West Highland White Terrier

Height: Averages 11 inches (male); averages 10 inches (female).
Size: Small.
Weight: 15 to 18 pounds.
Availability: May take some effort to find.

ORIGIN : Great Britain.
UTILIZATION : Terrier.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Strongly built ; deep in chest and back
ribs ; level back and powerful quarters on muscular legs and
exhibiting in a marked degree a great combination of strength and
activity.

BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT : Small, active, game,
hardly, possessed of no small amount of self-esteem with a varminty
appearance. Alert, gay, courageous, self-reliant but friendly.

HEAD : Distance from occiput to eyes slightly greater than length of
foreface. Head thickly coated with hair and carried at right angle or
less to axis of neck. Head not to be carried in extended position.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Slightly domed ; when handled across forehead presents a
smooth contour. Tapering very slightly from skull at level of ears to
eyes.
Stop : Distinct stop, formed by heavy, bony ridges immediately above
and slightly overhanging eye, and slight indentation between eyes.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Black and fairly large, forming smooth contour with rest of
muzzle. Nose not projecting forward.
Muzzle : Foreface gradually tapering from eye to muzzle. Not dished
nor falling away quickly below eyes, where it is well made up.
Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong and level. As broad between canine teeth as
is consistent with varminty expression required. Teeth large for size
of dog, with regular scissor bite, i. e. upper teeth closely overlapping
the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Eyes : Set wide apart, medium in size, not full, as dark as possible.
Slightly sunk in head, sharp and intelligent, which, looking from
under heavy eyebrows, imparts a piercing look. Light coloured eyes
highly undesirable.
Ears : Small, erect and carried firmly, terminating in sharp point, set
neither too wide nor too close. Hair short and smooth (velvety),
should not be cut. Free from any fringe at top. Round-pointed, broad,
large or thick ears or too heavily coated with hair most undesirable.
NECK : Sufficiently long to allow proper set on of head required,
muscular and gradually thickening towards base allowing neck to
merge into nicely sloping shoulders.
BODY : Compact.
Back : Level.
Loins : Broad and strong.
Chest : Deep and ribs well arched in upper half presenting a flattish
side appearance. Back ribs of considerable depth and distance from
last rib of quarters as short as compatible with free movement of body.
TAIL : 12,5-15 cm (5 to 6 inches) long, covered with harsh hair, no
feathering, as straight as possible, carried jauntily, not gay or carried
over back. A long tail undesirable, and on no account should tails be
docked.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs short and muscular, straight and thickly
covered with short, hard hair.
Shoulders : Sloping backwards. Shoulder-blades broad and lying
close to chest wall. Shoulder joint placed forward.
Elbows : Well in, allowing foreleg to move freely, parallel to axis of
body.
HINDQUARTERS : Strong, muscular and wide across top. Legs
short, muscular and sinewy.
Thighs : Very muscular and not too wide apart.
Hocks : Bent and well set in under body so as to be fairly close to each
other when standing or moving. Straight or weak hocks most
undesirable.
FEET : Forefeet larger than hind, round, proportionate in size, strong,
thickly padded and covered with short harsh hair. Hindfeet are
smaller and thickly padded. Under surface of pads and all nails
preferably black.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Free, straight and easy all round. In front,
legs freely extended forward from shoulder. Hind movement free,
strong and close. Stifle and hocks well flexed and hocks drawn under
body giving drive. Stiff, stilted movement behind and cowhocks
highly undesirable.
COAT
HAIR : Double coated. Outer coat consists of harsh hair, about 5 cm
(2 ins) long, free from any curl. Undercoat, which resembles fur,
short, soft and close. Open coats most undesirable.
COLOR : White.
SIZE :
Height at withers approximately 28 cm (11 ins).