Westie Temprament

Hello,

Yet another post!!

Our westie elmo has had some problems with his temper and hopefully somebody can offer advice.

He does not get on with other dogs as when we take him for walks, he sniffs other dogs then goes for them, it is all dogs!

We took him training and was ok but did not help and he just went back to being aggressive.

we recently were offered a female Shih tzu and took her home and introduced elmo to her buy walking them in the garden together. this did not work and had to pass her on to a close friend (only after a day!) as we did not want either to suffer any trauma.

Training with treats is impossible as he will not take ANYTHING from our hand (toys, treats nothing).

It seems that he does not like anything running past him as we have rabbits which are in the garden (in runs) and when they jump and run around, Elmo goes mad and runs around the cages barking. Not sure that he wants to hurt them but it makes him nervous i think.

Not sure if it is relevant but when he was really small we socialised him with our friends Springer Spaniel who was very boisterous and used to push him around with his paws which he did not like.

Any thoughts or help would be appreciated....

Being a terrier i would have thought that he does want to hurt the rabbits! It's his job!

As far as the dog issues go, it may have something to do with early socialisation, did you socialize him with lots of different types of dogs or only your friends one?

There can be lots of reasons for dog aggression, nervouness included and also the owners reaction. So many owners say "nicely" "be nice" (in a low slow/growly voice) etc when their dogs are saying hello to others, personally i think this just adds to the stress of the situation for the dog. they also tend to hold the lead tight if they are nervous of the dogs reaction, which of course, the dog senses!

I think you should have a dog trainer/behaviourist come out to visit you and your dog so that they can see your dog, work out the causes of the behaviour and set you on a training program.

They will probably work towards increasing his tollerance of having dogs be in the distance and then walk past him while he is calm and paying attention to you.

Have a look at www.apdt.co.uk and www.apbc.org.uk to find some one in your area.

Good luck!

Totally agree with this!!!!!! i sozialized my westie x from day one and he loved everyone and everything, i never wanted him to be scared of dogs i wanted him to be friends!

when i let him meet a dog out walking id ask the person nicely if it was ok and id losen the lead and say nothing just let him have a sniff and he was fine!

the westie across the road from me however........they do take it out but never let him get near another dog, and he barks all the time and has aggressive problems, used to go for my dog, who only wanted to play, he also attacked a giant boxer!! when the boxer said its your dogs fault, which it was, they went mad saying it wasnt!

but its always their dogs starting fights! they also hold him and if he goes to say hello to another dog they say 'be nice be nice' or hold him back and half off the floor i told them not to do it that itll make him more scared/fearful but they didnt listen! its the kids that look after it so they always give it a slap.....'nicely' though.....

i would have also thought hed love them rabbits too!! prob wants to go and get them! its his job!

with the no treats from hands is he hand shy? any reason that he could be? did someone by accident hit his nose as a pup?

as catrinsparkles said maybe give a behaviourist a call?

have you trained him with treats? to take toys out of your hand etc?

just a bit about their temprement too:

Energy Medium
Overall Exercise 60 - 80 minutes per day.
Westies need exercise. They are energetic little dogs who love to play with a ball. They enjoy digging and some do wander off, so make sure the garden is well-fenced.
Distress Caused if Left Alone Low
Personal Protection High
Suitability As Guard Dog Medium
Risk of Sheep Worrying High
Tendency to Bark Medium
Ease of Transportation High
Level of Aggression Medium
Compatibility With Other Animals Medium
Suitable For Children
High
General Character And Temperament West Highlands are cheeky, confident and affectionate characters. They are alert and courageous, making them good guard dogs. They can also be cunning and stubborn but are totally loyal to their families. They make excellent playmates for children both indoors and outdoors because they can withstand rough play and get on reasonably well with others of their breed. However, they must be introduced to cats when they are young as they will chase them once they get older. Early social training is imperative if they have to live with other dogs as they can be rather dominant.


Coat Length Short/Medium
Grooming Requirement Once a week
Trimming
Requires Professional Groomer True
Grooming Westies' coats are hard so they must not be bathed too often. When the dogs get dirty it is best to let the mud dry on them and brush it off when dry. The coat needs to be hand plucked two or three times a year by a professional groomer. A weekly groom is all that is needed to get rid of the loose hairs.
Colour The breed is always white.
Shedding Moderate
Suffers From Allergies True

Intelligence Westies are intelligent but can be rather naughty so remain consistent in their training.

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/dog_breed...le.asp?dbid=44

In one of the more crowded places I walk I`ve noticed in the last year an awful lot of Westies with aggression problems. I think because they`re cute and small, people forget they are bred to be hardy little hunters - capable of hunting and killing rats etc. He really isn`t nervous of your rabbits IMO - he has an instinct to kill them and is frustrated because he can`t get to them.
Look at it another way - why should your little dog be able to control what dogs you have in your house? Why is he ignoring you and doing what he wants? This isn`t a sign of fear.
If I were you I`d go to a good training club and get advice on how to retrain him.