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yorkiegirl2 · 04-02-2011, 06:53 PM

History of the West Highland White Terrier Club
West Highland White Terrier Club

Some may feel that the original name chosen at that meeting in Glasgow was more appropriate to the origins of the breed. Small working terriers had been used for centuries throughout the West Highlands to hunt fox, otter and badger. They were rough-coated and a variety of colours - red, grey, sandy, wheaten and, even a dirty white.

It is said that any white whelps tended to be discarded for, as in many breeds, white was considered wrong, weak, undesirable and even unlucky. However the Malcolm family, Duke of Argyle and others favoured the white terriers and promoted them.

Colonel Malcolm did not claim these white terriers as a breed “manufactured” at Poltalloch, but rather as an old breed having been seen in Ross-shire, Skye and many parts of Argyle for many years.

History West Highland White Terriers were bred to hunt otters, foxes and vermin. They share their ancestry with the Scottie, Cairn and Dandie Dinmont terriers. From the rough-coated terrier stock in Scotland, white whelps were selected to form this breed. Records show that James 1, King of England in the 1620's requested some 'little white earth dogges' out of Argyleshire in Scotland and these were possibly Westies! Col Malcolm of Poltalloch, Argyleshire, accidentally shot and killed his favourite terrier (a dark coloured one) and vowed from then on only to have white dogs. He may have been the originator of the Highland Terrier but at that time they were called Poltalloch Terriers. The Duke of Argyll's estate at Dumbartonshire was called Roseneath and in the 19th century, Westies were known as Roseneath Terriers in honour of his patronage and interest. In the first organised dog shows in the late 1800's they were known as White Scottish Terrier until 1904 when they were classified under the name of West Highland White Terrier.

04-02-2011, 06:53 PM	#16
yorkiegirl2 YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 2,394	History of the West Highland White Terrier Club West Highland White Terrier Club Some may feel that the original name chosen at that meeting in Glasgow was more appropriate to the origins of the breed. Small working terriers had been used for centuries throughout the West Highlands to hunt fox, otter and badger. They were rough-coated and a variety of colours - red, grey, sandy, wheaten and, even a dirty white. It is said that any white whelps tended to be discarded for, as in many breeds, white was considered wrong, weak, undesirable and even unlucky. However the Malcolm family, Duke of Argyle and others favoured the white terriers and promoted them. Colonel Malcolm did not claim these white terriers as a breed “manufactured” at Poltalloch, but rather as an old breed having been seen in Ross-shire, Skye and many parts of Argyle for many years. History West Highland White Terriers were bred to hunt otters, foxes and vermin. They share their ancestry with the Scottie, Cairn and Dandie Dinmont terriers. From the rough-coated terrier stock in Scotland, white whelps were selected to form this breed. Records show that James 1, King of England in the 1620's requested some 'little white earth dogges' out of Argyleshire in Scotland and these were possibly Westies! Col Malcolm of Poltalloch, Argyleshire, accidentally shot and killed his favourite terrier (a dark coloured one) and vowed from then on only to have white dogs. He may have been the originator of the Highland Terrier but at that time they were called Poltalloch Terriers. The Duke of Argyll's estate at Dumbartonshire was called Roseneath and in the 19th century, Westies were known as Roseneath Terriers in honour of his patronage and interest. In the first organised dog shows in the late 1800's they were known as White Scottish Terrier until 1904 when they were classified under the name of West Highland White Terrier.