adequate length of upper arm, the front legs should be under the shoulder or withers. One last thing I must touch upon is Westie Temperament. It is important to remember that a Westie, “possessed of no small amount of self esteem”, worked in packs and, therefore, had to get along. I do like to spar my dogs in the ring but never more that 2 or 3 at a time. I ask them to go to opposite corners and walk back toward the center, just looking at each other. The purpose is to have them pull themselves together, come up on their toes (ears alert, neck arched, tail up and quivering) assess- ing the situation. Done correctly, it’s a beau- tiful sight; however, excessive aggressiveness is not a desirable trait. I hope it is obvious that my passion is preserving the integrity of my breed, along with true Westie type. In closing, I’d just reiterate a couple of points I stress in my seminars. “A good West Highland White Terrier of true type and sound structure should be able to show himself, unassisted, displaying the qualities and spirit specific to the breed.” Lastly, I would remind you, “That a good dog can be made to look bet- ter is the art of grooming and handling. That an unsound dog can be made to look good is the art of deception.” This respon- sibility falls to the breeders who must edu- cate themselves and strive to continually upgrade their breeding programs. Recog- nize your bitch’s weak points and go to a Stud dog that has the potential to improve your area of weakness. Always strive for bet- ter and best. ABOUT THE AUTHOR I have been owned by a West Highland White
Scapula (Shoulder blade)
Humerus (Upper Arm)
45˚
Maximum reach with 45˚ blade
Fig 1 An example of how the shoulder with a proper 45-degree angle will operate.
45˚
Short Upper Arm
Terrier since 1972. Shortly thereafter I attended my first dog show and found my happy place.
Fig 2 An example of the “Terrier front”, a short upper arm results in a more upright front, but the 45-degree angle is retained.
While still working full time as a Nurse Anesthetist, my breeding program was very limited, but I managed to finish approximately 50+ Westies, many from the Bred By Exhibitor class. In 1992 I applied to AKC to judge and I now do the Terrier and Toy Groups as well as some Non-Sporting breeds. It has been an extreme honor to judge Sweepstakes twice and the Regular classes three times at the WHWTCA National Specialties. Over the years I’ve served in many various capacities for the WHWTCA, as well as the Louisville Kennel Club. For the past 10+ years it has been my privilege to serve as Chairof Judges Education for the Parent Club. My passion for educating prospective new judges is with the objective to preserve and protect the integrity of my breed.
be balanced and display no extremes. Move- ment is another vital component which is determined by proper anatomical structure. When the front and rear angles match, a free, easy and powerful gait with reach and drive comes into focus, while the topline remains level. A male Westie should be “ideally 11 inches at the withers, well balanced with good substance and a body between the withers and root of tail that is slightly shorter than the height at the withers.” The standard calls for the “shoulders to be well laid back” with an “upper arm of moderate length and sufficient angle to allow for defi- nite body overhang.” Richard Beauchamp considered “fronts to be the least under-
stood and most underestimated portion of a dog’s Anatomy” and I have to agree. Proper angles in the front give the Westie reach; if the upper arm is shortened, this restricts movement, causing the dog to take twice as many steps as necessary to get from point A to point B. (Fig. 1) This results in very inefficient, mincing and tiring movement. Referring to Terrier fronts, (Fig. 2) as if they all are identical, is another pet peeve of mine. This is a fallacy and has resulted in my second area of concern which is front legs being moved forward to such an extent it eliminates the desired “body overhang”. In some Westies, the fronts are so straight that it looks like their legs are coming down from their ears. With proper angles and
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