The West Highland White Terrier, often simply called the Westie is a small, sturdy dog. The head is in proportion to the body and when viewed from the front gives off a round appearance. The blunt muzzle is slightly shorter than the skull and tapers towards the nose. There is a defined stop. The nose is black. The teeth meet in a scissors bite with teeth that are large in proportion to the dog. The almond-shaped, deep-set, dark brown eyes are set wide apart. The ears are erect set wide apart on top of the head, triangular in shape coming to a point. The legs are somewhat short but not too low to the ground. The undocked tail is relatively short, about 5-6 inches (12.5-15 cm.) long, thicker at the base and tapering to a point. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The double coat has a straight, hard outer coat that is about 2 inches long (5 cm.) and a soft, dense undercoat. Coat colors come in solid white.

West Highland White Terriers are game and hardy little terriers, which are easy to train. They are fairly friendly toward strangers and get along well with children. Easy dog to travel with. They are lively and extremely self-assured toward other dogs, but will not pick fights, if their owners know how to display proper leadership.