West Highland White Terrier

The West Highland White Terrier was bred in the Scottish Highlands to hunt foxes, badgers, and vermin in rocky terrain — and that history is still running the show today. Westies are confident, alert, and self-directed in a way that surprises owners who expect a small dog to be biddable and easygoing. The cheerfulness is real. So is the stubbornness. What makes the Westie distinct within the terrier group is a higher-than-average sociability — they genuinely enjoy people, adapt reasonably well to varied environments, and tend to engage with the world rather than retreat from it. But sociability doesn't mean softness, and ease around people doesn't translate to ease in training.

Most new Westie owners underestimate the independence score. A 60 on independence means this dog is capable of making its own decisions, has strong opinions about when to comply, and will test whether the rules actually apply consistently. Owners who treat structure as optional — or who assume the Westie's warmth means it's eager to please — usually find themselves with a dog that barks freely, ignores recall, and picks and chooses which cues to follow. The prey drive score of 65 also matters more than people expect in daily life: it surfaces on walks, around small animals, and in how quickly the dog's attention can be pulled away from the handler.

The training scores here tell a specific story. A trainability score of 62 reflects a dog that can learn reliably — but requires more consistency and skill than the score might suggest on its own. Pair that with a distraction threshold of 35 and an outdoor focus score of 38, and you have a dog who performs well in low-distraction environments but falls apart the moment the environment gets interesting. The beginner-friendly score of 60 means Westies aren't the worst starting point, but first-time owners who don't understand terrier independence often struggle more than they expected to.