West Highland Corgi
12-15 yrs
20-30 lbs
9-12"
Unknown

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West Highland Corgi

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Dog Breeds
West Highland Corgi

20-30 lbs

9-12"

Unknown

West Highland White Terrier

Cardigan Welsh Corgi

West Highland Corgis are loyal, easy going, playful pets that adapt easily to any environment. They have a solid build despite their small size, and a friendly alert expression. These pups are intelligent and relatively easy to train, though they can be stubborn if they can’t identify an incentive to cooperate. Their medium length coats are easy to maintain and they are a generally healthy breed. They are social pups and will get along with all humans, and are great with other dogs. Their adaptability makes them great travel partners and they will happily go anywhere with you.

                
                Purpose
              
Companionship

                Date of Origin
              
Unknown

                Ancestry
              
West Highland White Terrier, Cardigan Welsh or Pembroke Welsh Corgi

West Highland Corgi Health

Average Size

Height: 9-12 inches Weight: 20-30 lbs

Major Concerns

Inguinal Hernias
Addison's Disease
Legg-Calve Perthes Disease

Minor Concerns

Intervertebral Disc Disease
Epilepsy
Craniomandibular Osteopathy
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Canine Glaucoma

Occasional Diagnoses

Patellar Luxation
Cataracts

Occasional Tests

X-Rays
Eye Examinations
Complete Physical Examination
Hip and Knee

West Highland Corgi Breed History

The West Highland White Terrier (or Westie) was bred to be a working dog in Scotland during the 1700s. Descended from other Terriers, these small, active dogs were used to hunt small animals like otters, foxes, and rats. Their coat originally came in a variety of colors but after an unfortunate hunting incident, in which one prized Westie was mistaken for a fox, other colors were bred out, leaving white as the only coat color. Westies were admitted into the American Kennel Club in 1908, and have been a popular breed in the US ever since. Both Welsh Corgis, the Cardigan (or Cardi) and the Pembroke (Pems) are ancient breeds whose heritage can be traced back for 3000 years. These sturdy dogs are descended from the Dachshund, the Collie, the Pomeranian, and the Vallhund, and have been historically used as herding dogs. In fact, these pups were so important to Welsh farmers that there were laws instated to punish people for stealing or harming them! Despite making excellent farm dogs, Corgis quickly worked their way into the hearts of their owners and have been commonly kept as pets for hundreds of years. Queen Elizabeth II has been an admirer of Pems since she was young. The Corgis were recognized as two separate breeds by the American Kennel Club in 1935; the most notable differences between the two are the coloring (Pems are always red and white) and the fact that Pems have no tail, while Cardis have a long tail. The West Highland Corgi is a recently developed hybrid breed and therefore not much is known about its history. However, based on the lovable, social nature of its parent breeds, it’s no doubt that these sturdy dogs will make amiable pets.

West Highland Corgi Breed Appearance

The West Highland Corgi inherits a medium length, coarse coat from its parent breeds. It will likely be primarily white, due to the dominance of white in the Westie lineage, however it may have patches of any color, which would be inherited from its Corgi parents. These patches may be red, black, brindle, sable, red merle, fawn, or blue merle. West Highland Corgis will likely have dark eyes, but on rare occasions they may have blue eyes. They have a rectangular shaped body, and short, stocky legs. They will likely have a short tail that is held high, however, it’s possible that they will have no tail at all. These dogs have a deep chest, a straight back, and a solid build, despite their small size. They expression is alert and friendly, and their large ears may be pointed or fold forward at the tip. Their teeth meet in a scissor bite.

