Activities For West Australian Terriers

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Activities For West Australian Terriers

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Introduction

West Australian Terriers are bright, bubbly, and intelligent dogs stemming from West Highland White Terriers and Australian Terriers. Both parent breeds have a love for fun and chasing small critters, so they tend to suit households with no small pets and children that can keep them fit and active. They are bright sparks, small, feisty, and confident in everything they do. If you want a dog that will turn your home life on its head, then a West Australian Terrier is for you. Here is how to make the most of your dog ownership experience.

Bark Training

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Any Day

Free

Normal

5 min

Items needed

Treats

Toys

Activity description

West Australian Terriers tend to be quite vocal, which is something you might be able to live with but your neighbors may not. If you believe your dog’s barking could affect neighborhood relationships, get on top of it sooner rather than later. Bark training is something almost any dog owner can achieve, and it doesn’t cost a dime. It might be a bit of a challenge, but in several five-minute training session throughout many weeks with the help of treats and toys, you can slowly teach your pooch not to bark so much. This all-weather activity will pay off in many ways.

Step

Remove the distraction

The first step, which could potentially be the only one, is to remove the reason why your West Australian Terrier tends to bark so much. For some dogs, the sight of passersby can set them off, while for others, it’s the sound of the mailman. Spend time identifying the bark trigger and then, where possible, remove it. You may find you’ve solved the problem immediately.

Step

Create the distraction

Phase two of the plan to stop your dog from barking is to create a new distraction to offset the original one. If, for example, the mailman is delivering letters and your dog starts to make a racket, create noise to drown them out. Put coins in a tin and put them off their game. If you create noise every time your dog does, they will associate the bad noise with their own and bark less as a result.

Step

Fill their mouth

As you will quickly discover, dogs can’t bark when their mouth is full. If you know what your dog’s trigger is but you can’t remove it, make sure there’s no way they can bark. Give them their favorite toy at the time they are about to make noise or give them a snack to chew on instead.

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Tug of War

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Rainy Day

Free

Easy

20 min

Items needed

T-shirt

Activity description

If the wintry weather has struck and you’re cooped up inside with your West Australian Terrier and nothing to do, then consider a game of tug of war. However, rather than head to your local pet store in search of a rope, spend nothing and make one instead. This simple activity will only take around 20 minutes to build the toy and play with your dog, but it can stimulate both you and your furry friend. Flex your creative muscles and get to work! All you need to do is clear an area and start!

Step

Build the rope

Find an old t-shirt and cut along the seams at the top so it folds out into one long piece of material. Cut or rip it into nine strips then gather them into lots of three. Tie them at the top then plait them all the way to the end before knotting the opposite end. You may like to tie knots along the way too, to add more structural integrity to the rope.

Step

Clear an area

Even though your West Australian Terrier is a small dog, that doesn’t mean they can’t get themselves into mischief. Rather than them knocking over prized possessions, clear an area so you can play tug of war safely. Alternatively, you can wait until the rain stops and go outside. A passageway tends to be effective for tug of war as it’s often free of furniture.

Step

Play

Once you have a free area and your rope is complete, you can now start. Give your dog one end of the rope and you grab the other. You can now pull gently, offering a bit of resistance so your pooch can pull back. Let your dog take the win in many of the games, while you can win a few as well.

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Hide and Seek

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Any Day

Cheap

Easy

30 min

Items needed

Toys

Treats

Activity description

West Australian Terriers are highly intelligent and playful dogs, and they always want to be doing something fun with their owner. Appeal to this personality trait by setting up a game of hide and seek. You can play this all-weather activity inside or outside, and it takes around half an hour to set up and play. You also only need cheap toys and treats that will be straightforward for your dog to find. Hide and seek will surely become a regular activity in your dog’s routine as it gets them thinking while appealing to their need for physical activity too.

Step

Choose items

You can’t hope to get your dog involved in the game if they don’t like what you are hiding. Make sure the treats and toys you select are those your dog loves and will happily smell out to find. They should also be large so your dog will not have any problem hunting them out.

Step

Hide

With a basket of goodies, you can now begin hiding them strategically around your home - inside and outside. Make sure they are within easy sighting of your pooch. You may also like to write down the location of where you planted snacks and toys to make sure you both find them all.

Step

Seek

Get your dog excited about the impending hunt by using a high energy voice. You can then find the first few treats and toys for them, helping them to understand what the game is all about. Eventually, they will get the hang of it. You may even find that long after the game is over, they will continue to seek out treats and toys!

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More Fun Ideas...

Weasel Ball

Because West Australian Terriers have a high prey drive, it makes sense to divert this attention away from living critters and back to toys. A weasel ball is an excellent activity as it’s a soft toy with a motorized ball, flipping itself along the ground as if it is alive. It will keep your dog entertained for hours!

Walk

Given how small a West Australian Terrier is, you’ll find they don’t require all that much physical exertion to keep them happy and healthy. A twice-daily walk for 20-30 minutes at a time can be all it takes to keep them fighting fit and happy. Remember to bring a waste bag along with you to clean up after them and keep your neighborhood beautiful!

Conclusion

As soon as you bring a West Australian Terrier home, you will immediately fall in love. They are fun, lively, full of energy, and enjoy being a part of your family. Take the time to treat them to fun activities they will remember furever. They will reward you with love and loyalty in return.