An important consideration when figuring out which dog breed to adopt is always how they will fit into your lifestyle. For active people, this is especially important, because you want a dog who will be able to keep up with you.
One dog breed of specific interest to people who lead a more active lifestyle is the West Highland White Terrier, known colloquially as Westies.
This dog breed is the perfect companion to a person with a more active lifestyle, and should always be considered an option when looking to adopt a new furry friend. While their appearance may suggest that they are “accessory dogs,” their personality is anything but, and they will fit in perfectly with a more active family.
Westies were bred to be hunting dogs, so they love to run and to chase things. Since active people also like to run, this is the perfect activity for an active person to share with their animal companion.
When given adequate space, Westies will go from being a calm, sociable animal to a speed machine. Westies love being outdoors because it gives them the space they need to run and play.
Many owners report that their Westie pups love to explore and play outdoors, which makes them the perfect companion for a human who loves the same. Westies are also good dogs for families because they love running around and playing outdoors and will do so with both younger and older children.
Westies are also known for being friendly to other dogs, children, and other animals. This means that they will love to take part in social activities like going to the dog park or running around in the backyard, and are perfect for people who share similar interests.
Being social animals, Westies are not great dogs for a single person. Westies love to socialize and play, which is hard to do in a household of one.
Put them in a family setting, however, and you’ll see not only the dog transform into a playful, social animal, but you’ll also see the family members become more active. In order to keep up with a Westie’s active lifestyle, their humans will also need to love running and playing.
Families are the perfect setting for this. Having more than one person makes playtime so much more fun, and pairing an active dog with children will result in more active children. Therefore, it’s not necessarily that Westies are suited for active humans, it’s more like active humans are well suited for Westies.
Westies will need a walk every day because they are such active animals, but beyond that, they are relatively low maintenance dogs. This makes them perfectly suited for a person who might not be able to dedicate all their time to feeding and grooming their pup.
This daily walk is perfect for people who are more active and would enjoy spending time outside with their pup every day. This is also perfect for famlies with young children who enjoy playing outside, because it will add joy to the dog’s day and also give the children a new playmate.
Finally, Westies need stimulation or they will become more destructive in their tendencies. Westies cannot be cooped up indoors for too long or they will begin to show negative behaviors.
People who will not be home often are not the best homes for Westies, because they do need attention and stimulation. Their daily walk and some playtime will stimulate them, but if they are in a family that would end up leaving them home alone indoors for extended amounts of time, they might not seem like the perfect dog anymore.
Families who are able to take their dog with them to things like camping, fishing, hunting, should do so. Their dogs will love the adventure and open spaces to play and won’t be left at home to eat the arms of the couches.
If families are not able to take their dog along on their adventures, Westies might not be the best breed for them to adopt. Westies are well suited to a physically active lifestyle, but not well suited for people who might travel a lot or always be away from home.
To summarize, Westies are the perfect dog breed for people and particularly families who lead a more physically active lifestyle. However, if your active lifestyle takes you away from home a lot or prevents you from giving your pup the playtime it needs, this might not be the best dog breed for you.
Westies are social animals who need stimulation to prevent them from growing bored, so more physically active settings are ideal for this dog breed.