In three weeks there will be a new furry little member in my family. If you've owned a Westie, what are they like, what difficulties should I be prepared to face?
I'd love to also read any endearing stories of your Westie. You can't imagine how excited I am for the 27th of March when I get to pick him up, I've been patiently waiting for a dog for 10 years due to having lived in a unit, seeing others with dogs almost brought tears to my eyes.

Hi,

It's important to help your new pet acclimate to your home by being prepared and being patient. It may take anywhere from a few days to two months for you and your new dog to adjust to each other. Here are more tips:

http://lnk.nu/dogtime.com/wg6.html

Me and my wife are searching for a dog. We are interested in both the west highland terrier and the cocker spaniel. We are looking for a dog that is easy to train, and friendly and enjoys moderate exercise (ie two 30 minute walks a day). We don't mind grooming but don't want to use a professional groomer. There is someone home for most of the day. Would you suggest one of these breeds, or another breed?

My mum has a westie and she is a lovely dog. I have just got a cocker spaniel puppy and again she is a lovely dog. Westie's can be very clingy and hard to train, whereas my cocker spaniel has taken 2 days to learn fetch, toilet training and sit. We've had our westie 5 years and she still won't fetch or sit with 100% accuracy. it means that we can't let her off the lead in the park because we can't guarantee that she'll come back with 100% recall.

As for grooming, we get our westie shaved once a year and that's sufficient, but trim her fur on a monthly basis ourselves. I'm not too sure for cocker spaniels. But from what I hear it doesn't take too much to learn.

I'm thinking about getting a Westie in the near future but i'm not sure about how to find a good local breeder I can trust. I've looked online some but am not sure what to do. Also about how much do Westies typically cost?

Go to one or both of these sites:

http://www.clubs.akc.org/westie or http://www.westieclubamerica.com

ALL of your questions can be answered at the breed club website, and you will be helped to find a local (good) breeder, too.

Please know that Westies are cute but get dirty awfully fast (and often). They like to dig, bark, and chew. You shouldn't trust one (or any other terrier) around small pets such as guinea pigs, rats, etc. White dogs seem to have a higher incidence of skin problems and allergies. The frequent licking caused by allergies will permanently discolor the fur. There are no cures for allergies and they can be expensive to treat. Westies require regular haircuts to look like Westies, about every 6 weeks, at around $50 per visit to the groomer.

A very similar breed that has fewer skin and allergy problems and looks cleaner longer is the Cairn terrier.

Terriers are not for everyone. 16 years is a long time to be unhappy if you select the wrong breed so never choose by looks alone. Find a breed that you can provide the best home for, without making any major changes in your habits or lifestyle. You should probably research several breeds before you make a decision.

Me and my friend were thinking about getting a dog. and before we buy one we obviously wanna know range of the cost. Thanks

contact a show breeder of westies

these are breeders who breed with the hopes of getting a pup with good confirmation for the show ring

they have pups that have slight flaws which you would never notice and are of no health concerns but would exclude from show , they sell these pups as pet quality almost always already neutered or with a legal binding spay/neuter contract

don't buy from a pet shop or from a backyard breeder

you will be surprised at the reasonable cost of a pet quality westie from a breeder dedicated to preserving the breed at least half the cost of the over priced poorly bred pet shop westie

He has just had his 2nd jab today and we think hes abit tender round his chest area even though he was done in the neck. He has never done this before and we are wondering why?
He has only done it since hes had his injection and he had a kennel cough thing up his nose and he didnt like it.

might have hurt him.

What is the average weight for an older westie, I believe he is getting a bit lazy, we have cut the portions, but not seeing a substabtial change yet.

Usually westies weigh about 15-22 pounds but of course it depends on his height. He may be a healthy weight. You won't see a substantial loss with just decreasing his intake. Just like humans, they need exercise as well. Take him for walks and cut out treats and/or table scraps. Before putting him on a diet (i.e. diet food) speak with the vet.

I am considering getting a dog, and I have never owned a dog before. The two breeds I really like, are the Westie, and the Miniature Schnauzer. I know these two breeds need to be groomed regularly, as their fur grows long… I have seen a lot of westies with like short hair on their back, and long hair going down under their bellies, and I was wondering, does it HAVE to be like that? Cant you go to a dog gromer and ask them to have it all short, and the same length all over? More for practical reasons, as I would prefer to take a dog on long walks through the forest and the beach, and it's just not very practical….Would a westie get like too cold in winter with a summer cut in winter? I would get it a dog coat of course…

As long as you're not showing the dog you can cut its "hair" any way you like it. The dog doesn't care! I keep my Mini Schnauzer's "hair" cut short for convenience sake. Still, they need to be brushed a few times a week. And if the dog is wearing a coat, sweater, etc., make sure that you brush out their "underarm hair" as the clothing will create mats. BTW - the longer hair on the legs & under belly is called a skirt. Libby has a short skirt & "Andy Rooney eyebrows." I hate it when I can't see her adorable eyes!

my 5 month old westie puppy chews on just about everything, and has a wobbly back tooth(top of his mouth, to the back left). i was just wondering if westies have baby teeth? anyone help

Yes, of course, all puppies have baby teeth. It sounds like he is about to lose a tooth or teeth.

That's in a pound or in a puppy mill In California?
Near Los Angeles?
Thanks so much! ^-^

For dogs in shelters, you can try petfinder.org. Type in your zip code. Many Westies are pulled from shelters by rescue organizations. Here are some links:

http://www.westierescue.com/
http://www.westieclubamerica.com/rescue/

Petfinder (search by breed and area)
http://www.petfinder.com//index.html

If you are not familiar with this breed, I suggest you thoroughly research them. They look like cute, white fluffy fur-balls, but they are feisty terriers through and through. Also, some Westies will end up in Scottish Terrier rescue. You may want to add this to a list to search. Good luck.

Does anyone have a west highland white terrier puppy for sale for under $350 in the state of maine? or do you know anyone who does?

You can't find a quality puppy that cheap. Try looking at the West Highland White Terrier Club of America website. There will be lots of good info on it as well as lists of breeders by state.