Facts About West Highland Puppies
There’s no doubt about it, West Highland puppies are adorable, but the same can be said for the fully grown adult. West Highland puppies, often referred to as Westies, will eventually grow to a height of about 10″ and achieve a weight of roughly 18 pounds. They are small dogs, but not quite small enough to be classified as a toy breed.
The West Highland breed is a member of the terrier family. They are short, compact dogs, often described as compact bundles of energy. West Highland puppies are exceptionally quick learners, and the fact that they are highly trainable makes it easy to train out some of the traits you might not want the adult dog to have. For instance, a Westie will chase your cat given the chance, but can be trained at an early age not to do so, and given a few lessons in socializing will get along just fine with cats, other dogs, and small children.
The puppies also need to be taught at an early age not to dig, as they enjoy doing so and will fill your yard with small excavations if given the chance. An option is to fence in a small area where your Westie can dig to its heart’s content. The Westie can make a fine apartment dweller, but only if given the opportunity to go on one or two walks every day. If not given plenty of exercise, these little dogs often become lazy and may begin to suffer from ill health. Given proper care, West Highland puppies will mature into adults who can have a life span of 15 years or more.
West Highland puppies can tolerate a certain amount of rough play, and for that matter seem to thrive on it, which can make them better companions for small children than many small or toy dogs tend to be. These dogs thrive on attention and love to play. As far as dog breeds go, they excel at problem solving, which means if they are left alone or get bored, they will start looking for a problem to solve.
Cute Little Rat Killers – While West Highland puppies are cuddly little balls of fluff, the adults are adventurous hunters, eagerly embarking on search and destroy missions, killing rats or other vermin if given the chance.
The West Highland terrier is an American Kennel Club recognized breed, first being registered in 1908. The breed itself originates from Scotland, and is believed to have been in existence for at least 300 years. The healthiest West Highland puppies are usually those that have been bred by professional breeders or serious hobby breeders. Before purchasing a puppy of any breed, it’s therefore usually a good idea to seek out a professional breeder or seek the advice of someone knowledgeable about the breed and breeders, preferably someone who has raised and trained a Westie from the time it was a small pup.
Might Want To Wait A Bit – As adorable as the puppies are, someone not familiar with raising terriers may find raising one of these puppies rather challenging, though still rewarding. Some find it much easier to get a Westie that is in the process of growing out of puppy hood, one that has been given some rudimentary training by the breeder. Many breeders are willing to sell puppies on this basis although the price may end up being a bit higher. Either way, the West Highland terrier is a wonderful and increasingly popular breed, a breed that will fit comfortably in a large home, a small home, in a large family, or with a single person.
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