![West Highland White Terrier Dog Breed](/sites/default/files/styles/square_medium_440x440/public/2022-08/West-Highland-White-Terrier.jpg?itok=HQHEoVFY)
Family-friendly: | 4/5 |
Exercise needs: | 4/5 |
Easy to train: | 4/5 |
Tolerates being alone: | 2/5 |
Likes other pets: | 5/5 |
Energy level: | 4/5 |
Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
Shedding: | 4/5 |
The West Highland White Terrier breed can suffer from:
- Patellar luxation
- Legg-Perthes disease
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye) which is a painful condition where the tear gland stops working properly.
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis which is a type of lung disease.
- Craniomandibular osteopathy which is a disease that affects young dogs and causes abnormal bone growth, particularly in the jaw bones.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
None but there are several recommended schemes that the Kennel Club recommends which can be found here.
Courageous, cheeky, jaunty and affectionate, loyal to their families and friends, the Westie is understandably an appealing little dog. Perfectly capable of being trained to a high level with the right encouragement, they still retain that working terrier nature, willing to take on foe many times their size. Not afraid to be confrontational, the Westie is a good watch dog, alerting the whole household loudly to anything they believe constitutes ‘trouble’.