West Highland White Terrier Breed Magazine - Showsight

WITH LINDY BARROW, SANDY CAMPBELL, BERGIT COADY KABEL, MELINDA LYON, GERRY MEISELS, LISA PACHECO, JAY RICHARDSON & MARJORIE UNDERWOOD

BK: The entire appearance must be that of a dog ready to do his job at a minutes notice. SC: They should have “Westietude.” When a Westie walks into the ring they should have carriage and attitude which says, “I own this space”. It is Westies posture and carriage which tell the world, it is their world and there is no question about it. I don’t want aggressive behavior in Westies. They should work well with others. Also, bal- ance, bone and substance, what I look for most is if they have the correct angles. If a dog has a good forechest and butt behind the tail, they will have good shoulder layback and tail carriage. Foot timing, reach and drive and foot placement are important for a working Terrier. ML: Type that consists of bone, hard coat and movement. 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. LP: They must have the defining characteristics of breed type such as balance and outline, substance and proper coat. Just as important to me is proper movement. Proper movement in a Westie is a free easy gait with proper reach and drive. Following the ideal of form and function a Westie must be able to effortlessly reach its prey so it can do the job it was bred to do. JR: Proper coat, hardy, well-balanced appearance and a gait with reach and drive. MU: 1) Type. This includes a huge array of qualities such as balance, proportion, attitude, “no small amount of self-esteem”, strong, sturdy, hardy and a distinctive gait. 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 bal- ance, 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 proportions 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 proportion 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. Hope- fully, 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 background. The white harsh outer coat and the white soft undercoat are necessary and required. A soft coat is a serious fault. 3. Are there any traits in this breed you fear are becoming exaggerated? BK: “A scissor head” does not have the same look or expres- sion as a “plucked” head with short cuts. You take away the hallmark of this breed. Also “tails” need to be carried up, a two o’clock tail is not up. ML: Grooming has become over-exaggerated whereby some look more like a Bichon, 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 fre- quently hidden in the gum line and are hard to see. Also, Westies were bred to work in packs and dog aggression is a fault. Too often judges seem to be drawn to a dog that goes into the ring growling and acting aggressive. These judges are rewarding the high-strung, hyper dog and I am concerned we are going to lose the fine temperament that makes Westies so unique. LP: One of the trends we should be weary of are the longer exaggerated necks in Westies. Although sometimes pleasing to the eye standing still in a stacked position it is incorrect. We should be breeding and judging to what the standard states, “The length of neck should be in pro- portion to the rest of the dog.” I go back to movement on this point, a longer neck proportionately could indicate an improper front assembly which will interfere with proper movement. There has been a movement towards over grooming. Once again, although sometimes beauti- ful to look at like a magnificent piece of art, it belies the true nature of a Westie which is that of a working Terrier. JR: Size, this is supposed to be a hardy Terrier breed, not a Toy breed with little heads and teeth.

342 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017

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