinctive white coat. The modern breed is descended from a
number of breeding programes of white terriers in Scotland prior to the
20th century. Edward Donald Malcolm, 16th Laird of Poltalloch, is
credited with the creation of the modern breed from his Poltalloch Terrier, but did not want to be known as such. Other related breeds included George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll's Roseneath Terrier and Dr. Americ Edwin Flaxman's Pittenweem Terriers.
The breeds of small white scottish terriers were given its modern name
for the first time in 1908, with recognition by major kennel clubs
occurring around the same time. The breed is a small terrier, although with longer legs than other
scottish breeds of terrier. It has a white double coat of fur which
fills out the dog's face giving it a rounded appearance. The breed can
be good with children, but will not tolerate rough handling. The Westie
is an active breed, but are social with a high prey drive. Several breed
specific and non-specific health issues appear in the breed including a
condition in young dogs nicknamed "westie jaw"
which causes an overgrowth of bone in the jaw of the dog. It is also
prone to skin disorders, with a breed specific condition called
Hyperplastic Dermatosis occurring.
History
Scottish white terriers were recorded as early as during the reign of James I of England (VI of Scotland), who reigned between 1567 and 1625. The king ordered that a dozen terriers be procured from Argyll to be presented to the Kingdom of France as a gift. Sandy and brindle coloured dogs were seen as hardier than those of other colours, and white dogs were seen as being weak. At various times during the breed's existence, it has been considered a white offshoot of both the Scottish Terrier and the Cairn Terrier breeds.The person most closely associated with developing the modern breed of
West Highland White Terrier is Edward Donald Malcolm, 16th Laird of
Poltalloch. Malcolm owned terriers used to work game, the story told is
that a reddish-brown terrier was mistaken for a fox and shot. Following this Malcolm decided to develop a white terrier breed, which became known as the "Poltalloch Terrier".
Appearance
Commonly, Westies have bright, deep-set, almond-shaped eyes that are dark in colour. Its ears are small, pointed, and erect.
Members of the breed typically weigh between 15 and 20 pounds (6.8 and
9.1 kg), and the average height is between 10–11 inches (25–28 cm) at
the withers. The body should be shorter than the height of the dog at the shoulder; its legs are typically longer than those of other Scottish terrier breeds.It also has a deep chest, muscular limbs, a black nose, a short and a
closely fitted jaw with "scissors" bite (lower canines locked in front
of upper canines, upper incisors locked over lower incisors).
The Westie's paws are slightly turned out in order to give it better
grip than flat footed breeds when it climbs on rocky surfaces. In young puppies, the nose and footpads have pink markings, which slowly turn black as it ages.
Temperament
The temperament of the West Highland White Terrier can vary greatly,
with some being friendly towards children whilst others prefer solitude. It will not tolerate rough handling such as a child pulling on its ears, and can be both food and toy possessive.Members of the breed are normally independent, assured and self
confident and can make good watchdogs. It is a loyal breed that bonds
with its owners, but is often always on the move requiring a fair deal
of exercise. Westies are highly social and are the most friendly and
jolly of all the Scottish breeds of terrier.It is a hardy breed, and can be stubborn leading to issues with
training. A Westie may need to have his training refreshed on occasion
during its lifetime. Having a typical terrier prey drive, it tends to be
highly interested in toys especially chasing balls. It does retain the instincts of an earth-dog, including inquisitive and investigative traits, as well as natural instincts to both bark and dig holes.
Health
The temperament of the West Highland White Terrier can vary greatly,
with some being friendly towards children whilst others prefer solitude. It will not tolerate rough handling such as a child pulling on its ears, and can be both food and toy possessive.Members of the breed are normally independent, assured and self
confident and can make good watchdogs. It is a loyal breed that bonds
with its owners, but is often always on the move requiring a fair deal
of exercise. Westies are highly social and are the most friendly and
jolly of all the Scottish breeds of terrier.It is a hardy breed, and can be stubborn leading to issues with
training. A Westie may need to have his training refreshed on occasion
during its lifetime. Having a typical terrier prey drive, it tends to be
highly interested in toys especially chasing balls. It does retain the instincts of an earth-dog, including inquisitive and investigative traits, as well as natural instincts to both bark and dig holes.Health
US owner surveys put the average lifespan of a Westie at 12 to 16 years, and some beyond that.Westie puppies may be affected by Craniomandibular osteopathy, a disease also known "lion jaw", and is sometimes also referred to as "westie jaw". It typically appears in dogs under a year old, and can cause problems for the dog to chew or swallow food. Radiographic testing can be conducted to diagnose the condition, in which the bones around the jaw thicken; additionally the blood may show increased calcium levels and enzyme levels. The condition often stops progressing by the time the dog is a year old, and in some cases can recede. It is normally treated with anti-inflammatory medications, and the feeding of soft foods. In some cases, tube feeding may be necessary. However, if the animal still cannot eat and is in uncontrolled pain, then euthanasia may be the only medical option remaining.
The breed is prone to skin disorders.
There is a breed-specific skin condition that may affect West Highland
White Terriers affecting both juveniles and adults dogs. This condition
is called Hyperplastic Dermatosis. Affected dogs can suffer from red hyperpigmentation, lichenification and hair loss. In the initial stages, this condition can be misdiagnosed as allergies or less serious forms of dermatitis.An inherited genetic problem that exists in the breed is globoid cell leukodystrophy. It is not breed specific, and can appear in Cairn Terriers and other breeds including Beagles and Pomeranians. It is a neurological disease where the dog lacks an enzyme called galactosylceramidase. The symptoms are noticeable as the puppy develops, and can be identified by the age of 30 weeks. Affected dogs will have tremors, weakness in its muscles and difficulties in walking. Symptoms will slowly increase until limb paralysis begins to occur. Due to it being a hereditary condition, it is recommended for owners to avoid breeding affected animals in order to eliminate it from the breed.Another genetic condition that affects the breed is "White dog shaker syndrome". As this condition is most commonly found in Westies and in Maltese, the condition was originally thought to be connected to the genes for white coats The condition typically develops over one to three days resulting
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου