West Highland terriers, otherwise known as “westies”, are popular dogs for all ages. They have a happy-go-lucky, friendly personality, and they are easy to train. Because of this, a westie can be a wonderful addition to your family and your home.
Unless you are planning on breeding your West Highland terrier, you should have it neutered or spayed. Even the most easy-going dog can be a little aggressive, especially if it is a male. Neutering will alter a dog’s personality somewhat, calming the dog and making it easier to train.
You should begin the training of your dog as soon as you acquire it. Even if you adopt an older West Highland, it is still possible to train it without too much effort because this type of dog is very intelligent. Training your dog will make life more pleasant for you and your dog both.
It is important that you establish yourself as the leader of your dog’s pack. In other words, your dog should always look to you for instruction and guidance. Because dogs are pack animals, it is natural for them to look to someone else for leadership, and it is important that you take advantage of this type of thinking.
You should also earn your dog’s respect. You cannot achieve that respect by resorting to corporal punishment or using anger as a means of discipline. Instead, you should rely on positive reinforcement to encourage your dog’s good behavior. Positive reinforcement should most often be applied through praise instead of treats. If your dog becomes accustomed to receiving food every time he performs adequately, you have not really instilled good behavior, you have only taught him to perform for rewards, only. Instead, use treats only occasionally, and lavish praise often. Your dog wants to please you, and you need to take advantage of that fact. Because westies are so easy going, they will easily respond to positive attention from their owners.
You should begin training your West Highland terrier by teaching him common commands including sit, stay, and heel. Once your dog has mastered these commands, you can move on to more complicated terms. When you begin teaching your dog to sit, you should gently push his hind quarters to the ground and repeatedly say the word “sit.” It may take him several attempts before he understands what you want. Once he is able to perform the command on his own, you should pet and praise him enthusiastically.
After she has learned to sit on command, you can teach her to stay. First, you should instruct her to sit, and then start to walk backwards, away from her. Keep the palm of your hand up and pointed towards her, and repeat the word “stay”. At first, she will not understand what you want, so you will have to repeatedly tell her to sit and stay. Eventually, though, she will understand, and when she does, you should continue to give her attention and praise.
When you begin to teach your dog to heel, you will need to have her on a short leash. Begin walking with her close to your side, and repeat the word “heel”. If she wants to wander off from you, you should gently tug her back to your side and repeat the command “heel”. Once she has mastered this command repeatedly, you can try the command without having her attached to a leash.
The key to successful training is to be consistent. You will need to set aside some time every day to work with your dog, reinforcing learned commands and introducing new ones along the way. Once you are satisfied that your dog has mastered these commands, you can begin working on socializing your westie by taking her to various public places. Continue to work on those commands in different places under different circumstances until you are confident that your dog can show appropriate behavior virtually everywhere.
