Like all its near relations, the West Highland was bred to be an earth dog. Its conformation and temperament were intended to facilitate this purpose.
                A correctly built Westie should never give the impression of being square nor of starting to resemble the Scottie.
                With a good definite 'body overhang' in front and the 'butt behind the rear' the total body of the Westie should definitely be longer than it is tall.
                - "When erect, the tail is never extended above the top of the skull."

                This young dog, without lots of head furnishings, shows desired head proportions in profile. He also shows a nice blending of the neck into the shoulders. A lovely example of nicely blended coat, and shows correct stripping down the foreleg. He has a longish tail, but it is not above the top of the skull.

                Though not in true profile this dog shows a good outline. You can see a correct muzzle to backskull ratio on a mature dog with mature furnishings. At first glance the muzzle may look short, partially due to the way the backskull is groomed.

                This head shows the expression desired. Note the width between the eyes and the ears, the muzzle to backskull proportions, the large nose, and the wide and blunt muzzle.

                A very nice head on a young bitch. Shows the chrysanthemum shape from the front and head hair does not look overly teased. Shows a large nose, good width between eyes and ears. Pigment on ears could be darker.


               Head:
                To balance the strong powerful jaws required to do its work the Westie needs width of backskull. You want a good handful, between the zygomatic arches, when you feel the backskull. To have this broad skull and powerful jaws the dog must have sufficient bone, frequently referred to as 'having bone'. The first place I check for correct bone is the backskull, and if the head is not sufficiently broad the rest of the dog is probably lacking enough bone.
                With further examination of the skull, you should find that it is slightly longer than the muzzle, as 3: 2 (pictures #18 & 19), with a well defined stop. Your thumb should find a definite 'block', the defined/distinct stop asked for, and should not just slide up between the eyes. As the result of the well-defined stop and the heavy bony ridge over the eyes, for protection of the eyes, the eyes will look 'slightly sunk in the head'.
                Grooming can make the stop look more pronounced than it actually is, so be sure to feel for the stop. The Westie muzzle should be strong and blunt with jaws that are level and powerful.(picture #20) Powerful jaws are needed to hold the strong teeth asked for. This strong, blunt foreface should finish with a fairly large black nose.
                The standard asks for teeth that are large for the size of the dog and for six incisors between canines in both jaws. Not stated in the standard is that these six incisors should have a flattish appearance rather than appearing curved (actually the result of the blunt jaw). While most of us prefer a scissors bite, the standard says level is acceptable.
                Occasionally you might find a Westie whose lower incisors grow at an angle, causing what appears to be an under or overshot condition, but the canines mesh perfectly. When this occurs it is unlikely that there is an abnormality in the jaw structure and thus this condition should not be penalized to the same degree as is a jaw in which the canines do not mesh.
                We all know that expression is a combination of skull, eye placement, color and shape as well as ear size, shape and placement. In Westies the piercing, pert expression desired is partially created by eye placement, size, shape and color as well as the bony eyebrow ridges and correct stop. In a correct head the eyes will be widely set apart and be medium in size (pictures #23 & 24) and like so many standards asks for an almond shape. What is wanted is more of an oval shape, rather than the triangular shape. Close or poorly placed eyes can make the head look long. Small or 'beady black' eyes are not desired as they give a sharp look, but neither do we want a round eye.

                The Westie is one of the few naturally dark-skinned breeds. The dark pigmentation also contributes to the desired expression. Besides having the black nose the Westie should have black eye rims, black lips and the dark pigment should show through the hair on the inside of the ear.


               Neck:
                The Westie neck needs to be muscular and broad at the base where it is well set on sloping shoulders.
                No matter how attractive that long, swanlike neck is, it is not practical for the job the Westie was expected to perform and should be faulted. Both thin necks and short necks are a result of incorrect shoulders; thin necks usually being the result of upright shoulders.

                While not in true profile, this shows a neck that blends well into the shoulders and is the correct length. The coat is well-blended, showing a correct outline of a Westie. From withers to tail is shortly shorter than from withers to ground, yet the back looks short. This is partially due to grooming, but also to the ribs which come well back.

