Chestie

5-10 lbs
8-10"
North America
Chihuahua
West Highland White Terrier
Chiwestie, Chi-Westie

The Chestie is a small scruffy faced looking dog that is a cross between the Chihuahua and West Highland White Terrier. These playful, energetic hybrids tend to make great companions for owners who live busy lives as they often are low maintenance and require little exercise. They can be a bit demanding and want your attention most of the time - this can be an endearing characteristic if you have the availability. Owners of the Chestie say they are an affectionate dog that provides wonderful companionship.

purpose Purpose
Companion
history Date of Origin
Unknown
ancestry Ancestry
Chihuahua and West Highland White Terrier

Chestie Health

Average Size
Male Chestie size stats
Height: 8-10 inches Weight: 5-10 lbs
Female Chestie size stats
Height: 8-10 inches Weight: 5-10 lbs
Major Concerns
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
  • Collapsed Trachea
Minor Concerns
  • Deafness
  • Cherry Eye
Occasional Diagnoses
  • Cushing’s Syndrome
Occasional Tests
  • X-Rays
  • Fluorescein Test
  • Blood Tests
  • General Physical Examination
  • Blood Chemistry

Chestie Breed History

Commonly known as the Westie, the West Highland White Terrier originates from Poltalloch, Scotland and is thought to have originated during the 17th century. The Westie back then was bred to hunt rats, badgers and foxes, however, today they are regarded mostly as companion pets. Bred by Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch, the once wheaten colored dog owned by this hunter was mistakenly taken for a fox and thereby met his demise. To avoid another sad event such as this, Colonel Malcolm furthermore bred only a white terrier with which to hunt. This feisty breed joined the American Kennel Club in 1908. The Chihuahua is a small toy breed dog that shares its ancestry with another desert dwelling dog known as the Techichi, which was a breed that dates back to ancient Mayan times. A dog thought to be a healer and a spiritual being, he was revered, yet also cremated when his owner passed so that he could assist the person as he travelled to the other side. He was accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1904 and at one point was the 30th most popular dog on their roster. This combination of dogs makes for a fun and spritely addition to any home.

Chestie Breed Appearance

The Chestie is a small breed dog that is considered to be quite fine-boned. These hybrids tend to have dark, round eyes that may bulge a bit as is seen in the Chihuahua parent, and short to medium length muzzles with a black or brown nose. They often stand no more than 10 inches in height and will have short legs that can be small in form or somewhat more stocky like the Westie parent. Depending on the dominant parental genes, Chesties can  have coats that are medium to long in length that will be fawn, cream, white, black or brown in color. The ears are often upright with a rounded tip, however, sometimes Chesties will have slightly flopped down ears. Generally, you may find feathering of the fur to be distributed on the muzzle area, ears, and chest. The tail may be upright or hang down and will not be overly thick.

Eye Color Possibilities
brown Chestie eyes
Brown
Nose Color Possibilities
black Chestie nose
Black
Coat Color Possibilities
cream Chestie coat
Cream
brown Chestie coat
Brown
black Chestie coat
Black
fawn Chestie coat
Fawn
white Chestie coat
White
Coat Length
coat
Short Medium Long
Coat Density
coat density
pin
Sparse Normal Dense
Coat Texture
coat texture
Chestie wiry coat texture
Straight Wiry Wavy Curly Corded

Chestie Breed Maintenance

Chesties are low maintenance dogs as they are pretty small in size and don’t have excessively long coats. Brushing on a weekly basis with the pin brush should be sufficient in keeping the coat of this cute hybrid looking sharp and neat. If his fur is short and smooth, the slicker brush will do a good job as well. In general, he is a clean little dog and should not require bathing often, unless he tends to like to roll in the mud. Always use a veterinarian approved shampoo when he does need a clean-up. His nails will need a trim every few weeks and because he is small and has tiny teeth, there could be a chance he will have dentition problems or tartar accumulation. Daily brushing is recommended if at all possible.

