Irish Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

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

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - The West Highland White Terrier is an excellent choice for new/inexperienced owners. The Irish Terrier is okay for new owners, but may not be as easy as the West Highland White Terrier.
Children - Both the Irish Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are great with children.
Grooming - The West Highland White Terrier is easier to groom than the Irish Terrier.
Barking - Both the Irish Terrier and West Highland White Terrier are very vocal and will bark/howl frequently.

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Irish Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier

Breed Name	Irish Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	Maybe	Yes
Lifespan	12-15 yrs.	11-16 yrs.
Height	16-18 in.	14-16 in.
Weight	21-27 lb	15-20 lb
Intelligence	Average	Average
History
Origin Country	Ireland	UK (Scotland)
Origin Year	1875 AD	1500 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Poor	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Good	Good
Personality
	Affectionate Loving Stubborn	Affectionate Does Not Like Being Alone Stubborn
Living Environment
Apartment	No	Yes
Indoor	No	Yes
Small Yard	No	Yes
Medium Yard	Yes	Yes
Large Yard	Yes	No
Temperature Tolerance ¹	40°F to 70°F	30°F to 85°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High	High
Exercise Required	High	Medium-High
Top Running Speed	22 mph	18 mph
Strength	High	Medium
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium	Low
Shedding	None-Low	Low
Dander	Low	Low
Drool Amount	None-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	Irish Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	No	No
Independent	Yes	Yes
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	Yes	Yes
Average	No	No
Focused & Patient	No	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	High	Average
Chasing	High	High
Follow Commands	Average	Below Average
Fighting	Average	Very Low
Guarding	Below Average	Very Low
Herding	Below Average	Very Low
Hunting	High	Average
Protection	Below Average	Very Low
Remove Vermin	Below Average	High
Sledding	Very Low	Very Low
Watch	Average	Below Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Irish Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Lifespan
Lifespan	12-15 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	Irish Terrier	West Highland White Terrier
Coat
Hair	Yes	No
Fur	No	Yes
Coat Type
Single Coat	Yes	No
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)
Red	Yes	No
Red Wheaten	Yes	No
Wheaten	Yes	No
Solid White	No	Yes