West Highland White Terrier

A healthy Westie typically lives 12-16 years, which is good longevity for a small dog. The realistic qualifier is quality of those years: the breed's heavy load of chronic conditions — especially atopic skin disease and, later in life, pulmonary fibrosis — shapes the experience more than the headline number. Longevity is best protected by keeping the dog lean, managing skin disease early and consistently, and buying from parents screened by DNA test for the breed's inherited diseases.

Yes, generally — Westies are confident, friendly, sturdy, and typically good with children, especially when raised with them, and their robust build handles family life better than many toy breeds. The honest caveats are terrier traits: alert barking, a strong prey drive around small pets, digging, and an independent streak. Supervise interactions with very young children, socialise early, and accept that some vocal, busy terrier behaviour is part of the package rather than a fault to eliminate.

Because the breed is genuinely predisposed to atopic dermatitis — a heritable allergic skin disease that affects roughly a quarter of Westies and is often more severe in this breed than in many others. It is not poor care; it is genetics. The itching, recurrent ear infections, and skin inflammation are lifelong to manage rather than curable. The practical takeaway is to budget for veterinary skin management, act at the first signs rather than waiting, and treat it as a core ownership cost.

Yes, by default — this is hardwired, not a training failure. Westies were bred as working terriers to alert handlers to prey, so they bark readily at visitors, noises, and movement, functioning as a self-appointed alarm. Early training and socialisation can reduce nuisance barking substantially, but expecting a silent dog is unrealistic for the breed. For apartment dwellers especially, plan to actively manage barking from puppyhood rather than assuming the dog will grow out of it.

Moderately — they are intelligent and capable but independent and stubborn, a classic terrier combination. They respond best to short, engaging, positive-reinforcement sessions and consistency; harsh or repetitive drilling backfires. Recall is the weak point because the prey drive overrides commands once a Westie is locked onto a small animal or scent, so secure spaces and leads matter. Expect training to be an ongoing negotiation with a clever dog rather than quick, reliable obedience.

Yes, with management. Their small size and adaptability suit apartments, and they do not need a large yard, but two breed traits need active handling: the alert barking can disturb neighbours, and they still need 30-60 minutes of daily exercise plus mental stimulation to avoid boredom-driven digging and noise. An apartment Westie does well when its owner commits to barking training and consistent daily activity; it does poorly left under-exercised and under-stimulated in a small space.