Cairn Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

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

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the Cairn Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are excellent choices for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both the Cairn Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are great with children.
Grooming - Both breeds have low maintenance coats, but the Cairn Terrier is easier to groom.
Barking - Both the Cairn Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are very vocal and will bark/howl frequently.

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Cairn Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

Breed Name	Cairn Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	Yes	Yes
Lifespan	14-15 yrs.	11-16 yrs.
Height	9-10 in.	14-16 in.
Weight	10-14 lb	15-20 lb
Intelligence	High	Average
History
Origin Country	UK (Scotland)	UK (Scotland)
Origin Year	1900 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
	Aggressive Loving Stubborn	Affectionate Does Not Like Being Alone Stubborn
Living Environment
Apartment	Yes	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	Yes	Yes
Medium Yard	Yes	Yes
Large Yard	No	No
Temperature Tolerance ¹	20°F to 80°F	30°F to 85°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	Medium	High
Exercise Required	Medium	Medium-High
Top Running Speed	18 mph	18 mph
Strength	Low	Medium
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium	Low
Shedding	None-Low	Low
Dander	None-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	Cairn Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	No	No
Independent	Yes	Yes
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	Yes
Average	Yes	No
Focused & Patient	No	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	Average	Average
Chasing	Average	High
Follow Commands	Below Average	Below Average
Fighting	Below Average	Very Low
Guarding	Below Average	Very Low
Herding	Below Average	Very Low
Hunting	High	Average
Protection	Below Average	Very Low
Remove Vermin	High	High
Sledding	Very Low	Very Low
Watch	Average	Below Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Cairn Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Lifespan
Lifespan	14-15 yrs.	11-16 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Atopic Dermatitis	No	Yes
Cataracts	Yes	Yes
Craniomandibular Osteopathy	Yes	Yes
Cryptorchidism	Yes	No
Glaucoma	Yes	No
Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy	Yes	Yes
Hyperplastic Dermatosis	No	Yes
Hypothyroidism	Yes	No
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	No	Yes
Legg-perthes Disease	Yes	Yes
Luxating Patella	Yes	No
Microvascular Dysplasia	Yes	No
Patellar Luxation	No	Yes
Portosystemic Vascular Anomaly	Yes	No
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	Yes	No
Pulmonary Fibrosis	No	Yes
White Dog Shaker Syndrome	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Cairn Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Coat
Hair	Yes	No
Fur	No	Yes
Coat Type
Wire Coat	Yes	No
Double Coat	No	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 Brindle	Yes	No
Brindle	Yes	No
Cream	Yes	No
Cream Brindle	Yes	No
Red	Yes	No
Red Brindle	Yes	No
Red Wheaten	Yes	No
Silver	Yes	No
Silver Brindle	Yes	No
Silver Wheaten	Yes	No
Wheaten	Yes	No
Wheaten Brindle	Yes	No
Solid White	No	Yes