Westie Grooming

Basically I want a family dog that is ok with going between 2 houses because my parents are divorced. My family and I are looking at dogs now. We want something that is medium size not to big (lab is to big). Also my dad is allergic to pet dander. Are any of the above dogs good for people with allergies? Do any of them shed? Are any of them good with other dogs? Do they bark a lot? How long do they live? Are they nice friendly dogs??? Are they prone to any specific diseases? Are they soft(coat)? Whats their temperament?? Do they need a lot of grooming attention or is the 4 times a year haircut ok? Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!!! Also we are looking at adopting a dog because we don’t want a puppy. Please don’t say pitbull, labradoodle, goldendoodle etc we have previous knowledge with them.

Do some research on those breeds, narrow it down to two that seem best for you, then research those two some more, pick the one that is for you, then research that one some more.

Any dog will be good with other dogs if socialized and trained properly, any dog will bark if they are allowed to and not corrected for it, small dogs usually live 12-14 years, nice and friendly? Depends on how they are raised.

As far as health problems go:
Westie – http://www.doggedhealth.com/diseases-a-symptoms/breed-by-breed-health-concerns/west-highland-white-terrier.html?task=view
Norfolk Terrier – http://www.doggedhealth.com/diseases-a-symptoms/breed-by-breed-health-concerns/norfolk-terrier.html?task=view
Norwich Terrier – http://www.doggedhealth.com/diseases-a-symptoms/breed-by-breed-health-concerns/norwich-terrier.html?task=view
Havanese – http://www.doggedhealth.com/diseases-a-symptoms/breed-by-breed-health-concerns/havanese.html?task=view

Goldendoodles and Labradoodles are mixes, not real breeds. )
Good luck on your new dog! D

Okay so this will probably turn out to be a long post but anyway.

I’m getting a westie dog soon (she will be 11 weeks old) and I have questions because I would never want her to feel mis treated (been a cat owner for 5 or so years). How much exercise/fun does she need? This is what I can easily give her:

Evening:
20-45 minute walk
Play for a while (30 minutes?)
Run around in our garden this may partly be some of the "play" time

Weekends/Sometimes:
Visit to a park and a big walk
Travel in car every once in a while

Morning/During the day:
10 minute walk/run around
Play for a few minutes every now and again

Is this enough?

I wanted to teach her basic commands and crate train her, is this done easily enough? Are they loud? I have no treadmill so his can she exercise on rainy days? I’m happy to get her quality food but nothing that costs the earth! How can I let her know I’m the pack leader?

When we get her this is what we will have:

Toys
Sleeping area
Food
Grooming kit
Bowls etc
Leash or 2

How long can they be left alone? It would be a few hours a max every now and again. If we needed to get shopping or whatever. No long holidays away lol she would have food and stuff

I might be forgetting something.

Thanks for any help
Thanks for the tips. I think 11 weeks would be the earliest. How soon can I walk her after bringing her home? I hope she won’t get sick but how am I meant to get her to socialize if I’m over protective? I think between me and family we should be able to dedicate time to her for the first few weeks. But we need to go out etc sometimes so it wouldn’t every waking second. But it will get easier as she ages and grows. Just want to be a good owner and thanks

Keep her away from where other dogs are free to roam until 16 weeks.

Try to sign her up for a puppy socialization/obedience class ASAP. While this might seem to conflict with the first rule, the one we went to sanitized the surfaces before class, and all puppy owners were equally motivated to prevent their dogs from getting sick.

Important: Do not keep your Westie outside by herself — not ever. Westies will bark nonstop at every sound or passerby. They are also excellent at digging their way to freedom.

Look into some sort of activity with her. While terriers tend to suck at obedience, there’s always earthdog competition.

Alright first of he’s about a year old. And he’s an outdoor dog and I want him to be an inside dog. Also any grooming tips to make him whiter?

If you are worried about accidents in night, get your dog a crate to sleep in at nighttime, and brush him with a FURminator everyday and bath him with dog shampoo once a week – two weeks.
EDIT
I would also like to add that you should not use hydrogen peroxide on your dog without speaking to you vet first as it is an acid and can harm your dog is not used appropriately.

Most people with Cairns who dislike that Westie look hand strip their dogs themselves. It is NOT hard to do and it can be easily done at home in the evenings. You don’t have to get the whole dog at once. Go to Pet Edge or Ryan’s Pet Supply online [www.petedge.com or www.ryanspet.com] and get the tools you need at low, discount prices

Hello!

My husband and I will be moving into a approx. 900 sq feet apartment soon. A big park and pool will also be available. I will be home quite often and love to go on bike rides.
We are planning on getting a dog. I am so excited.
We will probably only be allowed to get a dog up to 40 pounds.
We don´t have any kids now but might within the next years. We have two really nice Maine Coon cats now.
We are looking for a really affectionate (who loves to cuddle), smart, fun dog. It is important to me that the dog does not need too much grooming and does not shed that much. I would also really like to be able to trust my dog off leash. I have experience in dog training.
These three breeds seem to be fitting for our lives: Havanese, Westie or Beagle.
All three have advantages and disadvantages; I just simply can´t decide on which one to get/would be best.
What are your thoughts about which of these dog breeds would be best for our lifestyle and wishes?
Thank you!

Completely different personalities with the Beagle being the sweetest but hardest to train or housebreak, and the Westie being the most bullheaded (I owned and trained two of these). Havanese are a great deal like poodles and bichons, but the seem to have a sweeter dispostion. Here is the standard for all three ;

http://www.akc.org/breeds/havanese

http://www.akc.org/breeds/west_highland_white_terrier

http://www.akc.org/breeds/beagle

The only one that sheds much is the beagle, although you will get "puff balls" from the other two.

I usually get the Westie cut for my shih tzu but are their any others that you recommend that are a little more manageable without completely shaving off all the hair?

It is really a matter of choice & the groomers ability to do the clip. It also depends on what kind of coat the dog has.

http://www.jklgrooming.com/media_library.htm

Probably any of the terrier clips would look good.

first and then start the classic westie trim? Right now he is a combination of both soft and long hard coat and the hard coat doesn’t look very good nor does he look the the dogs in the grooming video’s I’m seeing.
first and then start the classic westie trim? Right now he is a combination of both soft and long hard coat and the hard coat doesn’t look very good nor does he look like the dogs in the grooming videos I’m seeing

Clipping is the way it’s supposed to be done.
If you’re going to do his entire body, then you might want an electric razor.
Try passing it on his back and sides, but only at the tips of his fur, because if you put it down too much you’ll chop off all his hair. It works a lot better than clipping because it comes out a lot more even and it’s faster.
You can clip his face, tail, legs, and paws.
Search up grooming tips online, or ask a real groomer or get a book.
Good luck!

I have a 3 months old westie, I would like to know when is the best age to take him to the groomer

You should already have the dog used to being brushed, ears cleaned and either the nails trimmed or the dog be used to having it’s feet fooled with. As far as clipping, you might want to get the face trimmed but I wouldn’t worry about a Westie cut for at least 3 or 4 more months. It would help to take the dog to the groomer just for the basics to get him used to it.