Norwich Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier
Side by side
Norwich Terrier
West Highland White Terrier
Adult weight
4.9–6 kg (11–13 lb) (estimated: ±10% around the AKC breed page's single 12 lb figure, one range for both sexes)
Males 8.3–11.9 kg (18–26 lb); females 7.4–10.6 kg (16–23 lb) (measured in UK vet records, n = 6,605, mean ±1 SD)1
Fully grown
10 months, both sexes3
Shedding
Holds loose hair until it is brushed or clipped out
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Health
No sourced figure
Class
Companion
Companion
Which suits you
Size
The West Highland White Terrier is much larger: about 9.6 kg (21 lb) as an adult, against 5.5 kg (12 lb) for the Norwich Terrier.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Norwich Terrier: a lap or leaning dog; West Highland White Terrier: affectionate on its own terms) and on independence (Norwich Terrier: cooperative, with its own ideas; West Highland White Terrier: decides for itself).
Alike
Both are rated the same on prey drive: likely to chase small pets.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Norwich Terrier
Terriers · Small
The Norwich is affectionate, lively and fearless, with a strong urge to hunt and dig. It often worked in company with other dogs, and many get on well with them.
West Highland White Terrier
Terriers · Small
In character the breed is confident, alert and cheerful, with the independence and persistence of a working terrier and a strong urge to dig and chase.
Breed traits
Day to day
Norwich Terrier
West Highland White Terrier
Activity
A good daily walk and play
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
Norwich Terrier
West Highland White Terrier
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Friendly with everyone
Bonded to its family
Independence
Differs
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Decides for itself
Around the home
Norwich Terrier
West Highland White Terrier
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Very vocal
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The West Highland White Terrier grows to the heavier adult, about 9.7 kg against the Norwich Terrier's 5.5 kg. The Norwich Terrier's weight is not a published figure.
Norwich Terrier
West Highland White Terrier
More comparisons
Compare the Norwich Terrier with
Sources
- 1VetCompass UK. Primary-care veterinary records. ↑
- 2
- 3Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 4
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- 8Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 9Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 10American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 11
Parts of this page were written by AI ·