West Highland White Terrier
West Highland White Terrier
- Sizesmall
- Weight6.8–9.5 kg
- Lives12–14 years
- Popularity in Mexico★★
Character
West Highland White Terrier temperament
A small dog from the terrier group, in twelve traits from 1 to 5:
- Energymarathoner
- Affection with familyglued to you
- With kidsexcellent
- With other dogsmiddle of the road
- With strangersparty with everyone
- Playfulnessplayful for life
- Guarding instinctborn guardian
- Adaptabilitysettles anywhere
- Trainabilitymiddle of the road
- Barkingreports everything
- Mental stimulation it needsneeds a job
- Prey driveno data yet
Distinguishing features
West Highland White Terrier characteristics
- Ears
- erect
- Height
- 25–28 cm
- Weight
- 6.8–9.5 kg
- Muzzle
- medium
- Coat
- wiry
- Coat length
- medium
- Colors
- white
- Life expectancy
- 12–14 years
- Sheddingmiddle of the road
- Coat caremiddle of the road
Life expectancy
How long does a West Highland White Terrier live?
12–14 years
The breed sets the range; how long each dog lives depends on its weight, its exercise, its teeth and its check-ups with the vet.
The long profile
Long profile, in Spanish for now
The long version of this breed — character, care and origins, in Lord Chucho's voice — exists in Spanish and hasn't been translated yet. The hard data on this page (traits, features, lifespan) is the same in both languages.
Buying guides
What to buy for a West Highland White Terrier
What to buy, by what it needs:
What we'd give Choco
For a dog like this one
Affiliate links: it costs you the same. How they work (in Spanish)
AI image: the real product may vary KONG Classic
The classic that survives teenage-Labrador jaws. Stuff it with frozen treats and you just bought an hour of peace.
AI image: the real product may vary Chuckit! Ultra Ball
A ball that bounces evenly, floats and doesn't fall apart on day three. If your dog lives for the ball, this is THE ball.
AI image: the real product may vary Level-2 treat-dispensing puzzle
For the dog that's bored of everything: let it earn the kibble by thinking. Start at level 2; level 1 they solve in their sleep.
AI image: the real product may vary Front-clip (no-pull) harness
If the walk looks like water skiing, the chest clip redirects without hurting. It doesn't replace training, but it gives you control while training arrives.
What people ask
Frequently asked questions about the West Highland White Terrier
How big does a West Highland White Terrier get?
An adult West Highland White Terrier stands 25–28 cm at the withers and weighs 6.8–9.5 kg.
Does the West Highland White Terrier need a lot of exercise?
The West Highland White Terrier scores 4 out of 5 on “Energy”: marathoner. On that scale, 1 is “couch potato” and 5 is “marathoner”.
Is the West Highland White Terrier good with kids?
The West Highland White Terrier scores 5 out of 5 on “With kids”: excellent. On that scale, 1 is “better without kids” and 5 is “excellent”. Even with a 5, no dog should be left alone with small children: supervising them is the adult's job.
Does the West Highland White Terrier get along with other dogs?
The West Highland White Terrier scores 3 out of 5 on “With other dogs”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “lone wolf” and 5 is “life of the dog park”.
Is the West Highland White Terrier easy to train?
The West Highland White Terrier scores 3 out of 5 on “Trainability”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “negotiates every command” and 5 is “learns on the fly”.
Does the West Highland White Terrier bark a lot?
The West Highland White Terrier scores 5 out of 5 on “Barking”: reports everything. On that scale, 1 is “nearly silent” and 5 is “reports everything”.
Is the West Highland White Terrier a good guard dog?
The West Highland White Terrier scores 5 out of 5 on “Guarding instinct”: born guardian. On that scale, 1 is “not a guardian” and 5 is “born guardian”.
Does the West Highland White Terrier shed a lot?
The West Highland White Terrier scores 3 out of 5 on “Shedding”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “barely sheds” and 5 is “hair everywhere”.
Health
We only publish each breed's health topics after reviewing them carefully. We guide you, but we're not your vet: if something about your dog worries you, the internet doesn't replace a visit to the vet.
Data on this page: 3 reference sources, including the AKC. See sources (in Spanish)