Brushes for Chestie
Pin Brush
Pin Brush
Slicker Brush
Slicker Brush
Nail Clipper
Nail Clipper
Brushing Frequency
fur daily fur weekly fur monthly
Chestie requires weekly brushing
Daily Weekly Monthly

Chestie Temperament

The Chestie is a fairly active dog that is quite devoted and loyal to their owners. Your Chestie may have the tendency to be clingy and demanding and follow you everywhere you go. The downfall to the characteristic is that Chesties do not like being left alone, so separation anxiety might be common. If you are someone who is not home that often, or who works outside the home all day, you may want to shop around for another type of hybrid. Doggy daycare is an option as long as your dog is socialized early in life. A lonely dog can develop the habit of excessive barking, a common trait seen in this hybrid. In regards to children and other pets, Chesties are often quite friendly and playful, however, they may nip if a child is too rough with them.

Chestie Activity Requirements

As the Chestie is a small hybrid he does not need a lot of exercise but will be happiest if you walk him two or three times a day. These can be short walks, just a quick promenade around the block to see what is going on in the neighborhood. Obedience training, playing with toys, going to small dog play groups, and visits to the dog park are other options that he will enjoy. However, it is important to be careful when going to dog parks as Chesties may get hurt when playing with larger dog breeds. Your hybrid will be comfortable in any living environment as long as he has your company.

Activity Level
low activity medium activity high activity
Low Medium High
Rec. Walk Mileage Per Week
8 miles
walk mileage
Minutes of Activity Per Day
30 minutes
activity minutes

Chestie Food Consumption

Cups Per Day
1 cups
cup per day cost
Daily Cost
$0.70 - $1.00
food bowls daily cost
Monthly Cost
$20.00 - $30.00
food bag monthly cost

