Apartment Friendly
AKC Registrable
Family Dog
West Highland White Terrier
Smart, confident, and always entertaining at play, the adorable West Highland White Terrier (Westie, for short) has charmed owners for over 300 years. This diminutive but sturdy earthdog is among the most popular of the small terriers. Puppies for sale in Long Island, New York.
Available Puppies
Puppy Knowledge
Breed Standard
General Appearance
The West Highland White Terrier is a small, game, well-balanced hardy looking terrier, exhibiting good showmanship, possessed with no small amount of self-esteem, strongly built, deep in chest and back ribs, with a straight back and powerful hindquarters on muscular legs, and exhibiting in marked degree a great combination of strength and activity.
Size, Proportion, Substance
The ideal size is eleven inches at the withers for dogs and ten inches for bitches. A slight deviation is acceptable. The Westie is a compact dog, with good balance and substance. The body between the withers and the root of the tail is slightly shorter than the height at the withers. Short-coupled and well boned. Faults - Over or under height limits. Fine boned.
Head
Shaped to present a round appearance from the front. Should be in proportion to the body. Expression - Piercing, inquisitive, pert. Eyes - Widely set apart, medium in size, almond shaped, dark brown in color, deep set, sharp and intelligent. Looking from under heavy eyebrows, they give a piercing look. Eye rims are black. Faults - Small, full or light colored eyes. Ears - Small, carried tightly erect, set wide apart, on the top outer edge of the skull. They terminate in a sharp point, and must never be cropped. The hair on the ears is trimmed short and is smooth and velvety, free of fringe at the tips. Black skin pigmentation is preferred.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck - Muscular and well set on sloping shoulders. The length of neck should be in proportion to the remainder of the dog.Ribs deep and well arched in the upper half of rib, extending at least to the elbows, and presenting a flattish side appearance. Back ribs of considerable depth, and distance from last rib to upper thigh as short as compatible with free movement of the body. Chest very deep and extending to the elbows, with breadth in proportion to the size of the dog. Loin short, broad and strong.
Forequarters
Angulation, Shoulders - Shoulder blades are well laid back and well knit at the backbone. The shoulder blade should attach to an upper arm of moderate length, and sufficient angle to allow for definite body overhangBlack pigmentation is most desirable on pads of all feet and nails, although nails may lose coloration in older dogs.
Hindquarters
Angulation - Thighs are very muscular, well angulated, not set wide apart, with hock well bent, short, and parallel when viewed from the rear. Legs - Rear legs are muscular and relatively short and sinewy.
Coat
Very important and seldom seen to perfection. Must be double-coated. The outer coat consists of straight hard white hair, about two inches long, with shorter coat on neck and shoulders, properly blended and trimmed to blend shorter areas into furnishings, which are longer on stomach and legs. The ideal coat is hard, straight and white, but a hard straight coat which may have some wheaten tipping is preferable to a white fluffy or soft coat
Color
The color is white, as defined by the breed's name. Faults - Any coat color other than white. Heavy wheaten color.
Temperament
Loyal, Happy, Entertaining
Overview
Group
Terrier
About
Standing 10 to 11 inches at the shoulder, with dark piercing eyes, compact body, and a carrot-shaped tail wagging with delight, the Westie’s looks are irresistible. Beneath the plush-toy exterior, though, is a true working terrier of gameness and courage. Bred to hunt rats and other underground rodents, Westies are surprisingly strong and tough.
