West Highland White Terrier vs Yorkshire Terrier
Side by side
West Highland White Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Adult weight
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
Males 4.1–7 kg (9.1–15 lb); females 3.6–5.9 kg (7.8–13 lb) (measured in UK vet records, n = 28,032, middle 50%)1
Fully grown
10 months, both sexes3
Shedding
Holds loose hair until it is brushed or clipped out
Sheds through the year
Grooming
A brush once a week
Daily brushing
Exercise
A moderate amount
Health
Class
Companion
Lap dog
Which suits you
Size
The West Highland White Terrier is much larger: about 9.6 kg (21 lb) as an adult, against 5.1 kg (11 lb) for the Yorkshire Terrier.
Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the West Highland White Terrier holds loose hair until it is brushed or clipped out, the Yorkshire Terrier sheds through the year.
Grooming
The Yorkshire Terrier needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the West Highland White Terrier needs a brush once a week.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (West Highland White Terrier: affectionate on its own terms; Yorkshire Terrier: a lap or leaning dog) and on loyalty (West Highland White Terrier: bonded to its family; Yorkshire Terrier: sticks close to its people).
Alike
Both are rated the same on independence: decides for itself.
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
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.
Yorkshire Terrier
Terriers · Small
In temperament the breed keeps much of the terrier in a small frame: alert, bold and quick to bark at strangers, yet affectionate with its household.
Breed traits
Day to day
West Highland White Terrier
Yorkshire 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
West Highland White Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Decides for itself
Decides for itself
Around the home
West Highland White Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Sensitivity
Differs
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Average
Voice
Very vocal
Very vocal
Prey drive
Differs
Likely to chase small pets
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The West Highland White Terrier grows to the heavier adult, about 9.7 kg against the Yorkshire Terrier's 5.3 kg.
West Highland White Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
More comparisons
Compare the West Highland White 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). ↑
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- 9Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 10Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 11American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
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Parts of this page were written by AI ·