WITH LINDY BARROW, SANDY CAMPBELL, BERGIT COADY KABEL, MELINDA LYON, GERRY MEISELS, LISA PACHECO, JAY RICHARDSON & MARJORIE UNDERWOOD
forechest and butt behind the tail. They may think a Wes- tie with forechest and butt behind the tail are long. Long legs and neck take away from the compact and hardy appearance a Westie should have. Fine bone which can be easily seen in the tail may not be considered if their mentors don’t point it out. A tail is like a carrot thick at the base tapering to the tip and should not be too long as that will make them weak and the tail was meant to be the handle by which the hunter picked the dog up out of the den. The tail should be straight and erect. BK: It is hard for most people not familiar with the low legged Terrier breeds like Scotties, Westies and Cairns to grasp the difference in body shape and weight, as well as movement ect. the scottie is the lowest to the ground and the heaviest. The WHWT has more leg and more heart shaped rib cage. The Cairn is the lightest of the three but still resemble strength. ML: I’m not sure new judges understand the movement or, proper “reach and drive” of the Westie. Unfortunately, due to the shortened upper arm, Westies of today tend to take short mincing steps plus the exhibitor runs around the ring with the dog hoping that the faster they go, it will make the judge think the dog has good movement. GM: 1) They don’t know the correct balance or they don’t give it enough emphasis. 2) Bad top lines are frequently ignored. A Westie top line should be level. 3) Many judges reward pugnacity and Westies should not be aggressive to other dogs. 4) Many judges do not know correct coat such as length, density and harsh texture. LP: It is my hope that new judges to the breed will take the time necessary to train their eye to proper Westie movement. It is a skill that takes time to perfect. Too many times the properly moving Westie will be the “dif- ferent” one in the ring. A skilled handler can be adept at disguising faulty movement. A dog moving fast does not necessarily mean correct. Watch the number of moves the front legs make to cover a certain distance. A dog with proper reach will make less moves to cover the same distance. Asking exhibitors to move their dog on a loose lead will help evaluate proper movement. Studying videos on social media of Westies being shown will help train and perfect the eye. JR: As with all the Terrier breeds, it is what a correct coat is, now if not correct is makes it a non-functional dog. MU: Perhaps new judges need to develop a better under- standing of the characteristics as well as the form and function of the West Highland White Terrier. 7. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? Please elaborate. LB: I believe if a dog has correct movement that it is well constructed. What I have seen more in recent years are dogs who are “showy” and move quickly but are not covering ground. As for any breed, they should be able to do the job the breed was meant to do.
For some years the breed was struggling with front assemblies which were straight. My recent observation is that while focusing so hard on fronts that now rear assemblies are suffering. The Westie should be balanced, sturdy, clean moving dog without exaggerated features. SC: Unfortunately, the Westie standard leaves a lot to the imagination. A judge should study what they were bred to do as that will clarify some of the vagaries. BK: The most important information to be given to the new prospective owner: “You must have enough time to be able to train your Westie, if not the Westie will train You ! ML: I do like to spar Westies but there is a big difference in how it is done properly. The primary reason is to display the dog to its best advantage. Westies are supposed to work together as pack animals so they should not be argumentative but by the same token, they should be alert, vigilant and ready to take on a challenge. I only want the dogs to look at each other, come up on their toes and arch their neck. It’s a beautiful sight. GM: Westies have sweet personalities making wonderful family pets. LP: Only that Westies rock! JR: This is a Terrier, nowhere in the standard does it call for cute. That is not an acceptable reason to win! MU: Let’s remember that the Westie is tough, determined, sturdy, compact and a wonderful companion. It is a big, big dog in a small package. I encourage the breeders to study, understand, breed to the standard and groom to further enhance this big little dog. This is not an easy task but let’s give it all we have. Correct sparring in the ring will showcase the “no small amount of self-esteem.” 8. How important is sparring? SC: A new judge and maybe some of the experienced judges will sometimes award aggression, and that attitude is frowned upon by most of the long time breeders. Spar- ring, or having dogs face off, is a good thing if the judge is aware that the dogs should not growl or display aggres- sion, but look at the other dogs with interest. Even a good bitch will spar correctly—correctly for a Westie. BK: For sparring, if done right , meaning never more than two or three dogs, is the cream of the crop. While spar- ring dogs should stand on their tip toes and look at each other with interest, thinking of defending their territory if need be; fighting, snarling and flying in the air is not sparring. If you as a Judge decide to spar, you must also know how to act on it. ML: Sparring is a useful tool when evaluating Westies, when done properly. It is important to note that Westies are pack animals and worked together so they shouldn’t want to kill each other when in the ring. I will bring out two or no more than three, and have the exhibitors go to opposite corners and then walk back toward the center of the ring with clear instructions not to let them get to close. I just want them to look at each other, which will
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