West Highland White Terrier vs Lagotto Romagnolo

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

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the West Highland White Terrier and Lagotto Romagnolo are excellent choices for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both breeds are child friendly, but the West Highland White Terrier is the most friendly between the breeds.
Grooming - The West Highland White Terrier is easy to groom. The Lagotto Romagnolo has high grooming requirements.
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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West Highland White Terrier vs Lagotto Romagnolo

Breed Name	West Highland White Terrier	Lagotto Romagnolo
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	Yes	Yes
Lifespan	11-16 yrs.	15-17 yrs.
Height	14-16 in.	16-19 in.
Weight	15-20 lb	24-35 lb
Intelligence	Average	High
History
Origin Country	UK (Scotland)	Italy
Origin Year	1500 AD	1400 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Good
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Good
Stranger Friendly	Good	Good
Personality
	Affectionate Does Not Like Being Alone Stubborn	Affectionate Enjoys Attention Loving Does Not Like Being Alone
Living Environment
Apartment	Yes	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	Yes	No
Medium Yard	Yes	No
Large Yard	No	No
Temperature Tolerance ¹	30°F to 85°F	25°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High	Medium
Exercise Required	Medium-High	Medium
Top Running Speed	18 mph	18 mph
Strength	Medium	Medium
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Low	Medium
Shedding	Low	None
Dander	Low	None
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	West Highland White Terrier	Lagotto Romagnolo
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	No	Yes
Independent	Yes	No
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	Yes	No
Average	No	No
Focused & Patient	No	Yes
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	Average	Below Average
Chasing	High	Average
Follow Commands	Below Average	Average
Fighting	Very Low	Below Average
Guarding	Very Low	Below Average
Herding	Very Low	Below Average
Hunting	Average	Average
Protection	Very Low	Below Average
Remove Vermin	High	Below Average
Sledding	Very Low	Very Low
Watch	Below Average	Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	West Highland White Terrier	Lagotto Romagnolo
Lifespan
Lifespan	11-16 yrs.	15-17 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Atopic Dermatitis	Yes	No
Cataracts	Yes	No
Craniomandibular Osteopathy	Yes	No
Elbow Dysplasia	No	Yes
Epilepsy	No	Yes
Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy	Yes	No
Hip Dysplasia	No	Yes
Hyperplastic Dermatosis	Yes	No
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	Yes	No
Juvenile Cataracts	No	Yes
Legg-perthes Disease	Yes	No
Patellar Luxation	Yes	No
Pulmonary Fibrosis	Yes	No
White Dog Shaker Syndrome	Yes	No

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	West Highland White Terrier	Lagotto Romagnolo
Coat
Fur	Yes	No
Hair	No	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	No
Curly Coat	No	Yes
Coat Texture
Shaggy	Yes	No
Wavy	Yes	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Medium	Yes	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Solid White	Yes	No
Brown	No	Yes
Brown Roan	No	Yes
Off-white	No	Yes
Orange	No	Yes
White & Brown	No	Yes