Personality of the West Highland Terrier
The West Highland Terrier is a lovable dog, a dog which makes an excellent traveling companion and a lovely apartment dog, generally speaking. This breed is okay with children as long as they do not over-cuddle it or smother it with petting. They do not like to be carried and children should be warned against doing it. They do not bite family members in general, but they are very assertive and may snap if pushed beyond their endurance. They especially dislike fussing over and you will very seldom find it sleeping in your lap. If you want a dog, which can be carried and cuddled all day long – the West Highland Terrier is definitely not the right breed for you.
The Self-Appointed Watchdog
This dog, owing to its ancestry, is quite aggressive with whatever it feels is intruding on its territory. It is very alert and can indeed be a good watchdog, though not a protection dog due to its size. Had it been larger, it would have been a listed as a ferocious dog given its basic instincts and actions.
Though it does not like to be held and cuddled, this dog loves company and will choose to be where the majority of the people spend their time. When sleeping however, this dog needs to feel ‘safe’ – hence, you will observe that it will always sleep in places where it has its back to the wall. The best place for it would be where it is covered on all sides but the front. Maybe, this too, has something to do with its hunting qualities of its past. This could be the reason it does not like to be held either.
The West Highland Terrier personality being such, it is advisable to train it early in its life with love and consistency so it will recognize the basic commands and listen when it is forbidden to do something. It loves to dig, and sometimes this can be a pretty painful habit in apartments. This dog is highly energetic and very playful. It loves to travel and it is well behaved on trips. This is why people who own the West Highland Terrier seldom have any trouble carrying it with them to picnics and other outdoor vacation trips.
The male West Highland Terrier is more affectionate and malleable than the female, though overall there is not much difference between a male and a female Westie as it is lovingly called. This dog, if you look at it closely, makes a lot of contradictory statements – often confusing you about what to expect with a West Highland Terrier.
