Boston Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

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

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the Boston Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are excellent choices for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both the Boston Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are great with children.
Grooming - Both breeds have low maintenance coats, but the Boston Terrier is easier to groom.
Barking - Both breeds will bark frequently, but the West Highland White Terrier has the highest tendency to bark between the two.

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Boston Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

Breed Name	Boston Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	Yes
Lifespan	13-15 yrs.	11-16 yrs.
Height	13-15 in.	14-16 in.
Weight	10-25 lb	15-20 lb
Intelligence	Average	Average
History
Origin Country	United States	UK (Scotland)
Origin Year	1870 AD	1500 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Very Good	Good
Personality
	Affectionate Enjoys Attention Jealous Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Stubborn Willing To Please	Affectionate Does Not Like Being Alone Stubborn
Living Environment
Apartment	Yes	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	No	Yes
Medium Yard	No	Yes
Large Yard	No	No
Temperature Tolerance ¹	55°F to 80°F	30°F to 85°F
Barks/Howls	Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High	High
Exercise Required	Medium	Medium-High
Top Running Speed	15 mph	18 mph
Strength	Medium	Medium
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Low	Low
Shedding	Low	Low
Dander	Low	Low
Drool Amount	Low	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	Boston Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	No
Independent	No	Yes
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	Yes
Average	Yes	No
Focused & Patient	No	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	Very Low	Average
Chasing	Below Average	High
Follow Commands	Below Average	Below Average
Fighting	Below Average	Very Low
Guarding	Average	Very Low
Herding	Below Average	Very Low
Hunting	Below Average	Average
Protection	Below Average	Very Low
Remove Vermin	Average	High
Sledding	Below Average	Very Low
Watch	Average	Below Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Boston Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Lifespan
Lifespan	13-15 yrs.	11-16 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Allergies	Yes	No
Atopic Dermatitis	No	Yes
Brain Tumors	Yes	No
Cataracts	Yes	Yes
Cherry Eye	Yes	No
Craniomandibular Osteopathy	No	Yes
Deafness	Yes	No
Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy	No	Yes
Heart Murmurs	Yes	No
Hyperplastic Dermatosis	No	Yes
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	No	Yes
Legg-perthes Disease	No	Yes
Megaesophagus	Yes	No
Patellar Luxation	Yes	Yes
Pulmonary Fibrosis	No	Yes
Reverse Sneezing	Yes	No
White Dog Shaker Syndrome	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Boston Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Coat
Fur	Yes	Yes
Coat Type
Single Coat	Yes	No
Double Coat	No	Yes
Coat Texture
Straight	Yes	No
Shaggy	No	Yes
Wavy	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Short	Yes	No
Medium	No	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black & White	Yes	No
Black Brindle, & White	Yes	No
Brindle & White	Yes	No
Seal & White	Yes	No
Seal Brindle & White	Yes	No
Solid White	No	Yes