Whats The Best Way To Train A Westie Puppy?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
The first two links is all you need to clicker train, a positive style of training that I use and love, The third link is all you need to learn to train using corrections. A negative style of training that I don’t think works as well. They are both excellent sites. What you decide to use really depends on your personality and patience. http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles… http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/Le…http://www.leerburg.com/articles.htm
Related West Highland White Terrier posts:
Patience!!! I have a Cairn – very similar to a Westie – and it has taken a long time to potty train. As far as commands and tricks use a small treat as a reward and they will pay more attention.
All terriers tend to be smart and easily bored by repetitive exercises. This is why methods used on breeds like Goldens and Collies won’t work. You have to keep training sessions short and interesting, with fun and tasty rewards. The dog has to clearly see the advantage of obeying you. It’s best to begin when the pup is very young – once they’ve learned to get away with bad behavior you’ll have a hell of a time breaking it. Terriers use their intelligence to get OUT of doing what you want. Unless you’re very talented and very experienced, it’s unlikely that your terrier will ever be reliable off-leash. If a barking dog or a cat or a squirrel comes along – wham! – there goes your dog. Instinct is much more powerful than training.
Terriers are quick learners, but they can be really stubborn about doing what YOU want when YOU want them to do it. They can also be aggressive towards other animals – many will kill cats and squirrels, but that doesn’t mean they will turn on people. Females are easier, both to train and to housebreak.
You should read some great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly – there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs – Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method – Volhard
Dog Problems – Benjamin
Cesar’s Way – Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I’ve ever seen on TV.http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/
Train to do what? Whatever it is, train him/her with lots of love, patience and care.