Australian Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

Compare the Australian Terrier to the West Highland White Terrier. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between Australian Terriers and West Highland White Terriers.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both breeds are good choices for new or inexperienced owners, but the West Highland White Terrier is better suited for new owners.
Children - Both breeds are child friendly, but the West Highland White Terrier is the most friendly between the breeds.
Grooming - Both breeds have low maintenance coats, but the Australian Terrier is easier to groom.
Barking - Both the Australian Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are very vocal and will bark/howl frequently.

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Australian Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

Breed Name	Australian Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	Yes	Yes
Lifespan	11-14 yrs.	11-16 yrs.
Height	9-11 in.	14-16 in.
Weight	12-16 lb	15-20 lb
Intelligence	High	Average
History
Origin Country	Australia	UK (Scotland)
Origin Year	1820 AD	1500 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Below Average	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Good	Good
Personality
	Affectionate Loving Does Not Like Being Alone	Affectionate Does Not Like Being Alone Stubborn
Living Environment
Apartment	No	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	Yes	Yes
Medium Yard	Yes	Yes
Large Yard	Yes	No
Temperature Tolerance ¹	50°F to 80°F	30°F to 85°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	Very High	High
Exercise Required	High-Very High	Medium-High
Top Running Speed	20 mph	18 mph
Strength	Low	Medium
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Low	Low
Shedding	Low	Low
Dander	Low	Low
Drool Amount	None	None

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	Australian Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	No
Independent	No	Yes
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	Yes	Yes
Average	No	No
Focused & Patient	No	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	Below Average	Average
Chasing	Average	High
Follow Commands	Average	Below Average
Fighting	Below Average	Very Low
Guarding	Below Average	Very Low
Herding	Below Average	Very Low
Hunting	Average	Average
Protection	Below Average	Very Low
Remove Vermin	High	High
Sledding	Very Low	Very Low
Watch	High	Below Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Australian Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Lifespan
Lifespan	11-14 yrs.	11-16 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Atopic Dermatitis	No	Yes
Cataracts	No	Yes
Craniomandibular Osteopathy	No	Yes
Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy	No	Yes
Hyperplastic Dermatosis	No	Yes
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	No	Yes
Legg-perthes Disease	No	Yes
Patellar Luxation	No	Yes
Pulmonary Fibrosis	No	Yes
White Dog Shaker Syndrome	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Australian Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Coat
Fur	Yes	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	Yes
Coat Texture
Rough	Yes	No
Shaggy	No	Yes
Wavy	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Medium	Yes	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black	Yes	No
Black & Red	Yes	No
Black & Tan	Yes	No
Blue & Tan	Yes	No
Red	Yes	No
Sandy	Yes	No
White	Yes	No
Solid White	No	Yes