WESTIE PERSONALITY, TRAINING & GROOMING
By Sandy Campbell Camcrest Westies
‘ H mmmm, that looks like a squirrel just out of my reach … unless … maybe … If I could just find something I can climb up on I could jump over the fence and once on the other side I can jump on that pesky little rascal. Hmmmm, no such luck; nobody left a chair, table, planter or anything which could help me. Th ere is no place I can even get footholds to climb over. Wait, I have another plan. I will try the gate. Hmmmm, I see a little daylight under it, maybe I could dig a hole and that would let me at that little varmint. Wow, what fun it
is to get my nails and feet in the good old soil. Watch out squirrel, here I come!’ Many Westies are thinkers and planners making them delightful companions— fun and entertaining to say the least. Th ey are very good trainers and can keep you on your toes. A Westie will know when you are planning to go somewhere, maybe by how you are walking around finding what you need to leave. Car keys are a dead give- away. Th ose dogs will try everything in their power to manipulate you into invit- ing them along, such as assuming they are going and dance around at your feet, or if that doesn’t work they give you “guilt”, the poor-me look.
Having said this, there are exceptions to the rule, so don’t think every Westie is manipulative and conniving, but in my experience which spans over 50 years of breeding, grooming, training and han- dling West Highland White Terriers, the ones worth their salt are just that, ever entertaining and the greatest compan- ion. Westies are not generally a needy dog, meaning they don’t sulk and destroy things from panic when left. Th ey will try to talk you into taking them along, but once they realize their tricks didn’t work and you are out the door and down the driveway, they find their place of residence, some on the back of the sofa watching for
228 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , M AY 2014
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