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50 free West Highland White Terrier trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This West Highland White Terrier trivia quiz covers the Westie from James VI's gift of white terriers to France to Crufts Best in Show. History questions run through the Armada-wreck legend on Skye, the Duke of Argyll's Roseneath Terrier, Dr Flaxman's Pittenweem line, Edward Malcolm's decision to breed white dogs after a reddish terrier was shot as a fox, the first appearance of the name in a 1908 otter-hunting book, Kennel Club recognition in 1907 and Robert Goelet's first American imports. The breed section covers weight and height, the harsh double coat and hand-stripping, why the paws turn out, temperament and Coren's ranking, and the health issues an owner should know: 'Westie jaw', atopic dermatitis, Armadillo Westie Syndrome, white dog shaker syndrome and the liver findings. Show history includes Ch. Morvan, Wolvey Pattern of Edgerstoune's 1942 Westminster win and the Crufts victories of Dianthus Buttons, Olac Moon Pilot and Burneze Geordie Girl, plus the whisky label that made the Westie a global icon. Questions run from easy to expert with a difficulty score on each, so it suits a family quiz or a devoted Westie owner. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia and breed references and each question carries its citation. Also try our Dogs and Scotland quizzes.
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Q 01The West Highland White Terrier is a breed from which country?
Scotland
It is a cousin of the Cairn Terrier and was long regarded as a white offshoot of the Scottish and Cairn Terriers.
Q 02Which laird is credited with creating the modern breed from his Poltalloch Terrier?
Edward Donald Malcolm
In 1903 he insisted he did not want to be known as the creator and asked for his white terriers to be renamed.
Q 03Malcolm reportedly turned to breeding white terriers after one of his reddish-brown dogs was what?
Mistaken for a fox and shot
The first generation of Poltallochs still had sandy coats but already showed the prick ears of the modern breed.
Q 04The Roseneath Terrier, a white Scottish terrier related to the Westie, was bred by which nobleman?
The 8th Duke of Argyll
George Campbell was chief of Clan Campbell; American fanciers first knew the Westie under the Roseneath name.
Q 05Dr Americ Flaxman of Fife bred which line of white terriers from a Scottie that kept producing white pups?
Pittenweem
After drowning more than 20 white pups he decided whiteness was an ancient Scottie trait trying to reappear, and set out to breed for it.
Q 06Which Scottish king ordered a dozen white terriers from Argyll as a gift to France?
James VI
White dogs were then thought weak, and sandy or brindle terriers were considered hardier.
Q 07Legend says white Spanish dogs reached which Scottish island from an Armada wreck in 1588?
Skye
Clan Donald was said to have kept their descendants distinct, and Clan MacLeod chiefs also kept white terriers.
Q 08The name 'West Highland White Terrier' first appeared in print in a 1908 book about hunting what?
Otters
L.C.R. Cameron's Otters and Otter Hunting gave the breed the name it still carries.
Q 09In which year did the Kennel Club recognise the Westie and the breed first appear at Crufts?
1907
The first breed club had been set up in 1904 with the 10th Duke of Argyll as president.
Q 10Who imported the first Westies, Ch. Kiltie and Ch. Rumpus Glenmohr, into the United States in 1907–1908?
Robert Goelet
The AKC recognised the Roseneath Terrier Club in 1908; it became the West Highland White Terrier Club of America the following year.
Q 11Until which year were UK Westie pedigrees allowed to include Cairn and Scottish Terriers?
1924
By Malcolm's death in 1930 a stable type had emerged: prick ears, white coat and a short back.
Q 12How much does a typical Westie weigh?
15–20 lb
Average height is 10–11 inches at the withers, and the body should be shorter than the dog's height at the shoulder.
Q 13Why are a Westie's paws slightly turned out?
For grip on rocky ground
The breed was built to work small rodents among the rocks and cairns of the Highlands.
What colour are the nose and footpads of a newborn Westie puppy?
Q 21The nickname 'Westie jaw' refers to which condition, an overgrowth of jaw bone in young dogs?
Craniomandibular osteopathy
It is autosomal recessive, usually appears before one year, and often stops progressing by the time the dog turns one.
Q 22The jaw-bone overgrowth condition also appears in which unrelated giant breed?
Great Dane
Diagnosis is by X-ray showing thickened jaw bones, sometimes with raised calcium and enzyme levels in the blood.
Q 23Roughly what share of surveyed Westies are affected by atopic dermatitis?
About a quarter
Pink
The markings slowly turn black as the puppy ages.
Q 15How long can a Westie's rough outer coat grow?
About 2 inches
Show dogs have the coarse outer coat removed by hand-stripping; pets are usually clipped.
Q 16Besides pure white, what slight colour variation is seen in some Westies?
Light wheaten
The fur fills out the face to give the breed its characteristic rounded look.
Q 17How much daily exercise does a Westie need, according to the breed description?
About one hour
Bred to hunt rodents on farms, it is energetic and boisterous with a high prey drive.
Q 18Among the Scottish terriers, the Westie is described as what?
The most friendly
It is highly social, but rarely tolerates rough handling and can be food- and toy-possessive.
Q 19The Westie is tied for 47th place in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs with which breed?
Scottish Deerhound
That puts it almost exactly in the middle of the list, as 'average working/obedience intelligence'.
Q 20A 2024 British study gave the Westie what average life expectancy?
13.4 years
That beats the 12.7-year purebred average; a French study found 12.93 years, and litters run three to five pups.
It is a heritable chronic allergic skin condition that hits males more than females.
Q 24Hyperplastic dermatosis, found only in Westies, is colloquially known as what?
Armadillo Westie Syndrome
The severe chronic skin disease brings hair loss, thickened darkened skin and odour, and Malassezia yeast makes it worse.
Q 25Globoid cell leukodystrophy in Westies is caused by a lack of which enzyme?
Galactosylceramidase
Symptoms such as tremors and weakness show by 30 weeks and progress to limb paralysis; Cairns, Beagles and Pomeranians can also be affected.
Q 26'White dog shaker syndrome' was linked to coat-colour genes because it appeared mostly in Westies and which breed?
Maltese
It has since turned up in non-white breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier and Dachshund, disproving the theory.
Q 27In white dog shaker syndrome, how long do symptoms typically last in females?
Four to six weeks
Males, by contrast, can be affected for the rest of their lives; the tremors develop over one to three days.
Q 28A 2021 British study found Westies how many times likelier than other dogs to get hepatitis?
3.23×
They were also 3.87 times more likely to suffer hepatocellular death, and copper storage disease can cause the hepatitis.
Q 29The Westie is one of the breeds least likely to suffer which common knee problem?
Luxating patella
Legg–Calvé–Perthes hip degeneration does occur, but far less often than in the Australian Shepherd or Miniature Pinscher.
Q 30Ch. Morvan, the breed's first show champion in 1905, was registered at the time as what?
A Scottie
He won at seven months old, but lost the title when re-registered under the new breed name.