The West Highland Terrier belongs to the third group in this classification: the Terriers. The dogs in this group are mainly small dogs. They have a good jaw, which gives them, together with their strong, powerful physique and their liveliness, the ability to kill. Indeed, Terriers were mainly used to hunt burrowing animals. Whatever the breed, these are dogs which therefore also have a fairly present (fighting) character. The West Highland White Terrier belongs more precisely to the second category of this group, that which concerns small Terriers.

The West Highland White Terrier is believed to be a variety of the white-coated Cairn Terrier. The latter was selected in the 19th century by a family of breeders, Malcolm de Poltalloch, before seeing its white color fixed by Colonel Malcolm. A standard for this breed was established in 1906 by the first breed club. It then became very fashionable and even today, the Westie remains a fairly widespread breed in our regions.

The West Highland White Terrier is one of the small breeds with a size of around 28 cm and a weight varying between 6 and 8 kg. Its silhouette can be written in a square. It is a small, solidly built dog, which exudes a certain strength and a lot of energy. its gait is clear and easy. The Westie has a compact body, preceded by a muscular neck. his chest is well descended, his ribs well arched, his back straight, his loins broad and strong. It also has a powerful hindquarters. Short on legs, its limbs are nonetheless muscular and nervous. Its feet are round and strong. Its tail measures between 12.5 and 15 cm. It is covered with a rough coat, without bangs, as straight as possible and carried proudly but in a moderate manner; it should not be cheerful or curved over the back. The head of the West Highland White Terrier is round with a slightly domed skull. Although it is small, its jaws are still powerful. Heavy brow ridges surround his medium-sized eyes, set well apart but not round, and as dark as possible. Its small ears are straight, held firmly and ending in a fairly sharp point. The Westie's coat is all white. Its hair is hard, approximately 5 cm long, without curls. Its undercoat is short, soft and tight.

The Westie is a relatively healthy dog. Its life expectancy is estimated at 11 years. Like most Anglo-Saxon Terriers, the West Highland White Terrier is subject to cranio-mandibular osteopathy, also called “Lion’s Jaw”. This is an abnormal bony proliferation of the flat bones of the skull. The mandible is particularly affected by this pathology. In addition to the clinical signs of hyperthermia, deformation of the mandible and difficulty chewing (often leading to anorexia in animals because opening the jaw is painful), an x-ray and histology make it possible to diagnose this disease which generally appears between the age of 5 and 8 months. The prognosis is obviously variable depending on the extent of bone damage; surgery is sometimes necessary. Fortunately, the progression of this condition stops spontaneously at the end of growth. The Westie is also sensitive to the skin. A common dermatological condition in this breed is atopic dermatitis. This disease is hereditary and the first symptoms appear between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. The first signs are often itching, erythema (redness) and lesions caused by scratching. The most affected areas are located in the space between the fingers, the ears, the stomach, the perineum and around the eyes. An analysis of the history and a good response to corticosteroids generally guides the diagnosis. That said, the side effects of these discourage their prolonged use and desensitization seems to be more indicated. Globoid cell leukodystrophy or Krabbe disease also affects the Westie. Disease caused by an enzyme deficiency, the first signs appear between 2 and 7 months. The dog is trembling, he may be paralyzed or have coordination problems (ataxia). This pathology causes damage to the central nervous system and its prognosis is not good; affected dogs generally die within a few months.Finally, the West Highland White Terrier can, much more rarely, be affected by small dog tremor encephalitis. This disease affects small, white dog breeds. It manifests itself by slight tremors of the animal's head which can go as far as tremors of the entire body and locomotor disorders. The diagnosis is made through a neurological examination and the prognosis is good; symptoms disappear quickly after treatment with steroids. For its maintenance, daily brushing helps avoid knots. But to maintain the whiteness of its coat, it requires regular care (combing and bathing). On the other hand, grooming is not considered useful for this breed.

The Westie is a rustic dog. Due to its liveliness, its courage, its independence and its stubborn side, we can say that it is a dog with character. Nevertheless, he remains a pleasant companion, affectionate and very cheerful. He is a friend of children. It is also an excellent guardian, alerting at the slightest suspicious noise. A formidable hunter, he hunts foxes as well as badgers and keeps away pests. His education must be early and above all firm so that he is easy to live with. The Westie can live in an apartment as long as you regularly offer him long walks.