No longer top dog: How we fell out of love with Westies
THEY are as quintessentially Scottish as single malt, Harris tweed and bagpipes.
But the feisty West Highland white terrier, one of our oldest and most beloved dog breeds, is now at risk.
Figures show ownership of the pets has slumped to only a quarter of what it was a decade ago, with the decline blamed on social media’s obsession with flat-faced breeds such as pugs.
Only 0.4 per cent of all puppies born in 2015 were Westies – down from 1.69 per cent in 2004, a worldwide study found.
The average age of West Highland white terriers taken to vets in 2016 was 7.8 years, suggesting an ageing population with fewer puppies entering the population compared with other breeds.
Study author Dr Dan O’Neill said: ‘With the ascent of social media as a dominant influencer of public opinion, ownership preferences for breeds are becoming increasingly polarised.
‘Flat-faced breeds are the darling of the nation but this has created huge welfare problems for breeds such as the pug and French bulldog. The West Highland white terrier has fallen sharply out of favour.’
The research is the world’s largest study of Westies and was carried out by the VetCompass programme of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). It found the breed’s most common ailments are dental and ear disease, overgrown toenails and skin allergies. Lower respiratory tract disease and cancer each caused 10.2 per cent of deaths.
But while Westies are in decline, the number of French bulldogs in Scotland has risen by 425 per cent, with pugs up a third.
Bill Lambert, senior health and welfare manager at the Kennel Club, said: ‘Popular breeds, like French bulldogs and pugs, are often bred indiscriminately to match demand, leading to serious health and welfare issues.’