West Highland Corgi -- West Highland White Terrier X Welsh Corgi Pembroke

		West Highland Corgi
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Scotland <> Great Britain -> U.S.A.
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

A brief presentation of the West Highland Corgi

West Highland Corgis are loyal, easy-going, playful pets that adapt easily to any environment. They have a solid build despite their small size, and a friendly, alert expression. These dogs are intelligent and relatively easy to train, although they can be stubborn if they don't find an incentive to cooperate. Their medium-length coats are easy to maintain and they are generally in good health. They are social dogs who get along with all humans and are excellent with other dogs. Their adaptability makes them excellent traveling partners, and they'll be happy to accompany you anywhere.

History of the West Highland Corgi

The West Highland Corgi is a recently developed hybrid breed, so little is known about its history. However, based on the friendly, social nature of its parent breeds, there's no doubt that these hardy dogs will make lovable pets.

	A little of the West Highland White Terrier
	The West Highland White Terrier (or Westie) was bred as a working dog in Scotland in the 1700s. Descended from other Terriers, these active little dogs were used to hunt small animals such as otters, foxes and rats. Originally, their coats were of several colors, but after an unfortunate hunting incident in which a prized Westie was mistaken for a fox, the other colors were eliminated, leaving white as the only coat color. Westies were admitted to the American Kennel Club in 1908, and have been a popular breed in the U.S.A. ever since.

	Standard of the West Highland White Terrier


	A little of the Welsh Corgi Pembroke
	The two Welsh Corgis, the Cardigan (or Cardi) and the Pembroke (Pems), are ancient breeds whose heritage goes back 3,000 years. These hardy dogs are descended from the Dachshund, Collie, Pomeranian and Vallhund, and were historically used as herding dogs. In fact, these dogs were so important to Welsh farmers that laws were introduced to punish people who stole or harmed them. Although they make excellent farm dogs, Corgis quickly won the hearts of their owners and have been commonly kept as pets for hundreds of years. Queen Elizabeth II has been an admirer of Corgis from an early age. Corgis were recognized as two distinct breeds by the American Kennel Club in 1935; the most notable differences between the two are coloring (Pems are always red and white) and the fact that Pems have no tail, while Cardinals have a long tail.

	Standard of the Welsh Corgi Pembroke

Appearance of the West Highland Corgi

The West Highland Corgi inherits a medium-length, coarse coat from its parent breeds. It will probably be predominantly white, due to the dominance of white in the Westie lineage, but it may have patches of any color, inherited from its Corgi parents. These spots can be red, black, brindle, sable, merle red, fawn or merle blue. West Highland Corgis are likely to have dark eyes, but on rare occasions may have blue eyes. They have rectangular bodies and short, stocky legs. Their tails are likely to be short and carried high, but they may have none at all. These dogs have deep chests, straight backs and solid constitutions, despite their small size. Their expression is alert and friendly, and their large ears may be pointed or folded forward at the tip. Their teeth meet in a scissor bite.

Temperament of the West Highland Corgi

The West Highland Corgi is a friendly, active and social dog that makes an excellent pet. These dogs make excellent watchdogs, as they will sound the alarm when they sense a disturbance in their environment, but they are not aggressive and will quickly make friends with anyone once they understand there is no threat to them or their family members. West Highland Corgis love their humans and are very social. They may have inherited the herding instinct of their Corgis parents, so they can bite and play rough, especially when they're young. This means they are not necessarily best suited to young children, although they love the energy of youth. The tendency to bite can be corrected by training. These dogs are generally friendly with other dogs, provided they are well socialized from infancy. If their Corgi genes are strong, they may try to herd other animals and this may not be well received, but constant socialization should prevent this from becoming a problem. Westies have a strong hunting streak which can be passed on to the West Highland Corgi, meaning they are not necessarily well suited to homes with cats or other small pets. This is an intelligent dog that will learn quickly. Although he's intelligent, he can be stubborn if he doesn't feel there's something there for him, so make sure you reward him well during training. Corgis tend to overeat and put on weight very easily; for this reason, give your West Highland Corgi the right amount of food for its size and take care not to offer too many treats. West Highland Corgis are active and playful. They need daily walks and lots of attention to keep them happy and calm. They tend to bark when bored. These dogs can develop separation anxiety if left alone for too long, but they're happy, fun companions and you'll never want to leave them behind.

Needs and activities of the West Highland Corgi

West Highland Corgis are active and playful. They need an outlet for their energy and spirit, as they are highly intelligent. Around 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity a day should be enough. Always give your dog plenty of attention outside walks, as they are social dogs who need human attention. Because they are so intelligent, these dogs are excellent at agility and obedience trials, and will probably make excellent partners for ball play. West Highland Corgis are easy-going and adaptable. They can live in any environment, although they may bark when they don't get enough exercise, so keep this in mind if you live in an apartment. They can adapt easily to any climate, although they prefer the cold.

Maintenance of the West Highland Corgi

The West Highland Corgi has a medium to long coat with an undercoat. Westies shed very little, whereas Corgis are known to shed a lot. Weekly brushing should keep your dog's shedding under control. Use an epilator to remove dead hair from the undercoat. Corgis tend to have thicker coats on the chest and hindquarters, so pay particular attention to these areas. If your dog inherits the Westie's long hair around the eyes, ears and mouth, you may need to trim these areas to prevent tangling. Fortunately, the West Highland Corgi's coat tends to shed dirt easily and is not known for having a strong odor, so you can bathe your dog as needed. Be sure to trim your dog's toenails about once a month. To make this easier, introduce the practice when your dog is young, so that he's comfortable with handling his paws. Weekly tooth brushing is highly recommended to prevent tartar build-up and reduce the risk of gum disease.