West Highland Terriers

I’m doing some research on the dog I’m planning to get (West Highland Terrier or Westie). I’d just like some Westie owners input on overall behavior (Energy level, stubbornness, intelligence, etc). Thx!

Hello, westie owner here.

Stubborn- some of them are. It’s a good kind of stubborn though- if you tell some westies to do something, and you have their trust, they will do anything to do it. As long as they trust you and you have a history of making good decisions and enforcing them, the stubbornness isn’t a problem. Just set clear boundaries, that’s all.

Intelligence- very clever to extremely stupid, depending on the dog and the situation (much like the rest of us). They’re not half as quick as labradors etc are, but they’re good at tricks and most have about as much intelligence as you’d really need. They will frequently do stupid things (like go down banks they can’t get up), so you do have to keep an eye on them.

Energy level- not as high as most terriers, but they’ll go for as long a walk as you want them to and think nothing of an hour-long game of fetch. You’ll tire of running before they do, if they’re young and reasonably fit. Older dogs are slower but should still be able to keep up well on walks and short runs. They need as much walking as you can give them, and they like doing jobs and helping. Squeaky toys are generally greatly appreciated, particularly ones they can ‘kill’.

Allergies are something you’re going to learn a lot about. Some dogs actually go bald because of them. Start learning about the best allergy meds etc now, since most of them have at least one. Try to get one without any allergies, but be aware that that’s difficult. Wheezing and skin problems are common.

Aggression is another problem- a friend of a friend had bred and raised terriers for years, without any problems. They got a westie and had to get rid of it after it killed two of their other dogs. This happens in certain lines, so make sure you’re able to see and handle both parents to check their temperament, or get an adult so you can assess it.

A certain level of dog aggression (not refusing a fight) or aggression against humans on their territory is normal, but try to choose one which will bark, but be fine with you once the owner approves. They often like to dominate other dogs, and if an owner’s particularly weak they may try to dominate them too.

They love chasing and killing other smaller animals, but a biddable dog can be taught to leave certain animals alone but won’t necessarily generalise this to other small animals, even of the same species. Try to give them a chance to kill a rat or mouse occasionally- they’re made for this kind of work. Even very young westie puppies will kill other animals. There was an incident with a westie that occurred in the early 1900s. The dog was down a hole with a fox, barking at it, and was mauled so badly its intestines started spilling out. It returned to its owner, the owner stitched it up, and before the owner could catch it again the dog was back down the hole, back to work. That was the correct temperament of the original westie- not too many like that today, and none that could fit into a fox den (small chests don’t do well in the show ring). That’s why some stubbornness was desireable in the breed.

They tend to be very good with well-behaved kids, and do well with positive reinforcement. A harsh word will work wonders for punishment- you should pretty much never need to lift a hand to them.

So- dominant, affectionate, biddable, stubborn, mischievous killing machines. Obviously there’s a huge amount of variation within the breed, not all are like this, but I wouldn’t have a westie that was any other way. What would be the point?

Edit: Watch out for puppy mills- very popular dog for puppy mills, since they’re white, fluffy, cute etc. Recipe for heartbreak and when you buy them you fund animal cruelty.

Oh, and they bark to greater or lesser degrees. Watch out for constant yappers, but be prepared- your dog will bark.

I am thinking of getting a pet, and was wondering if anyone has any experience with west highland terriers or whippets? which makes a better pet?

Depends upon your lifestyle. If the whippet isn’t a puppy, it’s less active than a Westie, requires less exercise. If you live someplace with a lot of cold weather, than your Whippet will be wearing a sweater all day INSIDE the house and very reluctant to go outside even with a coat (which you’ll need to buy). If you train a recall with both dogs, you still can’t let a Whippet off-lead outside, it will be gone in a flash. It’s a sight-hound so easily distracted by small game and movement. A whippet is more docile and won’t bark as much as a westie. A westie of course will be smaller. I know of a couple of westie owners who praise westies as a good dog for families with kids (they seem to tolerate rough play better than most breeds). A westie will have more grooming demands than a whippet will. If you want a dog to cavort and play and wrestle with you, get the westie. If you want a couch potato, get the whippet. In terms of breed tendencies, these two are almost at completely different ends of the charts.