Temperament: The West Highland White Terrier is a hardy small dog, and gets on well with children. This dog is an excellent companion and this dog travel well. The West Highland White Terrier is easy to train and they have a great deal of self assurance in their personality. This breed needs a good pack leader, or they can become irritable and snappy, guarding food, and even biting. This dog loves to bark and dig and needs firm guidelines on what is acceptable.

The West Highland White Terrier does show terrier instincts and will want to chase cats, but the fun is in the chase, and the cat should be unharmed. Small dog syndrome should be avoided as this will lead the dog to have behavioural problems. To prevent this you have to be the pack leader and have firm rules, for the dog to follow. This breed may be small but still requires walking daily and giving them play sessions will burn off the energy that they have. This dog, like most dogs loves to have a good romp off the lead in a safe area.

Health issues: The West Highland White Terrier is prone to hip problems and jawbone calcification, this is painful in puppy hood. Any puppy that has this, will need medical help, but this does pass at about 1 year. Liver disease and skin problems are also recorded. As with any dog it is very important that you make sure they are up to date on all vaccinations, de-wormings and heart worm preventatives. It is also suggested by the majority of licensed veterinarians that you take your puppy or dog in for a check up at least twice each year.

Grooming: The West Highland White Terrier is fairly easy to keep clean and tidy. All that is required is brushing regularly. The dog's coat will need trimming every four months, with stripping twice a year.

Living conditions: This dog is fine for apartment living and is active indoors and will do fine without a garden, but daily walks are still required.