West Highland White Terrier Temperament

An adaptable, intelligent, and confident little dog, the West Highland White Terrier has become an enormously popular family pet over the years. These spirited creatures thrive on the affection, interaction, and companionship of their owners, and have bags of energy to burn up.

This is not the right choice of pet for those with little time or inclination to be active, as they do need a fair amount of exercise, preferably interactive play and activity. The West Highland White Terrier is courageous, inquisitive, and loves to chase, which means that he must be supervised in a safe and secure area when he is not on a leash.

These dogs can be a little arrogant, stubborn, and demanding, and are best suited to those with some experience of dog ownership and training. They are very intelligent, eager to please, and quick to learn, which makes training less of a challenge. They also have excellent problem solving skills.

The West Highland White Terrier will bark to raise an alarm, which makes him an effective watchdog. They love to dig, and many are a little too fond of the sound of their own bark, so be prepared for anything but a quiet life.

The West Highland White Terrier can have a possessive streak when it comes to his food and belongings. He tends to try to dominate same sex dogs. He does not get along well with cats unless raised with them at a young age.

Because of his high prey instinct, he will avidly chase and probably catch smaller running creatures and should not be trusted too far around them. The Westie tends to get along with visitors, and is fine around older, gentle children. Younger kids may be too boisterous and rough for his tastes.  On the other hand, some Westies can be trained up to be less head shy.