Colonel Malcolm with his Poltalloch Terriers 1905 |
What would he look like in colour?
It is the Malcolm family that is usually credited with originating the
'White Cairn' as it was known those days.The small white dog that we know today as the "Westie"
actually owes its rise in popularity to a hunting accident. It is said
that around the year 1860, Colonel Malcolm was out hunting with his favourite
terrier, a reddish-brown dog. While the dog was running through
the bush, he was mistaken for a hare and was shot and killed.
The
Colonel was so grieved by the loss of his dog that he decided to propagate
only the whites in his kennel. It took a great many years for the Malcolm
family to develop the white strain that we know today.
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