WITH MARLEEN BURFORD, KEKE KAHN, WAYNE KOMPARE, MELINDA LYON, DAWN MARTIN, GERRY MEISELS, JAY RICHARDSON, JACQUELINE STACY, MARJORIE UNDERWOOD, RANDY WECKMAN & LINDA WELLS
LINDA WELLS
self-esteem”, strong, sturdy, hardy and a distinctive gait. Keeping in mind the Scottish history for this breed does this entry appear to possess the required form and function to get the job done? 2) Balance, proportion and movement. Structurally all three of these necessary qualities are related to one another. The forequarters and the hindquarters must be in balance so they can work together. To create this balance, proportion is absolutely vital. The standard states, “The shoulder blade should attach to an upper arm of moderate length and sufficient angle to allow for definite body overhang.” Also, “The body between the withers and the root of the tail is slightly shorter than the height at the withers.” The hindquarter angles should match the forequarter angles. Thus, there should be some dog behind the tail. Combining the structural balance and proper pro- portions a distinctive Westie gait comes into focus which is powerful, free, strong and easy all around. 3) Bone and substance. We now have masterful and artful groomers. What you initially see as the class enters the ring may or may not be what the eye observes. Put the Westie on the table, educate and train your hands and eyes to work together. Exam the head piece with your hands and really train your fingers to dig down through all that backcombing and product. Feel for a broad, strong bone and skull. Is the muzzle slightly shorter than the backskull? Discover if the head is in proportion to the neck and the neck is in propor- tion to the body. Basically, the distance from withers to the elbow is equal to elbow to ground. Check the overhang in front of the dog. Hopefully, you will find the same amount of dog behind the tail. Now is an excellent opportunity to check the coat. 4) Another “must have” is the coat. The double coat is an absolute necessity. Keep in mind the Westie back- ground. The white harsh outer coat and the white soft undercoat are necessary and required. A soft coat is a very serious fault. RW: A sense of self-esteem. I believe a West Highland White Terrier should be on his toes with his tail straight up. 3. Are there any traits in this breed you fear are becoming exaggerated? KK: I do not see any exaggerations that really bother me today. It used to be long noses that bothered me. ML: Grooming has become over-exaggerated whereby some look more like a Bichon instead of a Westie, plus along the way, exhibitors got the idea that shorter was better, not so! GM: There has become an over emphasis on counting teeth and on showmanship. A Westie does not have to have full dentition and a couple of missing pre-molars or small teeth will never prevent the dog from doing the hunting work it was bred to do. The upper pre-molars are frequently hidden in the gum line and are hard to see.
I purchased my first Westie in 1980. I took her to a local groomer and he told me she could be a show dog! It took me a year of learning how to groom properly and showing her to realize that he didn’t know what he was talking about. I then set out on an educated quest to find my first show dog. I met Mary Lou Ludlow of O’Riagain
Kennels and she told me that her English import, Ch. Audi- cious From Arnholme that sired a litter that belonged to Sue and Steve Cole, of Seacrest Kennels, on the Oregon coast. I purchased a male from them and promised I would show and finish him. That little Westie was my first champion Ch. Seacrest Laird O’Riagain and the start of my breeding pro- gram and Highland Kennels. I went on to finish Laird’s father for Mary Lou. I then became a professional handler and was nominated by the board of PHA to become a member. I have been judging now for almost five years and am having a great time!
1. Describe the breed in three words. KK: Balanced, white and beautiful ML: Self-confident, sturdy and smart
GM: Balance, head and coat. JR: Hardy, strong and white.
JS: White, strongly built and self-esteemed. MU: Compact, determined and charming. RW: White, Terrier spirit.
2. What are your “must have” traits in this breed? ML: Breed type that consists of bone, hard coat and proper movement (reach and drive). GM: Type is the most important trait. It must look like the dog the breed standard describes. Balance is key because nothing replaces a beautiful outline from the side. Move- ment is also important. A Westie should have enough reach and drive to cover ground. Finally, Westies should have a white coat of correct texture and quality. The standard says that coat is extremely important and is seldom seen to perfection. Westies were originally bred to be white because Colonel Malcolm, the founder of the breed, accidentally shot his favorite hunting dog at dusk and thereafter bred his terriers for the white coat to prevent that ever happening again. A correct coat is a hard and dense, white outer coat with a thick undercoat of softer hair. A slightly off-colored harsh coat is to be preferred over a whiter soft coat since a soft coat will not protect the dog from vermin. JR: Proper coat, hardy, well-balanced appearance and a gait with reach and drive. JS: It must be compact with good balance and substance. MU: 1) Type. This includes a huge array of qualities such as balance, proportion, attitude, “no small amount of
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