West Highland White Terrier

Of Scottish origin, the West Highland White Terrier is a pretty little dog that is widely used for his endearing personality. Even though the same types of dogs were listed in the 17th century, the official West Highland White Terrier breed is still fairly recent.

It was in the 19th century that Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch created the all-white race as we know it today. During a hunting expedition, the colonel accidentally killed one of his dogs after confusing him with his prey.

The tragedy affected him deeply and he decided to create a breed whose coat would be totally white in order to avoid this kind of accident in the future. The grief over the loss of his dog led him to perfect the all-white coat.

The crossbreeding of Cairn Terrier dogs and Maltese Bichons gave a satisfactory result. The West Highland White Terrier has, at first glance, the lovely little face of the Maltese.

The breed was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1906, and in 1908 the first subjects were registered in the genealogical book. Around 1927, a "Westie" won the Best in show award at the Crufts.

His popularity grew in the 80s, thanks to his presence in television commercials. He is, among others, used by the manufacturers of the whisky brand "Black and White", where the dog appears in their advertisements with a black Scottish Terrier.

He also became the very popular mascot of the "Caesar" dog food brand, where the very cute "Maggie" in the advertisement seems to love the food.

The West Highland White Terrier is the most popular Scottish Terrier in France today, with over 2,500 births a year. Used extensively for hunting in his early days, he is now increasingly appreciated as a companion dog.