The West Highland White Terrier, commonly known as Westies, originated in the Argyll region of Scotland. They were developed on the estate of Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm by him and his family. They were originally name the Poltalloch Terrier after the name of the estate. The story goes that the Westie gained its trademark white coat due to a case of mistaken identity. One day, one of the Colonel’s red terrier was shot after being mistaken for a fox. Malcolm decided that this new breed of terrier be white to distinguish it from its prey. Up until this time, all-white terriers were considered undesirable and killed.
This breed famously serves as a mascot for Black & White brand Scotch whiskey and Cesar brand dog food.
