West Highland White Terrier , livre ebook

The
West Highland White Terrier

Howell Book House

Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Copyright © 1996 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., New York, NY
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., New York, NY All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4744. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, E-Mail: permcoordinator@wiley.com . Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo and Howell Book House are trademarks or registered trademarks of Wiley Publishing, Inc., in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Weiss, Seymour N. The West Highland white terrier : an owner’s guide to happy, healthy pet / Seymour Weiss. p. cm.
ISBN 0-87605-494-7
1. West Highland white terriers. I. Title. SF429.W4W47 1996 636.7’55-dc20 96-20461 CIP
Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5
Series Director: Dominique DeVito Series Assistant Director: Ariel Cannon Book Design: Michele Laseau Cover Design: Iris Jeromnimon Illustration: Casey Price and Jeff Yesh Photography: Front cover photos: Adult, Faith Uridel; Puppy, Paulette Braun/Pets by Paulette Back cover photo: Judith Strom
Cheryl Primeau: 62
Joan Balzarini: 96
Mary Bloom: 2-3, 5, 10, 54, 57, 60, 96, 136, 145
Paulette Braun/Pets by Paulette: 12, 19, 32-33, 34, 41, 52, 56, 67, 96
Buckinghamhill American Cocker Spaniels: 148
Sian Cox: 43, 134
Judith Strom: 13, 20, 24, 35, 38, 40, 50, 65, 73, 96, 107, 110, 128, 130, 135, 137, 139, 140, 144, 149, 150
Faith Uridel: 8, 45
Jean Wentworth: 7, 22, 23, 39, 90
Dr. Ian Dunbar: 98, 101, 103, 111, 116-117, 122, 123, 127
Dan Lyons: 96
Cathy Merrithew: 129
Liz Palika: 133
Susan Rezy: 96-97
Production Team: Kathleen Caulfield, Vic Peterson, and John Carroll
Contents

part one
Welcome to the World of the West Highland White Terrier
1 What Is a West Highland White Terrier?
2 The West Highland White Terrier’s Ancestry
3 The World According to the West Highland White Terrier

part two
Living with a West Highland White Terrier
4 Bringing Your West Highland White Terrier Home
5 Feeding Your West Highland White Terrier
6 Grooming Your West Highland White Terrier
7 Keeping Your West Highland White Terrier Healthy

part three
Enjoying Your Dog
8 Basic Training by Ian Dunbar, Ph.D., MRCVS
9 Getting Active with Your Dog by Bardi McLennan
10 Your Dog and Your Family by Bardi McLennan
11 Your Dog and Your Community by Bardi McLennan

part four
Beyond the Basics
12 Recommended Reading
13 Resources
part one
External Features of the West Highland White Terrier
chapter 1
What Is a West Highland White Terrier?

The West Highland White Terrier is one of a group of small, active dogs originally developed to pursue and eliminate small animals that could make life uncomfortable around the homes and farmsteads of Scottish country folk. The breed’s purpose in life made it essential for him to be sturdy and courageous, and to be equal to both a harsh environment and the fierce adversaries he was meant to exterminate.
The legacy of those early dogs is still present in the West Highland White today, and while we usually do not call upon our dogs to perform the breed’s traditional work, we treasure the combination of physical and temperamental attributes that make this personable companion such a delight to those who know him best.
To fully understand and appreciate just what a Westie is, it is necessary to understand something of the breed’s original function and how his conformation and temperament relate to what he was bred to do.
The Standard for the Westie
When the West Highland White became known to the world beyond heather and mist, his supporters wrote a word picture of the ideal specimen and used it as a guide for breeders and judges. Ultimately this word picture evolved into what fanciers call the standard of the breed. Every American Kennel Club (ARC) recognized breed has a standard. This standard describes in detail not only the breed’s physical features but its temperament as well.

WHAT IS A BREED STANDARD?
A breed standard-a detailed description of an individual breed-is meant to portray the ideal specimen of that breed. This includes ideal structure, temperament, gait, type-all aspects of the dog. Because the standard describes an ideal specimen, it isn’t based on any particular dog. It is a concept against which judges compare actual dogs and breeders strive to produce dogs. At a dog show, the dog that wins is the one that comes closest, in the judge’s opinion, to the standard for its breed. Breed standards are written by the breed parent clubs, the national organizations formed to oversee the well-being of the breed. They are voted on and approved by the members of the parent clubs.
The standard for the West Highland White Terrier, in one version or another, has been used around the world for close to a century to define and describe the breed for all who love and care about the Westie. In the following discussion of the standard, the official standard appears in italics and the author’s comments follow in regular type. For a copy of the complete standard, contact the West Highland White Terrier Club of America (see page 31 for the address).
G ENERAL A PPEARANCE
The West Highland White Terrier is a small, game, well-balanced, hardy looking terrier, exhibiting good showmanship, possessed with no small amount of self-esteem.
This section describes an attractive, no-nonsense working terrier. He must be of a size to “go to ground”-that is, small enough to fit into the dens and burrows of the animals he was meant to pursue.
He must also be “game”-brimming with courage and confidence, essential in a dog who was meant to tackle tough, determined prey. I have always liked the phrase “possessed with no small amount of self-esteem,” for I believe this is the best thumbnail description of this little dog who casts a long shadow.

The Westie is an eager, confident terrier “possessed with no small amount of self-esteem. ”
Along with small size and gameness, the Westie should give the appearance of hardiness. He’s a tough nut. Cold doesn’t stop him, wet doesn’t stop him, and obstacles don’t stop him. Today’s Westie is usually not called upon to work, but he should have the build and the heart to fill the breed’s time-honored function. He exhibits in marked degree a combination of strength and activity.
S IZE, P ROPORTION AND S UBSTANCE
The ideal size is between eleven inches at the withers for dogs and ten for bitches. The Westie is a compact dog, with good balance and substance. Short-coupled and well boned.
The Westie is a small dog who should be substantial enough to perform the breed’s work with relative ease.
The breed standard is silent on the matter of weight, but specifies an ideal height of eleven inches for males (dogs) and ten inches for females (bitches), with a slight deviation being acceptable. The height is measured at the top of the shoulders (withers). A Westie should be short-coupled, which means that the body should be compact, with no obvious length. The Westie should also have sturdy bones so that you immediately get an impression of exceptional strength for a dog of this size.
H EAD
Shaped to present a round appearance from the front. Should be in proportion to the body. Expression - Piercing, inquisitive, pert.
The first thing most people will notice on a Westie is the head. Although the standard calls for a rounded appearance, this is achieved more through trimming than conformation. The head should also be in pleasing proportion to the body, neither too small nor “pinheaded,” nor too large and overdone. The expression is a combination of self-confidence and impish good humor.

A Westie’s head is trimmed to give it a rounded shape.
Eyes
Widely set apart, medium in size, almond shaped, dark brown in color, deep set, sharp and intelligent.
There should be considerable