West Highland White Terrier Weight Chart by Age

Small breed

West Highland White Terrier puppies grow toward an adult weight of 15.0–20.0 lb (6.8–9.1 kg) under the American Kennel Club standard, which gives one range for both sexes; the charts below give the typical weight and the usual range at each month, for males and for females.

Quick answers

  • Adults weigh 15.0–20.0 lb (6.8–9.1 kg); the AKC standard does not separate the sexes for this breed.
  • At 6 months a typical male weighs 14.9 lb (6.8 kg) and a typical female 13.8 lb (6.3 kg) — about 75% of adult weight.
  • At 12 months a West Highland White Terrier is around 92% of its final weight.
  • Fully grown at about 14 months.

West Highland White Terrier weight chart by age

Male West Highland White Terrier weight by age

Male West Highland White Terrier weight by age, in kilogramspounds.
AgeTypicalUsual rangeLightest 1 in 10Heaviest 1 in 10
2 months mo2.35.01.6–3.13.5–6.9< 1.3< 2.8> 3.8> 8.4
3 months mo3.57.82.5–4.85.6–10.5< 2.1< 4.6> 5.6> 12.4
4 months mo4.810.63.5–6.47.8–14.1< 2.9< 6.4> 7.5> 16.5
5 months mo5.913.04.3–7.89.5–17.2< 3.6< 7.9> 9.1> 20.2
6 months mo6.814.95.0–8.911.0–19.7< 4.1< 9.1> 10.3> 22.8
8 months mo7.716.95.7–10.112.5–22.4< 4.7< 10.4> 11.7> 25.9
10 months mo8.218.06.1–10.813.4–23.8< 5.0< 11.1> 12.5> 27.5
12 months mo8.318.46.1–11.013.5–24.4< 5.0< 11.1> 12.9> 28.4
18 months mo8.819.56.5–11.614.4–25.5< 5.4< 12.0> 13.4> 29.5
24 months mo9.019.96.7–11.914.7–26.2< 5.6< 12.3> 13.7> 30.2

Female West Highland White Terrier weight by age

Female West Highland White Terrier weight by age, in kilogramspounds.
AgeTypicalUsual rangeLightest 1 in 10Heaviest 1 in 10
2 months mo2.24.91.7–2.93.7–6.5< 1.3< 3.0> 3.5> 7.8
3 months mo3.47.62.7–4.45.9–9.6< 2.2< 4.8> 5.2> 11.5
4 months mo4.610.23.6–5.87.9–12.9< 3.0< 6.6> 6.8> 15.0
5 months mo5.612.34.4–7.09.6–15.5< 3.6< 8.0> 8.2> 18.1
6 months mo6.313.84.9–7.910.9–17.4< 4.1< 9.1> 9.2> 20.3
8 months mo7.215.85.6–9.012.4–19.9< 4.7< 10.3> 10.5> 23.1
10 months mo7.616.86.0–9.513.2–21.0< 4.9< 10.9> 11.1> 24.5
12 months mo7.817.16.0–9.913.3–21.8< 5.0< 11.0> 11.6> 25.5
18 months mo8.218.16.4–10.314.2–22.8< 5.3< 11.8> 12.1> 26.6
24 months mo8.518.76.7–10.714.7–23.6< 5.6< 12.3> 12.4> 27.4

Half of West Highland White Terrier puppies weigh within the usual range. 1 in 10 weighs less than the lightest figure, and 1 in 10 more than the heaviest. The figures are scaled from the AKC adult range and from the weights of pet West Highland White Terriers measured in veterinary practice.

Weigh on the same scale at the same time of day where you can. The trend across several weighings tells you far more than any single row.

Reading the range

The American Kennel Club gives one range for both sexes, 15 to 20 lb, so the male and female charts above share one adult range. The breed standard itself sets height only.

The two charts still differ a little, because males and females grow on slightly different curves. Grown dogs differ more: in UK practice records males averaged about 1 kg more than females (O’Neill et al. 2019).

How a small breed grows

West Highland White Terriers reach roughly 25% of adult weight at 2 months, about 53% at 4 months, and around 92% at 12 months.

A toy breed is already at 30% of adult weight by 2 months and past 90% by its first birthday. A West Highland White Terrier that still looks unfinished at 10 months is therefore usually on schedule rather than behind, and is close to full size by its first birthday.

Where to go next

Other small breeds

Frequently asked questions

What is the average weight of a West Highland White Terrier?

An adult West Highland White Terrier weighs 15.0–20.0 lb (6.8–9.1 kg), according to the American Kennel Club breed standard, which gives one range for both sexes.

How much should a 3 month old West Highland White Terrier weigh?

At 3 months a typical male weighs 7.8 lb (3.5 kg) and a typical female 7.6 lb (3.4 kg). Half of males weigh 5.6–10.5 lb (2.5–4.8 kg), and half of females 5.9–9.6 lb (2.7–4.4 kg). A typical puppy is around 39% of its adult weight at this age.

How much should a 4 month old West Highland White Terrier weigh?

