The West Highland white terrier, a dog that is known for being fun-loving, active, smart and loveable, is one of the smaller dogs, but he’s so much fun that even if you loved big dogs before, you’ll find yourself loving the smaller Westie in the end. He goes crazy when you take him for walks and loves car rides too.
When the Westie reaches adulthood, he should stand at a height of 10 to 11 inches tall in the male breed. If it’s a female, she will be a little smaller, but the weight ranges anywhere from 14 to 20 pounds.
The Origin of the Westie
The Westie first came from Scotland as a breed to handle hut vermin, but it turned out to be such a fantastic companion dog. With regular health checkups, he can live up to 15 years or more.
This bold little puppy might not ever reach to the size of the big dogs, but it’s like that example of a kitten looking in the mirror and seeing a lion. The Westie becomes a lion in a small dog’s body—at least, that’s how he sees himself.
For a small terrier, you might expect it to grow for a while. They will more or less take anywhere from six months to nine months before they have finished growing. At this point, they will add some muscle to their small frame, but the bone growth will mostly be at an end.
How Females Differ
Female tend to grow even less than the male. In fact, they won’t grow much beyond the first season, and they will also tend to pack muscle on their frame less slowly, which puts them in danger of gaining more weight.
The advantage of terriers, regardless of whether male or female is how they mentally never grow out of their puppy phase. Like with humans and growth, the age of maturity will vary considerably, and you must know this in advance. For example, you might take a seven-month-old female who has reached her adult size. Still, you might have another that only reached adult size at the tender age of one.
Usually, it takes anywhere from seven to 12 months before a Westie reaches adulthood.
Depends on the Dog
Like with humans, dogs have bigger ones and smaller ones that are considered the runt of the group. After about two years, you can rest assured your Westie has finished growing.
For example, one dog owner talked about how her Westie didn’t seem to stop growing until after she had reached 16 months.
One of the things that most dog owners will comment on with Westies when they have seen a lot of them is how their sizes range anywhere from the huge dogs that could be confused as mixed with something and the tiny Westies.
Another great difference between the sizes in the breed could be due to how it was bred. For example, pet Westies tend to be bigger, but if you had a Westie of show stock, they usually show themselves as quite petite.
An Old Adage
A lot of people have followed a system where the pup has finished with growing automatically once he has reached one year old. This, however, isn’t always true.
What are the signs that your pup has finally reached full maturity? First, his canines will have grown to full size, which happens anywhere from 12 months to 18 months old. Smaller breed like the Westie will, in most cases, have a full-sized frame after six to eight months, and they will have adult weight by the time they have reached 12 months.
Signs of Pup Maturity
Perhaps you’ve experienced life with a pup for a while now, and you’re praying he’ll finally settle down. You’re wondering, “How long will it take for this dog to grow up?”
Most dogs stay playful for the full extent of their lives, but you have a big difference between mature canines and the bouncy exuberant energy of a young pup. Not to mention, the dicey judgment that little Zippy always seems to make while getting himself in trouble around the home.
Puppies are full of life and energy, and they tend to demand tons of attention from the owners, but as the dog matures, they don’t need quite as much attention. That’s one of the ways that you can spot the difference between the two. An older dog will usually be fine spending time on his own.
Does your furry little troublemaker like to shred the morning newspaper and chew on the furniture with unrelenting enthusiasm? You should watch for signs that this behavior has begun to fade.
That signals your pup has reached a new level of maturity. Also, when you start to see your dog exercising more restraint, you can rest assured, he may have reached a point where he has stopped growing.
Great Family Dog
In general, the Westie has become a popular breed with families who have children because the dog tends to be super playful and full of life. He loves nothing more than playing with his human companions.
The Westie is also a smaller dog with a head that has the shape of a dome. Meanwhile, his muzzle is medium sized, and he has small ears that sit up high with sharp hearing.
Conclusion
For the most part, most Westies will reach adult size after 12 months, but you do have a few who continue to grow past that age.
For those who plan to bring home a puppy, they should make sure that they have mentally prepared themselves to live with a dog that is full of life and energy. Not everyone wants a dog like this, so sometimes it’s better to get an older dog. Do you have any questions or comments? If so, leave them in the comments below.