We will be in touch soon to confirm.
Breed guide · Dogs
She digs up the pots on the balcony. I've planted her one of her own.
Last updated 14 October 2026
We will be in touch soon to confirm.
What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
The door, the lift, the delivery driver, and the bird on the railing.
What's going onA Westie underground barked so the hunt could hear where to dig, and the voice was kept on purpose. Let them bark twice, thank them, and call them away. Shouting back sounds like joining in.
At home
Licking the paws, rubbing the face along the sofa, scratching at night.
What's going onItchy allergic skin is the first risk on their health record. On white fur the licked patches turn a reddish brown, which makes it easy to spot early. It is their skin asking for help, not a habit, so tell your vet.
At home
Holes in the garden, the pots on the balcony, their own bed before they lie down.
What's going onDigging was half the job, going through soil and roots towards a fox. Give them one place where digging is allowed, and bury something there for them to find.
At home
Fixed on the cats in the car park and the geckos on the wall.
What's going onThey were bred to go after small animals, and training will not take that away. Keep them on a lead near cats, and give them a chase toy at home every day.
At home
Squaring up to dogs three times their size.
What's going onThey were bred to face a fox and stay, and they do not judge size. Keep greetings with strange dogs short, and let them have a few calm friends.
At home
A puppy who goes off their food and toys, or cries when they yawn.
What's going onA painful jaw condition is on their health record from puppy to young adult. Drooling, crying on a yawn or not wanting to open the mouth is not fussiness. Contact your vet the same day.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their ground
Built for: Cold, wet rock, after a fox.
In Dubai: Dry, air-conditioned rooms and dust.
Their voice
Built for: Barking until someone dug down to them.
In Dubai: Cats and birds to shout at through the window.
Their skin
Built for: Highland weather.
In Dubai: Dry air and dust, which are hard on it.
The barking, the digging and the bossiness mostly come from that gap.
You cannot give them the Highlands. You can give them a job, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the risks on a Westie's record at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
Barking was part of the job, and shouting sounds like joining in.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
Barking was part of the job, and shouting sounds like joining in.
What to do
Let them bark twice, say thank you in a calm voice, call them to you and reward them. Close the curtains on the window they bark at most. New barking, or barking at nothing, in an older Westie is worth telling your vet about.
They do not judge size, and they do not always walk away.
Every age, most of all before 16 weeks and 6 months to 2 years
Why
They do not judge size, and they do not always walk away.
What to do
Three seconds, then walk on. Skip the busy dog park, and meet the same calm dogs often. If two dogs at home start to fall out, contact your vet.
They learn fast when it is worth their while.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They learn fast when it is worth their while.
What to do
A few minutes at a time, two or three times a day, paid with part of their daily food. Stop while they are keen. Teach them that coming back, dropping things and being quiet all earn something.
Their double coat was made for Highland weather, and mats trap heat against itchy skin.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
Their double coat was made for Highland weather, and mats trap heat against itchy skin.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark. Back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds: if you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Brush them several times a week, keep the coat free of mats, and ask your vet before changing their shampoo.
Itchy allergic skin is their first health risk, and a white coat shows it early.
Every age
Why
Itchy allergic skin is their first health risk, and a white coat shows it early.
What to do
Part the coat and look at the skin. Check between their toes, under their arms and in their ears. Look for reddish staining where they lick. Weigh them once a month.
They will dig either way.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They will dig either way.
What to do
Set up a sandpit or a tub of play sand. Bury a toy or part of their food while they watch, and let them dig it out. Rinse their paws after, because sand and dust can irritate their skin.
Once they see a cat, they stop hearing you.
Every age, for life
Why
Once they see a cat, they stop hearing you.
What to do
Keep them on a lead wherever there are cats and birds. Practise recall on a long line in a quiet, fenced place.
The chase has to go somewhere.
Every age, gentler while growing and from 7 years
Why
The chase has to go somewhere.
What to do
A flirt pole (a toy on a rope at the end of a stick) or a tug toy. Let them catch it, shake it and win sometimes. Teach drop with a treat swap.
Dental disease is on their health record from puppyhood onwards.
Every age, starting the day they come home
Why
Dental disease is on their health record from puppyhood onwards.
What to do
Brush once a day with a small, soft brush and dog toothpaste. Look at their gums once a week for redness or brown build-up. A dental evaluation (teeth and gum check) is in your plan at their puppy visits, and dental cleaning from six months to four years.
A slipping kneecap and a hip problem called Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease are on their record as a young dog.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
A slipping kneecap and a hip problem called Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease are on their record as a young dog.
What to do
Rugs where they run on marble, a ramp for the sofa, and keep them lean. For a skip, a limp or a young dog who goes off their walks, contact your vet. An orthopaedic evaluation (a joint and bone exam) is in your plan from six months to four years.
Three of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
One size, one colour
There is one Westie, with no lines or sizes to choose between: a small, sturdy terrier from the West Highlands of Scotland, and the Cairn Terrier is family.
Colours
Every Westie is white, the colour the breed was made for. Some coats have a faint wheaten tint at the tips, and the fur round the mouth and paws can turn reddish where they lick.
The first six months
Their full vaccination course, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Start tooth brushing and a weekly look at their skin early, and watch how they chew: if a puppy cries on a yawn, contact your vet.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Set up a sandpit or a tub of sand before they arrive, put rugs down on marble, and add a ramp or step for the sofa so young joints are not jumping.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Ask the breeder about itchy skin, knee and hip problems in both parents, and how the puppies are eating and chewing. Skin and joints are the first risks for a young Westie.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
They'll keep digging in their own pot. If they start chewing their paws instead, call your vet.
Before they were yours.
The beginning
Small terriers in the West Highlands of Scotland went into rock cairns and dens after foxes, badgers and otters. The Westie shares these roots with the Cairn Terrier.
What they still carryThe digging, the barking and a dog with plenty of opinions.
Poltalloch
Colonel Edward Malcolm of Poltalloch is credited with breeding the white dogs true. The family story is that one of his reddish terriers was shot by mistake for a fox, so he kept only white dogs that could be seen in the field.
What they still carryThe white coat, which shows every lick and stain.
1907 to 1909
The breed was shown as the West Highland White Terrier at Crufts in 1907. The American Kennel Club registered it in 1908 as the Roseneath Terrier, and renamed it the following year.
What they still carryFrom here on, a show dog and a family dog.
Today
Here Westies live in flats and villas, mostly indoors in the air conditioning.
What they still carryA white coat made for Highland weather, living with heat, dust and dry air.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Westie suits you, so might these.
Scottish TerrierThe same kind of dog: Scotland's other small terrier, more independent and a little quieter.
Jack Russell TerrierAnother bold little British terrier, with even more energy and a short, easy coat.
BeagleThe same cheerful, friendly temperament and love of a good bark, in a scent hound with a short coat.
CockapooA similar size and regular grooming, in a poodle cross whose coat sheds less.