At 4 months a typical male weighs 10.6 lb (4.8 kg) and a typical female 10.2 lb (4.6 kg). Half of males weigh 7.8–14.1 lb (3.5–6.4 kg), and half of females 7.9–12.9 lb (3.6–5.8 kg). A typical puppy is about 53% of the way to adult weight.

How much does a 6 month old West Highland White Terrier weigh?

At 6 months a typical male weighs 14.9 lb (6.8 kg) and a typical female 13.8 lb (6.3 kg). Half of males weigh 11.0–19.7 lb (5.0–8.9 kg), and half of females 10.9–17.4 lb (4.9–7.9 kg).

How much does a 12 month old West Highland White Terrier weigh?

At 12 months a typical male weighs 18.4 lb (8.3 kg) and a typical female 17.1 lb (7.8 kg). Half of males weigh 13.5–24.4 lb (6.1–11.0 kg), and half of females 13.3–21.8 lb (6.0–9.9 kg). That is about 92% of final weight, with the rest filling in over the following months.

How big will my West Highland White Terrier get?

Dogs of this size that were weighed both as puppies and as adults ended up at about 1.9 times their 4-month weight, in records from US veterinary clinics. The calculator on the home page uses those records for the puppy’s own age and weight, and returns a range rather than one number.

When is a West Highland White Terrier fully grown?

Height is usually settled first; weight keeps filling in for longer. On the growth curve for its size, a West Highland White Terrier stays above 95% of adult weight from about 14 months, and the last 8% after its first birthday comes on slowly.

Do male and female West Highland White Terriers weigh different amounts?

The American Kennel Club gives one range for both sexes, 15 to 20 lb, so the male and female charts above share one adult range. Measured UK Westies do differ: adult males averaged 10.1 kg and females 9.0 kg (O’Neill et al. 2019), so expect a grown male to sit a little higher.

What size class is a West Highland White Terrier?

A small breed, defined by adult weight. That classification determines the growth curve used here: veterinary research shows dogs of similar adult size grow at similar rates regardless of breed.

Is my West Highland White Terrier puppy underweight if it is below the chart?

Not necessarily: 1 in 10 healthy puppies weighs less than the lightest figure in the table. What matters more is the trend. A puppy that drifts from one part of the range to a lower one is worth checking: look at its body condition and ask your vet about its diet. A single low reading is not a diagnosis.

How can I tell if my West Highland White Terrier is a healthy weight?

Body condition tells you more than the scale. You should be able to feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat without pressing, see a waist from above, and see the belly tuck up from the side. A dog can sit inside the weight range and still carry too much fat.

Why do West Highland White Terrier growth charts disagree with each other?

Most published charts come from one breeder’s litters or from unsourced rules of thumb, and many do not say whether the figures are for males, females or both. The ranges here come from centile curves fitted to millions of veterinary bodyweight records, scaled to the AKC adult range, and split by sex.

Does neutering change how much a West Highland White Terrier weighs?

The research behind these curves found neutering shifted growth trajectory only slightly, by less than the variation between individual dogs, so separate curves were not needed. Neutering is associated with a higher chance of becoming overweight in adulthood, which is a body condition question rather than a growth chart one.

How much does a West Highland White Terrier weigh in kg?

An adult West Highland White Terrier weighs 6.8–9.1 kg for both sexes under the American Kennel Club standard. A typical male weighs 3.5 kg at 3 months, 6.8 kg at 6 months and 8.3 kg at 12 months; a typical female 3.4 kg, 6.3 kg and 7.8 kg. The charts above give every month in kilograms, with a switch to pounds.

How much does a female West Highland White Terrier weigh?

The American Kennel Club standard gives one range for both sexes, 15.0–20.0 lb (6.8–9.1 kg); it does not publish a separate female figure. A typical female West Highland White Terrier weighs 10.2 lb at 4 months, 13.8 lb at 6 months and 17.1 lb at 12 months. Weight stays above 95% of the adult figure from about 14 months. The female chart above gives every month.

How much does a male West Highland White Terrier weigh?

The American Kennel Club standard gives one range for both sexes, 15.0–20.0 lb (6.8–9.1 kg); it does not publish a separate male figure. A typical male West Highland White Terrier weighs 10.6 lb at 4 months, 14.9 lb at 6 months and 18.4 lb at 12 months. Weight stays above 95% of the adult figure from about 14 months. The male chart above gives every month.

Where these numbers come from

Adult weights are the breed standard figures published by the American Kennel Club. The month-by-month ranges are estimates rather than measurements of this breed: they come from growth centile curves built from 8,754,779 bodyweight records from preventive-care and healthy visits, filtered from nearly 15 million collected at US primary-care veterinary hospitals and published open-access by Salt and colleagues, and scaled to the adult range above and to the weights of pet West Highland White Terriers measured in veterinary practice.

That research found dogs of similar adult size grow at similar rates regardless of breed, which is what makes the scaling valid. The records were collected between 1994 and 2013 and describe dogs attending veterinary clinics rather than an idealised population.

The derived table, the filtering steps and the known gaps are all published, so the arithmetic here can be checked rather than taken on trust.

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