{"id":1275,"date":"2026-01-28T11:48:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/some-interesting-facts-about-westies\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T12:11:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:11:25","slug":"some-interesting-facts-about-westies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/some-interesting-facts-about-westies\/","title":{"rendered":"Some interesting facts about westies"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”1273″ img_size=”medium” css=”” parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_inline=”no”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text css=”” woodmart_inline=”no” text_larger=”no”]West Highland White Terriers are concentrations of personality in a snowy white coat.
\nDon’t let the “couch dog” look fool you-they are little athletes with a fascinating history.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the most interesting facts about them:
\n1. The secret of the color white<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did you know that their iconic white color originated for safety reasons? Legend has it that Colonel Edward Malcolm of Poltalloch, during a hunting trip in the 19th century, accidentally mistook his reddish terrier for a fox. After that tragic incident, he decided to breed only white specimens so that they would be easily distinguishable among the Scottish moors and rocks. <\/p>\n

2. A tail… rescue-proof<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Westie’s tail is short, straight, and incredibly strong. It is not just for aesthetics: historically, it was used by hunters to pull the dog out of prey burrows (such as foxes or badgers) in case it got stuck underground. <\/p>\n

3. “The Big Five” of Scotland<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Westie is one of five terriers native to the Scottish Highlands. Its close “cousins” are: <\/p>\n

Cairn Terrier<\/p>\n

Skye Terrier<\/p>\n

Scottish Terrier<\/p>\n

Dandie Dinmont Terrier<\/p>\n

4. Personality “Westitude”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Enthusiasts of the breed often use the term “Westitude” to describe their mix of self-confidence, independence and a hint of stubbornness. They do not consider themselves small dogs at all; in their brains, they are as big as any dog they encounter-even a Great Dane! <\/p>\n

5. TV and Marketing Stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Westie is a beloved face (and muzzle) for brands. He has been the historic face of the Black & White whiskey brand (along with a black Scottish Terrier) and of Cesar dog food. Westies are real camera magnets: their expressive snouts and contrasting white fur make them perfect for the big screen.
\nThe most famous movies or series in which they appear
\nWidows – Criminal Legacy (2018)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is perhaps the most iconic and recent role. The protagonist (Viola Davis) carries her Westie, named Olivia, with her in almost every scene, even the most tension-filled ones. The dog became a web star upon the film’s release because of her ability to remain impassive during moments of action. <\/p>\n

Game Night – Guess who dies tonight? (2018)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this action comedy, a Westie stars in one of the funniest (and somewhat gory, but in a comic way) scenes: it accidentally ends up stained with blood during a firefight and the protagonists clumsily try to clean it up.<\/p>\n

The Griffins (Family Guy)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although not a live-action film, one cannot fail to mention Brian Griffin. Although he is stylized in the cartoon, creator Seth MacFarlane has confirmed that Brian is inspired by a Westie (albeit a much taller and definitely more cynical than the real thing!). <\/p>\n

Grey’s Anatomy (TV Series)<\/strong><\/p>\n

For several seasons, Meredith and Derek had a Westie named Doc. Although his story brought millions of fans to tears, it perfectly showed the sweet and stubborn side of the breed. <\/p>\n

The Adventures of Tintin<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here there is a little debate among fanciers: Milu (Snowy), Tintin’s faithful companion, is officially a white Wire Fox Terrier. However, he is so similar to a Westie that for decades the breed has enjoyed incredible popularity precisely because of this resemblance. <\/p>\n

Bobby the Edinburgh Puppy<\/strong>
\n(The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby, 2005)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This film tells Scotland’s most famous (true) story: that of Bobby, a dog who stood by his master’s grave for 14 years. Although the “real” Bobby was a Skye Terrier, in the 2005 film version a West Highland White Terrier was actually chosen as the main character. <\/p>\n

Asterix and Obelix (Live Action)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The breed of Idefix, Obelix’s little dog, is often discussed. Although in the comics he is a fictional half-breed, in the various live-action films (such as Asterix & Obelix vs. Caesar) the role has often been given to expertly trained Westies, as they perfectly embody the character’s lively, milky-white coloring. <\/p>\n

Hamish Macbeth (TV Series)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this detective series set in Scotland, the protagonist (played by Robert Carlyle) has a faithful companion named Wee Jock, a Westie who accompanies him on all his investigations among the breathtaking landscapes of the Highlands.<\/p>\n

Some quick tips if you want one:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Born hunters<\/em>: They have a strong predatory instinct. If they see a cat or squirrel, they forget any “stay” command. <\/p>\n

Coat maintenance<\/em>: Their coat is “rough” to protect them from the Scottish climate. It requires regular brushing and, ideally, the stripping technique to maintain the correct texture. <\/p>\n

Loud voices<\/em>: They are excellent alert dogs–in the sense that they will alert you to every single strange movement they sense!<\/p>\n

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[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”1273″ img_size=”medium” css=”” parallax_scroll=”no” woodmart_inline=”no”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text css=”” woodmart_inline=”no” text_larger=”no”]West Highland White Terriers are concentrations of personality in a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"%%post_title%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"Dog shows: some news to know and why it is important for a breeder to attend","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-curiosities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1275"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1278,"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275\/revisions\/1278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zackshine.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}