Exercising your dog

West Highland White Terriers love playing, romping, and walking. Even though Westies have a high energy level, they’re happy with a 30-minute walk a day, plus some play time. This can be off-lead but make sure they’re only let off lead in a secure, fully fenced area. Their instinct to chase is strong - they find it impossible to resist chasing a passing cat or critter!

When it comes to play time, fetch is a Westie’s dream game - be prepared though: they can play for hours.

Keeping your Westie physically and mentally stimulated is really important. Without enough outlets for their energy, they can turn disruptive - from digging up the garden to chasing next door’s cat.

Training your West Highland White Terrier

Westies were bred to work alone, making them independent dogs. Although this can make training challenging, they respond well to patient, positive, consistent lessons and their intelligence helps them pick up things easily. 

Choose your training location carefully. It should be a quiet, distraction-free area, like your securely fenced garden.

A Westie needs to be trained from when they’re a puppy and training should be done daily. Westies should also be socialised from a young age to help them become accepting of other dogs and people.

Puppy classes are a good idea, as well as leashed walks in your neighbourhood where they can meet other pup pals.

Your dog's health

By recognising health problems in West Highland White Terriers early you can seek advice and treatment from a veterinarian.

Reduce the risk of health problems by purchasing a puppy from a responsible breeder. Always inspect breeding facilities and breeding dogs, and never buy from a distant online seller.

Health Issues to watch out for:

Joint Problems

Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease

Skin Issues

Craniomandibular Osteopathy (CMO)

Grooming your dog

A Westie coat needs a lot of maintenance. If you’re after a show-ready pup (fluffy around the legs and face, shorter on the back and tail), you’ll need to hand strip them every month.

If you’re not bothered about keeping them in show condition, treat them to a professional groom every 4-6 weeks that will keep your Westie’s coat trimmed short.

Whichever style you go for, you will still need to give them a daily brush and comb to remove dead fur and stimulate new growth.

Baths should be kept to a minimum - bathe them too often and it can damage their naturally hard coat. Trim their nails every 2 weeks and brush their teeth every day.