Puppies & Dogs

I have fallen out with the neighbor more than once, over our Westie barking. I keep telling her that it is a perfectly natural and normal behavior in dogs, but that doesn’t seem to satisfy her. God I wish she would get a life.

However he does seem to go on a bit at times, because he is a terrier and it’s the nature of the beast. But realistically you can’t expect your Westie to turn completely mute.

Here are 5 steps which I have found has helped to curb the west highland dogs barking habit.

1) This first step does seem so logical, but try and establish why your westie dog is barking. It might something like a separation or grooming issue, but knowing the cause can help so much to setting up a cure.

2) Praise your west highland terrier for barking once (This is important) by saying “Good Dog” If he keeps barking tell him/her to be quiet in a loud but firm voice.

3) Have a special treat at hand and wave this in front of the Westies nose. Believe it, the dog will be quiet. Would You not concentrate on your favourite sweet if it was in front of you.

4) If he is quiet for 4 seconds let him have the treat. If he starts to bark again after he has eaten the treat, wave another treat in front of him. If he barks again before the 4 seconds is up, tell him to be quiet as before and in a firm voice. Give him the treat once the quiet period of 4 seconds has elapsed. Your Westie will soon learn (They are very intelligent and fun loving animals), that after a certain period of quiet time, he will be rewarded.

5) Increase this period to 8 seconds and then to 16 seconds and so on. Over a period of time you should see a significant increase in the reduction of the barking.

(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this article relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)

Everybody loves a baby animal and Westie puppies are adorable, but new dog purchasers often do not realize the commitment they are making when they bring a puppy home. For those want the companionship of Westies dogs, but do not have the knowledge or patience to endure the training process, rescuing an older Westie dog may be the right alternative.

When considering an older West highland terrier dog, the first thing that many people think is that they would be getting a dog with problems, either genetic problems common to Westies, or behavioral problems from improper training. The truth is, many Westie dogs go to shelters for reasons that have nothing to do with the dogs’ inherent qualities. Every year, dog owners die, move to retirement homes, change jobs, get divorced, have new babies, or, unfortunately, simply tire of the responsibility of caring for a dog.

The advantages of older dogs are many. They have already finished teething, and no longer feel the urge to chew holes in your shoes, rugs, and furniture. Westie dogs that are older have grown used to sleeping through the night while their people sleep, as opposed to westie puppies, who wake up and whine. Older pets will have already been housetrained and also should know the meaning of the word ‘no,’ making their continued training that much easier.

When you encounter a Westie puppy, you only have the breed standards to give you an idea of what kind of dog it will grow into. Although Westhighland dogs have a typical personality type, there are variations from dog to dog. The full-grown Westie is a know quantity. The Westie dog you meet is what you will get, and you can quickly determine if it will fit into your home.

It may seem like rescuing an older Westie provides you with an ‘instant dog,’ but that is not the case. At first they might become confused, upon arriving at a new home, and need to be reminded of their basic training. However, even allowing a few weeks of extra special care is easier and less stressful than the rigors of training a puppy.

(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)

I do hope that you have found the article of use to you.

Good health and happiness