15 Dog Breeds that Begin with W

Weimaraner

This large dog breed originated in Germany in the 19^th century. Weimaraners were initially bred to hunt pigs, stags, and bears by royal families. Besides their hunting skills, modern-day Silver Ghosts are also making great family companions and watchdogs. The friendly, courageous, vigilant, and obedient nature of these canines helped them to fulfill all these roles.

Weshi

This comparatively modern and designer dog breed is the combination of the West Highland White Terrier and Shih Tzu. These cute canines originated somewhere in the United States. Weshis have a friendly nature and an affectionate temperament that makes them ideal to become family dogs. However, they are ONLY recommended for families with older children.

West Highland White Terrier (Westie)

This terrier breed was originally developed in Scotland for hunting foxes and killing vermin. Westies are confident, joyful, and smart pups that get along well with both adults and children. They are always willing to entertain their owners and love to be in the company of their people.

Westiepoo

This hybrid dog is the result of crossbreeding the West Highland White Terrier with the Poodle. Westiepoos originated in the United States, in the early 1970s. They require a lot of attention from their parents and love to be around other pets. Likewise, they are quite comfortable around older children that makes them great family companions.

West Siberian Laika

This Spitz-type dog breed was developed in Russia in the 20^th century. The primary purpose of creating West Siberian Laika was to hunt different prey, including sables and squirrels. Nowadays, these wolf-like canines are one of the finest options as working dogs.

These medium-sized pooches are strong and very protective of their families. They are extremely distrustful of strangers and can become outstanding watchdogs.

Wetterhoun

This dog breed originated in Friesland, Netherlands. Wetterhouns were originally bred to hunt water birds and small creatures, like polecats. Likewise, they were also used as guard dogs for farms. These working pooches are loyal, good-natured, and intelligent and can make excellent family companions. Wetterhouns are one of the most popular watchdogs in Holland.

Welsh Springer Spaniel

This spaniel dog was developed in Wales and was used to clean out the game in the field. Being a spaniel member, these pooches have a lot of passion with a strong head and loyal nature. They need early training and socialization to learn the proper manners of an excellent canine companion.

Welsh Terrier

This terrier breed also originates from Wales and was bred to hunt foxes, rodents, and badgers. Likewise, it was also used to eliminate insects. In the last century or so, these pups have been spirited, and friendly companions. Their fun-loving and affectionate nature allows them to do really well as family pets.

Whippet

Whippets originated in the northern part of England, in the late 1700s. These sighthounds were originally bred to hunt rabbits and other small games. Nowadays, these pooches are used for agility sports, like flyball or lure coursing.  

Other than that, Whippets are also considered affectionate therapy dogs. Likewise, they can also make great companions dogs because of their friendly and gentle nature.

Whoodle

This dog breed was developed by combining the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier with a Poodle. Whoodles hail from either Australia or United States and were first bred in the mid of the 19^th century.

Thanks to their playful, friendly, and dynamic nature, these canines are considered awesome companion dogs. Their ability to do well with children of all ages makes them great family pets.

Wire Chiwoxy

This toy breed is a fantastic mixture of the Chihuahua and the Wire Fox Terrier. Although they are commonly used as family dogs, they do need early training to overcome their short temperament. For this reason, they are NOT suitable for those families who have small kids.

Wire Fox Terrier

This dog breed originated in England and was bred to hunt foxes in the late 18th century. In recent times, these confident, vigilant, and expressive canines are seen in dog shows. Likewise, they excel in various dog sports and can also be used as family companions because of their affectionate personality.

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

This pointing dog comes from France and was originally used for retrieving small game. They were also bred for hunting (as gundogs) in the late 1800s. In recent times, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons are also valued for their companionship abilities. Their affectionate nature and gentle behavior with children is particularly impressive.

Wirehaired Vizsla

This dog breed originated in Hungary and was bred as a hunting dog. Wirehaired Vizslas are still quite popular for their excellent hunting abilities and often regarded as natural hunters. Due to their loving and calm demeanor, these pooches can become good pets or guard dogs with some training.

Wolamute

This dog breed is a unique combination of the Alaskan Malamute and the Timber Wolf. The oldest Wolf-dog of the world originated in the United States of America and can harm any other small animal. Due to their aggressive nature and resilience to all kinds of climate, it’s best to keep Wolamutes outdoors. They are ideal protection dogs if you have the expertise to train them.