The CWHWTC is the national breed club for Westies in Canada. Our general purpose is to promote our breed, and to educate the public about our beloved little white friends. The Club consists of over 200 members spread across Canada, with a number in the USA and a scattering of others all over the world.
 

The Westie News

Probably the most important benefit of membership in the CWHWTC is the Westie News, our quarterly magazine. It goes out to every member, and contains club news, reports of events, announcements and articles of interest to all kinds of Westie owners.
 

Dog Shows and Other Events

 Every year, the Club holds a National Specialty. There are dinners, silent auctions, raffles and a sales table full of Westie items. There are also Regional Specialties, which may be held on other provinces of Canada. These, too, have a wide variety of associated events for the Westie lovers there, whether they're showing a dog or not.

Members in an area will often band together to organise informal events such as temperament tests, boosters, fun days and barbecues. Fund-raising activities take place on a regular basis, as the membership fees by themselves are not enough to support all of the Club's activities.
 

 Networking - the Circle of Westie Friends

Members provide support for each other, especially on a local basis. Members help new members (and old members, too!) in many ways. For those who wish to show their dogs, there is almost always someone not too far away who will help them learn to groom and to show their Westie. Breeders help their puppy buyers with lifelong advice - but it isn't necessary to be a member to access this benefit!

More than anything else, membership provides each of us with a network of people who all care about Westies, and what is best for them as individual dogs as well as for the breed as a whole.
 

Meetings

The Club holds two cross-country conference call meetings every year, where we conduct the business of the Club that cannot be completed by our Board. The phone calls go to the home of Directors and Officers of the Club and any member may attend.

The Club is recognised by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) and is formally governed by a Board consisting of between 7 and 9 Directors (chosen on a regional basis) and 5 Officers. In order to stand for election to this body, a member must have been a member for one year. Members must also be members for one year in order to vote in elections. There are a number of Committees at work at any time, and any member may contribute at any time to them. 
 

Trophies and Certificates

The Club awards a number of annual trophies to the top show and obedience Westies, and Westies who have accomplishments in a variety of dog sports/activities. The Club also provides certificates of recognition of titles won by members' dogs. Application must be made by the dog's owner to have a certificate issued.

The Club also maintains a Register of Merit (ROM-C) for worthy sires and dams. A sire, in order to be considered worthy, must produce 5 champion offspring. A dam need only have 3 champion offspring to be recognised. This has only been done since about 1991, and also requires that the dog's owner submit application for recognition.