Are Westhighland Terriers the Right Dogs for You?

You can look at westhighland terriers and know if it is the right size for your yard, home, or lifestyle, but a little more in-depth knowledge is necessary to determine if westies have the personality for you.

Westie terriers are exuberant little dogs, but owners do report that they are usually content to lie at their side throughout the day. However, once they are let outside, westies will want to run and jump and play. Like any dog, they require outside playtime every day. Westies are not dogs that perform well when left alone all day.

Some people describe them as obstinate and naughty. This is a trait of many terrier breeds, but westies dogs usually have it to a lesser degree. They are very independent, but they are also intelligent and easy to train if they handled in a firm, consistent way. Westie terriers are considered easy to housetrain, because of their natural desire to remain clean.

Most are not described as cuddlers. They are not lap dogs. However, they are extremely companionable, and want to be with you no matter what you do. You can take westie dogs just about anywhere that dogs are allowed to go.

They will bark to announce that a stranger is approaching. They make good guard dogs. They can be trained not to bark, or to bark once and then stop. Although they announce strangers, they are also extremely friendly with everybody.

Your westie terriers will get along with your children if they respect the dogs' boundaries. One that has been poked and pulled to the point of irritation will nip or become aggressive. Some authorities on westies do not recommend the dogs for homes with children under six years of age.

West highland white terriers were bred to chase down small prey. If a cat runs away, it will chase it. Westie rescue organizations report that the terrier's inability to tolerate cats can be a problem. Other small pets, such as rodents and birds, are not safe to run loose in a home with a westie terrier. Your westie will usually accept other dogs, although males are less likely to accept another unaltered male of any breed.

All terriers are also bred to dig prey out of the ground. They enjoy digging and will do so if they are allowed to learn the behavior when they are puppies. Older dogs that have already learned the behavior can be trained out of it.

Westie terriers' physical needs are fairly simple. They do not shed much, but require regular brushing, and grooming every six to eight weeks. It is better to let the hard, stiff coat shed dirt and debris naturally, rather than frequent bathing.

(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)

I do hope that you have found the article of use to you.

Good health and happiness

Jeff Cuckson
madaboutwesties.com
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Want To Know How To Have The Healthiest,
Happiest and Most Well Behaved Westie You Have Ever Dreamed Of! Then Visit NOW
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About the Author

By Jeff Cuckson

Author of....

”Mad About Westies!” .. How You Can Have The Healthiest, Happiest and Most Well Behaved Westie You Have Ever Dreamed Of!

"101 Kind and Positive Thoughts For Westie Owners On Rough Days!” - How to put a ray of sunshine into a Westie Owner’s dull grey day

”100 Top Westie Sites!”

”115 Travel Tips For Having a Successful Trip With Your Westie!”

Related Information of Interest:

6 Simple Tips To Help Potty Train Your Puppy
Potty training also known as toilet or house training is the art of teaching your puppy where you want him to relieve himself. Sound simple! Not exactly, at least to me and many dog owners out there. Potty training my puppy gives me the most problems and headaches when I start to house train my first puppy years ago.

It seems that my puppy is always either in the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time! Nevertheless, over the years, after much experiments and reading up, I’ve manage to come out with 6 simple tips to help potty train your dog.

1. Try to feed your puppy on a regular schedule and remove his water supply before bed time. His potty timing would be more predictable and consistent.

2. Puppy usually instinctively wants to relieve itself after feeding, sleeping, playing and confinement. Bring him to your designated area for his potty business after such activities.

3. Do not let your puppy wander off without supervision, potty training aside, it is dangerous for a young puppy to wander around by itself. Confined it in an area where you can see to prevent accidents and reward desired behaviors.

4. Be vigilance and always be on the look out. When you see your puppy sniffing and running around in circles, bring him to your designated spot immediately.

5. Give a command to help your dog associate the potty action with. For example, “Do it now” or “Go Potty”.

6. When he is doing his potty business, praise and reward. Praise and reward again after he’s finished.

Following these tips should help you considerably in potty training your puppy.

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of DogsObedienceTraining.com – The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

A Fundamental Dog Training Concept You Must Understand For S
I moved into a new house about 14 days ago.