Chestie Owner Experiences

Daisy
4 Years
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Daisy is a rescue we've had for 3 months now. She's quite attached to us now, especially me. She's very affectionate and will get up on her hind legs for a treat. She makes us laugh which is a wonderful addition to our lives! She's very friendly and thinks she needs to say hello to everyone on walks which can be a problem as she gets very anxious about it if we don't. She's not very good with our cat, barks and chases her. So we're working on that too. She's not fully housebroken so likes to use the rug to pee on. So she's got a couple of things to work on , but for sure a keeper, I love her!
2 years, 3 months ago
Jeff(Jeffee)
4 Months
2 People
Studio
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Everything. Playing, training, napping, snuggling
I love my chestie and wish I had known about the breed sooner. I've never had such a sweet, hilarious, fun, smart or adorable dog. He hugs me. Literally puts his head on my shoulder and hugs me. He does just fine in our studio apartment and gets along with our other Chihuahua/cairn terrier. Also potty trained very quickly and doesn't bark except when someone knocks or he doesn't recognize them. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
3 years, 2 months ago
mabel
2 Years
6 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
She’s a lovely dog and loves other dogs too. she’s very protective over her loved ones and is very good with young children. she’s not naughty at all and loves to cuddle in bed. i would deffo recommend getting one.
3 years, 3 months ago
Capone Gates
3 Months
3 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Walks
He is the most loving, sweet, feisty, cute little buddy. He is never left alone, he will destroy anything and everything in his line of sight if he gets locked out of a room while cleaning is going on. He loves to sleep with us. He has yet to get the potty training down yet. He is making progress. He loves car rides, walks, being the center of attention and he likes an occasional kitty treat from the liter box.(we have since placed the litter box in a puppy free zone) His favorite food is chicken and gravy. But he loves and occasional French fry as well :) We love him and could not be any happier with our choice.
6 years, 9 months ago
Jonas
6 Years
2 People
Apartment
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Since we adopted Jonas three years ago, he has traveled cross country twice. He has lived in SoCal, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Washington DC. He has adapted well to all locations. As long as he knows he has us, he is fine.
6 years, 7 months ago
Dunkin
3 Years
1 People
House
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Road trip
Fetch
Hike
Dunkin is the most affectionate dog I've ever had. I didn't think I was much of a small dog person after having labs all my life but he has all their friendliness and playfulness with way less maintenance. He has major separation anxiety and cries every time I leave, but rather than let this be a hindrance, I got him certified as a therapy dog and he now joins me at work several days a week. He's so well behaved at work and sweet toward people and other dogs alike. He was found as a stray before I adopted him and there's no evidence anyone owned him before but I find it so hard to believe based on his manners. I am not big on exercise so the only activity he gets is running back and forth for toys, but this seems to be adequate, as he's in great health. The only health issue we've had so far are hard stools and that's because he doesn't like to drink water when I'm gone. I haven't gone swimming with him yet, but he does get pretty anxious around the hose and sprinklers, so that'll be an interesting adventure.
6 years, 3 months ago
Buddy
1 Year
5 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
Walks
Buddy is the most affectionate dog I've ever had. I didn't think I was much of a small dog person after having labs all my life but he has all their friendliness and playfulness with way less maintenance. He has major separation anxiety and cries every time I leave, but rather than let this be a hindrance, I got him certified as a therapy dog and he now joins me at work several days a week. He's so well behaved at work and sweet toward people and other dogs alike. He was found as a stray before I adopted him and there's no evidence anyone owned him before but I find it so hard to believe based on his manners. I am not big on exercise so the only activity he gets is running back and forth for toys, but this seems to be adequate, as he's in great health. The only health issue we've had so far are hard stools and that's because he doesn't like to drink water when I'm gone. I haven't gone swimming with him yet, but he does get pretty anxious around the hose and sprinklers, so that'll be an interesting adventure.
5 years, 12 months ago
Hot Diggity Dawg
5 Years
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Diggity was a rescue when we adopted him 1-1/2 years ago. What a jewel! We were told he likes to walk around with a tennis ball in his mouth. One month later he totally destroyed his tennis ball. We chose to replace it with a racquetball instead. He LOVES it. We got tired of bending over to pick it up, so we popped it with our feet for him to chase. From that, he learned on his own to kick it back to us...soccer remains his favorite game. That ball goes everywhere with him, and is how he greets all familiar visitors to our home. His love of car rides saved us a lot of running when he escaped the yard in the first few months. He ran; we drove. Once the car door opened, he jumped right in! He has learned all the cues that we are leaving, and cries to go with us. When he can't, he finds his spot on the back of the sofa, settles down, and watches us from the window. He has not exhibited separation anxiety because we are home most of the time, but he would still prefer to go with us. With all that energy, he is still the consummate Velcro dog. He follows us everywhere he is allowed, and is perfectly content to snuggle for hours. Diggity adores children of all ages, and wants to be friends with all dogs that walk by. He barks incessantly at cats, but his tail is wagging and his ears are back on his head (his expression of joy). I'm not sure what he would do if he ever got close to one!
5 years, 3 months ago
Sam
6 Years
4 People
House
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
He is a good dog, he loves being around the family and getting brushed.
4 years, 8 months ago
Bimbo
4 Months
1 People
Apartment
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
training
Tug-of-war
Run
Bimbo is hyper, energetic, affectionate and super friendly. Requires little maintenance when I'm around, but my absence pulls out the separation anxiety which leads onto the high level maintenance. He's well behaved, a bit clingy when I'm around, but when there are other people around he gets super distracted (in a friendly manner), and tends not to listen. He can play with his squeeky toy all day long by himself but this is when I'm around- once he senses my absence he blasts out the separation anxiety and moans all day long. He tends to tilt his neck and I assumed that he had lotta curiosity (I was informed that the dogs tend to do then when they are curious) but I was informed by vet that he has a neck distortion problem which cannot be corrected. I suppose besides that he's all good in health. Super smart, I enjoy training him, doesn't like water at all and hates bath. He tends to eat his poop and splits them and spreads them all over the place.. again, this mainly I believe is because of the separation anxiety, I don't know if others have the similar experience?
4 years, 3 months ago
Chester
8 Years
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Watching tv
Great dog He’s well mannered
4 years, 1 month ago
Lucky
4 Years
3 People
Apartment
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Walking
Fetch
Tug of war
Running
playing with other dogs
Lucky is such a good dog. Incredibly affectionate, follows me everywhere. When we went to see him, we had to keep him as I picked him up and he clung to my shirt and wouldn't let go. He's very loving but also incredibly excitable to the point where sometimes it's tiring. His health is great except sometimes on longer or more intensive walks he will do what sounds like a "goose honk" cough - not sure if this is related to the collapsed trachea predisposition!
3 years, 8 months ago
Book me a walkiee?
Pweeeze!
Sketch of smiling australian shepherd