- Training Basics
- Canine Good Citizen
- WHWTCA Training Articles
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- Obedience Classes
- Indefinite Listing Privilege
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- Most people fall in love
with the Westie's good looks, sense of humor and joyful, happy attitude.
But owners should always remember that a Westie's terrier instincts are
very much intact. The Westie was bred to hunt and "go-to-ground".
As a result the Westie is spunky, intelligent, bold and somewhat independent
"possessed of no small amount of self-esteem." The Westie is really
a big dog inside a small dog's body.
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- As stated by Sharon Pflaumer
in the Dog World magazine article Fire
and Ice,
- "The Westie personality
also has a streak of stubborn willfulness. This means, quite simply,
he likes to do things on his own terms and in his own way -- if given the
option. As a result, indulging him too often can prove unwise, since
bossy, opportunistic Westies easily gain the upper hand on owners and may
exhibit serious behavior problems such as aggressiveness in the form of
snapping."
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- Training Basics
- Westies are extremely intelligent.
Their assertive
nature must be understood and handled properly to avoid behavior problems.
Most behavior problems are due to
a lack of companionship, discipline, activity and exercise. Westies can
be very destructive if left unattended and bored.
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General Rules for Training The West Highland White
Terrier requires at least basic obedience training -- your dog's life may depend
on it. Make sure your Westie learns the five basic training
commands: Sit, Stay, Down, Heel and Come.
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Training
will establish a special loving bond between you and your Westie.
Balance training sessions with attention, affection and playtime.
Verbally praise your Westie lavishly when he does as you want. NEVER
yell or hit your Westie. Physical punishment or force may lead to fear
biting and aggression. Be consistent, fair and confident.
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- Obedience Classes
- We recommend and encourage all Westie owners to attend obedience classes. It is a great way to bond
with your new family member, develop a mutual respect, help a shy Westie
gain confidence, control an overactive Westie and solve behavior problems.
No matter how young or how old
your Westie is, it is never too early or too late to begin training.
If your Westie displaying any of
the following warning signals, we encourage you to immediately find an
appropriate dog class offering obedience training, behavior modification and
socialization services:
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Possessiveness and guarding
behaviors around food bowl, chew items and toys.
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Suspicion and reluctance to
touch or handling in certain areas of the body. Stiffness, tension
and/or freezing behaviors when picked up, restrained, examined or groomed.
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Fearful, aloof and wary
behavior toward strangers or toward particular types of people.
Though Westies can be a bit
more challenging than other dogs to train in obedience, their desire to
please almost always wins out and generally assures cooperation.
With the right trainer -- one who is patient and persistent -- a Westie
can do quite well. Positive reinforcement training
methods work best with Westies. Keeping commands clear and consistent
is also helpful. It should also be noted that severe or jerk correction-type
training is not effective with this breed. The Westie won't be bullied
into compliance. Training
should be fun and rewarding for both you and your Westie. In the San
Francisco Bay Area, we recommend the San Francisco SPCA, the Marin Humane
Society or the Peninsula Humane Society for obedience training. The SPCA offers a special class
for adult dogs weighing 20 pounds or less.
- Canine Good Citizen
- If your dog has good manners, he or she may be eligible for an award from the American
Kennel Club.
In 1989, the AKC started the Canine Good
Citizen® (CGC) Program. The CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good
manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen® Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic
good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the CGC test receive a certificate from
the American Kennel Club and are automatically recorded in the AKC's Canine Good Citizen Archive.
Canine Good Citizen Test
- Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP)
- Rescue Westies do not have AKC
Registration papers, however, this does not prevent you from
participating and entering your Westie in AKC performance events.
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- An ILP allows an unregistered dog of a registerable
breed to participate in those obedience and performance events that are
appropriate for the breed.
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- These competitive events include Obedience Trials, Tracking Tests, Herding, Lure Coursing, Agility,
Earthdog Events and Hunting Tests. A dog must have either an AKC registration
number or an ILP number in order to compete in these events.
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- An ILP is not the equivalent of an AKC registration, nor is it a substitute for
AKC registration. ILP dogs may not be used for breeding purposes as all applications
for ILP will only be considered if the dog under application has been spayed or
neutered.
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AKC's
Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP) Explained
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