The funny thing about this house is that--when you walk into the master bathroom, the light switch is on the left side, opposite of where the sink is.

Well, practically every other house I've ever lived in has always had the light switch on the right side--or at least on the same side as the sink.

And I'll be a monkey's uncle if EVERY SINGLE TIME I've walked into that bathroom, my hand doesn't instinctively reach to the right to turn the light switch on. Even after 14 days, my prior conditioning has been so engrained that when I consciously try to remember which side the light switch is on… my hand still shoot out to the right, instead of the left.

This is the exact same type of conditioning we aim for when training our dogs. And this is why I advise that--- even after your dog understands a command--you continue to say, "come" and then give a tug on the line… up to a year after the initial training session.

I want your dog to be so conditioned to respond to commands that it becomes an automatic response--just like turning to the right instead of the left, to turn on the bathroom light.

As I've already touched on this concept a few years ago in my book, which you can read more about at Dogproblems.com … I just had to share this experience with you, because it was so comical to the extent to which we animals (yes, we're animals too!) can develop conditioned responses.

Just like our dogs.

About the Author

Adam G. Katz is the author of the book, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History." Get a free copy of his report "Games To Play With Your Dog" when you sign up for his free weekly dog training tips e-zine at: www.dogproblems.com

A Funny True Life Dog Story
This is the story of my dog called Shandy. He was my favourite pet and he was very lively, lots of fun and very obedient. His main passion in life was to be taken for a long walk, culminating with a big run out in his favourite park.

I would try to take him on this walk everyday, weather permitting. The park itself was about three miles away from our house. To reach the park we had to cross a number of busy roads, however he would never pull or misbehave. He knew where we were heading and seemingly did not want to rock the boat and risk been taken home before he reached his dream destination.

At the park itself I would throw a ball and he would chase it and fetch it back to me.

At this stage I was living at home with my parents, however aged twenty two, I decided to rent my own bungalow near the coast in Devon. This was nearly two hundred miles away from my parents in home in Birmingham. This obviously meant I was no longer in the position to take Shandy on his walk.

I spoke to my parent, who reassured me that they would continue to take him on the walks.

Two weeks after I had left, I had a phone call from my mother. She was panicking, stating that Shandy had managed to escape from the back garden and that she could not find him. She insisted that she had been looking for hours but that there had been no sign of him.

I was quite worried and thought about where he may have gone to. "Have you been taking him on his walks to the park everyday?" I asked. She replied: "Most days" I asked her to try at the park, telling her that he loves that park etc. "He would not be there, its miles away." She said. I again asked her to try there. Luckily he was there quite happily sniffing around, unaware of the panic he had caused.

About the Author

Stephen Hill has a couple of websites at www.lasik-laser-surgery.co.uk and at www.stutter-stuttering.com.

Body Language Before Dog Bites
Dear Adam:

After catching up on doggy email, I've noticed your reference to submissive posture. Your book helped more than a professional trainer I hired for my adopted Golden. We went through biting and dominance issues. The problem I am having now is I still do not trust him 100%. When he bit there really wasn't any sign it was coming (that I noticed). Even now, the only sign that he doesn't like something is a lowered head and sometimes a low growl (the groomer told me this). This dog growls sometimes when he is happy. It is almost like someone taught him not to make any other noise in doors. Outside he will bark. I guess the big question is how do you read a dog's face, body, etc.?

Thanks,
Mark.

Dear Mark:

It's a tough situation you've got. You've really got to just pay close attention to the dog at any time you suspect she may display the aggression. The most common indicators that I used when working with clients who had aggressive dogs was to watch:

1. The mouth. A dog will always pull has mouth closed tight just before he bites.

2. Body language. The dog's body language will get stiff and still just before he bites. Especially watch the stillness. It's very subtle, but at the same time very noticeable once you train your eye to look for it.

There are other things that you could look for depending on the dog and the type of aggression. However, you need to recognize that there are ALWAYS cues... it's just a matter of whether we are quick enough (or aware enough) to catch them.

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book (click below): tinyurl.com/4efaq
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
tinyurl.com/4efaq