                This stylish bitch shows good overall balance. She displays a broad muscular neck, despite the hair built up over the withers. Her back looks short partially due to the grooming. She has a nice short, straight tail. The legs are stretched a tad too far back.

                This is the same bitch as seen in the previous photo. Here her balance is somewhat off due to the neck looking too long, as a result of the photo angle. Also, her back looks shorter here due to the angle of the tail.

                Regarding the front assembly, as mentioned earlier, the Westie's shoulders should be sloping.
                The upper arm is approximately the same length as the shoulder blade. As for the forelegs, they should be relatively short (about the length of the upper arm), muscular and well boned. The standard says the feet may be turned out slightly.
                The slight turn out should in no way affect the dog's movement. When examining the Westie you should find a compact, strongly built body. The chest should be well let down, extending to the elbows and you should be able to get at least 3-4 fingers between the front legs. The ribs should be deep and well arched in the upper half, then taper, and there should be considerable depth to the back ribs.
                Specifications regarding depth of chest and back ribs are important features of the breed related to its work as an earth dog. A Westie without enough spring/arch in the upper half of the ribs will likely have legs that are too close together. The loin area should be short, strong and broad with some width across it when looking down on it.

               Legs:

                This page represents variations on leg length and how overall balance is affected by these changes. The picture on the left is the original photo of a 10", mature bitch. In the middle photo the legs have been shortened slightly, making her seem longer in body. The change in the photo on the right was to make the legs a tad longer, thus making her appear shorter bodied. Nothing but leg length was changed.

                This well balanced bitch, despite standing in grass, shows the forechest desired as well as 'butt behind'. Her neck blends nicely into the shoulders. Her back is level with an appropriate set on of tail.

                This dog at first glance appears stylish, though somewhat taller than desired. A closer look shows that there is not the desired forechest and the front legs look to be too far forward, possibly due to a short upper arm. Overall balance is off somewhat, with the dog starting to look too square.

               Tail:

                An excellent example of the correct Westie tail, wider at the base (carrot-shaped). This photo also shows a well groomed head with a large nose, good space between the eyes and ear. Head furnishings display the desired chrysanthmum shape.
                The standard is fairly specific about what kind of tail a Westie should have. When it says " good substance and shaped like a carrot", it is referring to more than grooming. The tail should actually feel wider/broader at the base than at the tip, and should be set on high enough so that there is no dip in the back just in front of the tail.
                When the standing dog is viewed from the rear, its hind legs should not be set wide apart, nor groomed to present a wide appearance. The hocks should be parallel and short and if you can see the shoulders, from the rear, more than likely the rear is too narrow.(picture #50) The rear assembly should be approximately the same width as the front assembly.

                The tail on this mature, top winning Westie, while objectionable to some, is in my opinion as well as others not desired but is perfectly acceptable. He had many other qualities to reward.

                Westie's gait. should be powerful with reach and drive, with good ground covering movement. Overall ability to move is best evaluated from the side.
                The topline should be level, whether standing or moving.(picture #51) In order for the Westie to move correctly its head should be no higher than the 11:00 position

                An example of correct front movement coming towards you and approaching single tracking. You can see the straight line from shoulder to foot as the entire leg inclines to the midline.

                A correct Westie rear moving away from you. You can see the straight line from hip to foot is a straight line. Also, note that you can see the entire pad and the dog is not tracking wide.


               Coat:
The first sentence in the coat section is a most profound truth. Coat IS very important and is seldom seen to perfection. It also affects the dog's balance and overall appearance. The Westie is to be double-coated with a hard tight jacket, the standard says about 2'" in length. This double coat was what kept the dog warm in the inclement weather of the Scottish Highlands. The outer coat should be straight and impeccably hard, wiry to the touch, with no suggestion of fluff or softness. It should protect the dog from the elements and the jacket should be virtually waterproof.


               Temperament:
what to expect regarding Westie temperament - an individual full of self-confidence, extremely alert to its environment. Good temperament is reflected in the jaunty swagger, an alert, self-reliant Westie displays as it goes around the ring.