Eye Color Possibilities

Blue

Brown

Nose Color Possibilities

Black

Brown

Coat Color Possibilities

Black

Fawn

Sable

Brindle

White

Brown

Blue

Coat Length

Short Medium Long

Coat Density

Sparse Normal Dense

Coat Texture

Straight Wiry Wavy Curly Corded

West Highland Corgi Breed Maintenance

The West Highland Corgi will have medium to long hair with an undercoat. Westies shed minimally, while Corgis are known for consistent heavy shedding. Weekly brushing should keep your pup’s shedding under control. Use a deshedder to remove the dead hair from the undercoat. Corgis tend to have thicker fur on their chest and hindquarters, so pay special attention to those areas. If your pup inherits the Westie’s long hair around the eyes, ears and mouth you may need to trim these areas to prevent matting. Thankfully the West Highland Corgi’s coat tends to shed dirt easily, and is not known for having a strong odor, so you can bathe your pup on an as needed basis. Be sure to trim your dog’s toenails about once a month. To make this process easier, introduce this practice when your dog is young so that it is comfortable having its feet handled. Weekly tooth brushing is highly recommended to prevent tartar buildup and reduce the risk of gum disease.

Brushes for West Highland Corgi

Pin Brush

Dematter

Deshedder

Scissors

Brushing Frequency

Daily Weekly Monthly

West Highland Corgi Temperament

The West Highland Corgi is a friendly, active, and social dog and makes a great family pet. These pups make great watchdogs because they will raise an alarm when they sense a disturbance to their environment, but they are not aggressive and will soon make friends with anyone once they realize there is no threat to them or their family members. West Highland Corgis love their humans and are very social. They may inherit herding instincts from their Corgi relatives and thus may nip and be mouthy, especially when young. This means they are not necessarily the best match for young children, though they do love youthful energy. The tendency to nip can be corrected with training. These dogs are generally friendly with other dogs, provided they are well socialized from puppyhood. If their Corgi genes are strong they may try to herd other animals and this may not be well-received, however, consistent socialization should prevent this from becoming an issue. Westies have a strong prey drive which may carry over to the West Highland Corgi, meaning they are not necessarily well suited to households with cats or other small pets. This is an intelligent dog who will learn quickly. Although they are smart they can be stubborn if they don’t feel like there is something in it for them, so be sure to reward them well during training! Corgis have a tendency to overeat, and gain weight very easily; because of this, feed your West Highland Corgis the appropriate amount of food for their size, and be careful not to offer too many treats! West Highland Corgis are active and playful. They will require daily walks and plenty of attention to keep them content and quiet. They have a tendency to bark when they are bored. These pups may develop separation anxiety when left alone for too long, but they are cheerful, fun loving companions and you will never want to leave them behind.

West Highland Corgi Activity Requirements

West Highland Corgis are active and playful. They need an outlet for their energy and their mind, as they are highly intelligent. About 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity each day should be sufficient. Always give your pup plenty of attention outside of walk time, as these are social dogs and they thrive on human attention. Because they are so smart these pups are great at agility and obedience trials, and will likely be great fetch partners. West Highland Corgis are easy going and adaptable. They are content living in any setting, though they can be yappy when they don’t receive sufficient exercise, so be sure to keep this in mind if you live in an apartment. They can adjust easily to any climate, though they favor the cold.

Activity Level

                  Low
                  Medium
                  High
                
Rec. Walk Mileage Per Week
7 miles

Minutes of Activity Per Day
45 minutes

Similar Maintenance Breeds to West Highland Corgi

Similarly Sized Breeds to West Highland Corgi

West Highland Corgi Food Consumption

Cups Per Day
2 cups
Daily Cost
$1.20 - $1.40
Monthly Cost
$34.00 - $45.00

West Highland Corgi Height & Weight

6 Months

                  Height: 5.5 inches
                  Weight: 12.0 lbs
                
                  Height: 5.0 inches
                  Weight: 11.0 lbs
                
12 Months

                  Height: 10.5 inches
                  Weight: 19.0 lbs
                
                  Height: 10.5 inches
                  Weight: 17.0 lbs
                
18 Months

                  Height: 10.5 inches
                  Weight: 25.0 lbs
                
                  Height: 10.5 inches
                  Weight: 25.0 lbs

Written by a Border Collie lover Janine DeVault

Published: 01/04/2018, edited: 02/24/2021

West Highland Corgi Owner Experiences

I have a set of "twins" (litter mates) name Punkin and Patch.

11 Years

2 People

House

Health

Grooming

Friendliness

Energy

Trainability

Pastimes

Two of the BEST dogs ever. They are a bonded pair and were adopted at one year old. They are the most loyal pups ever!!!

4 years, 5 months ago

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