Pages

Saturday 26 April 2014

A-Z Challenge 2014 - 'W'


W - West Highland Terrier, Wheaten Terrier, Whippet,
       Welsh Terrier

There used to be stories about an English man, an Irish man, a Scots man and a Welsh man.The same principal applies to this post about dogs, but in a different sequence.

Poppy, a West Highland Terrier, featured in my series about North Yorkshire Village dogs.


Poppy - West Highland Terrier
You may read about her here.

"Westies" originated from Scotland and have a distinctive white coat. They were bred to hunt small rodents at places such as farms. However the Westie I met at Whitby in North Yorkshire had a carriage of its own.
Fast asleep - it had had a busy day
I always like meeting Archie, he's the most laid back dog I know.
Archie - Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier originated in Ireland and is possibly one of the oldest Irish dog breeds. They were once known as the 'poor man's dog,' working on farms as herders and hunters of vermin and small game.

When I first Archie he had a patch of ginger hair. He had rolled on a dead hedgehog and had to have some hair cut off before the vet could remove all the spines. For a while, as his hair grew back, you could not miss that ginger patch.

When I was boy towards the end on WWII my father bought a whippet from Monmouthshire (South Wales). I used to take her out for walks. I wrote a (long) story about one such walk called 'The Chase.' It began - 

"The whippet sat bolt upright on the grass, shivering with anticipation of being allowed to run. When the command came, ‘Away Flick, away,’ she was gone. She cleared the dry stone wall by the roadside at such a speed that from afar she appeared to be just a flash of brown against the grey dry stones and against the green field where she landed – or did she? She seemed to be flying - close to the ground like a different-coloured swallow on the wing in a desperate hunt for flies." 

Phoebe - a brindle/white Whippet
Whippets are sight hounds, popular as racing dogs. They can reach speeds of 35 mph (56 km/hr). The English Whippet or Snap Dog was even known as the 'poor man's racehorse.'

When I first met my Welsh dog I thought she was an Airedale puppy; I was wrong.

Tilly - Welsh Terrier
She is owned by the same couple that used to own Joe, the Airedale Terrier, I included in the Challenge under 'A.

The Welsh Terrier is claimed to be the oldest dog breed in the UK. Bred originally to hunt rodents and badgers they are now largely a show dog.

Famous owners of Welsh Terriers have included President J F Kennedy and the UK Prime Minister Clement Attlee.


I hope you have the time to watch the video with which I end the post. It's quite delightful.


11 comments:

Francene Stanley said...

I like the whippet. They're delicate, sensitive dogs rather like a greyhound I loved many years ago. Visiting from Authentic Blogger.
http://t.co/qKE0xOMWgA

Doreen McGettigan said...

They are all adorable. I have seen these breeds but never knew the actual names.
I'm cutious to see
what your x and z words will be:)
doreenmcgettigan.com

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. the Westies are delightful - and the one in the push-chair looks so zen like ... lost to the world.

Actually Archie the Wheaten haired on is rather delightful too ..

Mind you they all are .. thanks for the Whitby note .. sometimes I just want to jump in a push-chair or pram and be wheeled around! Cheers Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Welsh Terriers are the oldest breed? Didn't know that.
That's a smart pup to ride in his own carriage.

21 Wits said...

Thanks Bob, I truly enjoy these dog posts.

Kristin said...

There seem to be an endless alphabet of terriers.

Lisa said...

Poppy is soooo cute! I have a carrier for my little one, I wear on my front for when I bike or know we'll be in crowded situations and he loves it. My dady's name was Archie. Never met a dog with that name but I like the look of this one! Easy going or laid back is right...

Jo said...

The video wouldn't play for me. Love these terriers, but it made me think of a dog my mother had around that time, a Sealyam one never hears of them any more, I wonder if they are still around.

Bob Scotney said...

Doreen - you won't have long to wait for x and z.

Sorry bout the video Jo. Try Gus the Welsh Terrier on You Tube www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rmIacDztZo

Julie Flanders said...

My sister used to have a whippet and we loved that dog to death. She was a nervous Nellie but such a great companion. Love the Westie getting a ride, too cute.

David Robinson said...

The Westie. My all-time favourite. We lost Max, our Westie, two years ago. Soft as a kitten, always playful, but still noisy enough to let me know when someone was at the door.

Another great selection, Bob.