It’s possible that because no national breed club existed for West Highland White Terriers before 1905 (England’s Kennel Club didn’t recognize the breed until 1907), the breed was known by several monikers, among them, Pittenweem, Roseneath or Poltallock Terrier.
Here is where it gets confusing.
The breed was also called the “Skye Terrier,” as was the Cairn Terrier, though the Cairn was more typically known as the “Short-Haired” Skye Terrier, or “Skye Otter Terrier.” Then, of course, was the breed we know today as the real Skye Terrier.
What was up with all these “Skye” terriers?
Part of the issue is that these terriers originated in Western Scotland, specifically the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. Adding to the confusion is that back then, some of the terriers were similar in appearance, so much so that an early writer, Hugh Dalziel, commented on the visual closeness between the Cairn Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, and Skye Terrier. Early Cairn Terriers could be white, and the Cairn Terrier standard in England permitted white dogs until 1923.
Happily, it got sorted.
In 1908, studbooks were opened to the West Highland White Terrier as a distinct breed, but there were some confusing classifications of “Short-Haired Skyes” and “Skye Terriers.” To our relief (and undoubtedly to early breeders, as well), breed fanciers agreed on the name “Cairn Terrier of Skye” for the short-haired Scottish-type terrier around 1909, the name being shortened to “Cairn Terrier” shortly after the first Cairn breed club was organized in 1910.
Meanwhile, the Westie’s name, “West Highland White Terrier” first appeared in Otters and Otter Hunting by L.C.R. Cameron, published in 1908, but when the breed was recognized by the AKC in 1908, it was as the Roseneath Terrier. Its present name -“West Highland White Terrier“- was officially adopted in 1909.
If we wanted to make your head to explode, we would add here that until 1873 , all these terriers were also lumped together as “Scotch Terriers.” Rest easy, we’ll explode your head another day.
In closing, we must mention that there is no such thing as “too many Skyes” because in 2018, the Skye Terrier is among the most endangered breeds in the world. Only 40 Skye Terriers were registered in the breed’s country of origin in 2017.
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