Breed
West Highland White Terrier
AKC Grouping
Terrier GroupTemperament
- loyal
- happy
- entertaining
Demeanor
friendlyChoosing the Best Dog Food for an Overweight West Highland White Terrier
With their energy and boisterous lifestyle, it’s not uncommon for one to think they don’t need to worry about their West Highland White Terrier being overweight. Because the West Highland White Terrier has such high energy, they usually require about one hour per day of exercise. Three-hundred years ago in Scotland exercise came easy for the West Highland White Terrier. In fact, originating in the British Isles, the West Highland White Terrier was neither a rich man's dog nor a poor man's dog but instead was a popular breed for both economic and social classes. The West Highland White Terrier was primarily used as a prey or work game dog. Beginning in the late 1500s, families on the island of Skye bred both sandy colored as well as white terriers. It is thought that in the 16th Laird of Poltalloch a man by the name of Edward Donald Malcolm used the terrier as prey dogs for hunting mice and rats. The West Highland White Terrier also referred to as Scottish White Terrier originally were more reddish brown than white in color. The West Highland White Terrier was also called an earthdog because they would chase anything that moved.
The History of West Highland White Terriers and Obesity
However, due to an accident where one of the earthdog terriers on the farm chasing mice was mistaken for a red fox and shot the color was bred to be white so as to not to resemble a fox. This new breed of terrier became known as the “Poltalloch Terrier”. However, in 1903, Malcolm insisted that the name changed from Poltalloch Terrier to the more modern term of West Highland White Terrier. Due to their high energy regular exercise, is key to maintaining the West Highland White Terriers ideal body weight. Since the West Highland White Terrier is a work prey terrier and staying fit is necessary. While it might be easy to maintain the weight on a work game dog; it is not that easy to maintain the weight on a show dog. In 1908 the West Highland White Terrier became a popular breed for dog shows and was registered by the American Kennel Club. Originally called the Roseneath Terrier, in May of 1909, the West Highland White Terrier got its more modern title one year after being registered with the AKC. Despite their small stature and active lifestyle, the West Highland White Terrier still needs to be monitored to be sure that it is getting proper nutrients so that it does not lead to issues in obesity.
Get Your West Highland White Terrier the Right Food
Energy
active
Grooming
daily brushing
Training
willing to follow
Shedding
seasonallyOverweight/Obese West Highland White Terriers in Modern Times
Due to their alert, intelligent and happy dispositions, West Highland White Terriers have been no stranger to the spotlight, either. Besides being a popular breed for branding and advertisements, the West Highland White Terrier also had some spots as a celebrity in movies and television. Due to the West Highland White Terrier being the third most popular breed in the UK the breed got a role in the UK movie The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Scotty dog if it West Highland White Terrier didn’t also get a spot in the BBC Scotland made television series Hamish Macbeth. Despite their happy and energetic demeanor, the West Highland White Terrier is extremely independent and self-reliant. These characteristics make training a challenge. However, the West Highland White Terrier does not need to be pampered therefore they make for a perfect dog for a busy person’s lifestyle. Famous celebrities such as nineties teenage heartthrob Jonathan Brandis and even political leaders such as Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah have shared their life with a West Highland White Terrier. We can only speculate that the celebrity owed West Highland White Terrier would have received the only best in dog food. If obesity issues would have come up, their celebrity owners would have been sure to give their West Highland White Terriers the very best care in providing nutrient rich and well-balanced dog food.
The Best Dog Food for an Overweight West Highland White Terrier
Despite their seemingly hardy and active lifestyle, a West Highland White Terrier’s diet demands extra care. Due to their inherently small statue, as well as their genetic predisposition toward health conditions such as atopic dermatitis, “lion jaw”, and abdominal hernias, a diet rich in protein and low in fat is ideal. Obesity issues are not good for any breed especially smaller breeds such as the West Highland White Terrier. Proper care in the type of dog food you provide is vital for their health and longevity. As a whole, many dogs have a difficult time digesting fat. This lack of digestible fats can lead to your dog being overweight. The quality of your dog’s food ingredients is key to ensuring that your dog gets the proper nutrients to be strong and healthy and not overweight. Therefore, picking the right dog food for a West Highland White Terrier is vital to guarantee that your dog does not have weight issues.
Get Your West Highland White Terrier the Right FoodChoose Spot & Tango for Overweight West Highland White Terrier Dog Food
After consulting your veterinarian about possible causes for your West Highland White Terrier’s overweight issues, the next vital step to ensure that when purchasing dog food that it is USDA approved as well as veterinarian and pet nutritionist approved. At Spot and Tango, we don’t play games when it comes to your dog's food because we are dedicated to providing only the highest quality dog food. When it comes to your overweight West Highland White Terrier, we have created a suggested meal plan based on the specific needs of your particular dog breed. Our veterinarians and nutritionist have advanced recipes that are prepared in our USDA-approved kitchen in New York. We only buy the best in locally-sourced human grade food which we use for small batch cooking. Our food is fresh and made to order which helps retain more nutrients, and we ship directly to your door in ready-to-serve portions in a matter of days. Spot & Tango is committed to making sure that our dog food is the right fit to ensure that your West Highland White Terrier is active, happy and most importantly, healthy. With our risk-free two-week trial you can easily determine if Spot & Tango is a good fit for your dog’s needs. West Highland White Terriers have given us joy for decades. It is our turn to make sure they receive the very best nutrition possible.