WHWT -Part 8 - temperament, sparring, etc by Joan Graber


The Westie standard uses only five descriptive words in describing
temperament. To fully understand correct temperament one needs to recall
the breed's roots and the behavior needed to do its job, hunting prey in
rocky terrain. In those days when the breed was a working terrier, Westies
had to function as part of a pack. This pack was not just other small
terriers but hunting hounds as well. The key word amongst the five words
is friendly. This precludes aggressiveness to another dog, but not
inquisitiveness with tail and ears up. The judge's examination should be
readily accepted and often is met with attempts to lick, kiss and wiggle.
A Westie in the show ring should carry itself with an air of alert
self-assurance. Good temperament is reflected in the jaunty swagger, an
alert, self-reliant Westie displays as it goes around the ring.

With regard to the peculiar terrier practice of sparring, while sparring is
not appropriate for some terriers, it is very much a part of sorting an
entry in Westies, and will exemplify the dog's alertness. Sparring means
the dog, when 'faced off' with other dogs, 'pulls itself together'; tail up
and quivering, ears alert, head raised, neck arched, back shortened. The
dog should "dare" the other animal, not attack it! A Westie that takes a
good pose when sparred can't be improved by the handler's intervention. As
one of our breeder judges said, "When judging, realize that the best
handling is the least handling and look at sparring Westies with that
perspective". You also need to be aware that many bitches and young males
will not spar. When I bring bitches or young males out to spar, I
frequently say that I know they might not spar but let's give it a try. If
you are going to spar males, be sure to also spar the bitches, as there are
mature bitches who will spar. You want to give every Westie an opportunity
to show to its best advantage.

If you are going to spar terriers I feel you should bring out no more than
3, of the same sex, at a time. Partially because many bitches won't spar
it isn't always practical to 'face-off' a dog and a bitch, unless deciding
between the sexes for a placement. For those who up to now haven't sparred
Westies, or other terriers, and want to try, the dogs should be allowed to
get close, but not close enough to connect and should be under the constant
control of their handlers. When I bring the dogs out, I tell the handlers
specifically "I want them to look at each other. I do not want any
fighting". You should be able to see what you want in a few minutes before
returning the dogs to the line and bringing the next set of dogs or bitches
out to spar.

The injunction for displaying "no small amount of self-esteem" tells you,
as the judge, what to expect regarding Westie temperament - an individual
full of self-confidence, extremely alert to its environment that should
show itself admirably rather than adversarially.

As Tom Horner said "This is a breed in which it is necessary to look well
beyond the trimming and presentation and remember what the breed is for.
It has been said that the Westie is a digger, but he is not. He is first
and foremost a hunter who must be able to jump and scramble over and
between rocks and deep cairns built of stone and immovable rock. He needs
to be able to squeeze through wherever his quarry can go, and to turn in
tight places to get back out. For these reasons the Westie must not be too
short and boxy nor too round in the ribs or he will run the risk of getting
stuck or breaking his ribs in his effort to get free. These are the
realities of the Westie's conformation and should always be borne in mind
by judges of the breed. They are far more important than the way they are
groomed."

(Pictorial material courtesy of many breeders/exhibitors. Sketches from
the WHWTCA Illustrated Standard. Majority of content garnered from many
sources. Special thanks to those who helped critique this material and a
very special thanks to Patti Neale for setting up the photo pages.)

Selected Bibliography:

Elliott, Rachel Page, THE NEW DOGSTEPS, Howell Book House, 1983
Dennis, D.Mary, THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER, Howell Book House 1967
Faherty, Ruth, WESTIES FROM HEAD TO TAIL, Alpine 1989
Gentry, Daphne, THE NEW WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER, Howell Book House, 1998
Hand, Barbara, ALL ABOUT THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER, Pelham Book 1987
Hand, Barbara, THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER, Bartholomew 1977
Horner, Tom, TERRIERS OF THE WORLD, Faber & Faber 1984
Lyon, McDowell, THE DOG IN ACTION, Howell Book House, 1966
Marvin, John, THE COMPLETE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER, Howell Book House 1977
Marvin, John, THE BOOK OF ALL TERRIERS, Howell Book House 1964
Martin, Dawn, A New Owner's Guide to WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS, T.F.H.
Publications, 1996
Nicholas, Anna Katherine, THE BOOK OF THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER,
T.F.H. Publications, 1993
Pacey, May, WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS, Foyles Handbook 1963 & 1975
Tattersall, Derek, WESTIES TODAY, Howell Book House, 1992
Weiss, Seymour, THE GUIDE TO A HAPPY, HEALTHY PET WESTIE, Howell Book
House, 1996
WHWTCA, Illustration and Clarification of the WHWT Standard 1972