terriers

West Highland White Terrier Dog Breed Temperament, Health Issues, Grooming, and Living Conditions

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Temperament: The West Highland White Terrier is a hardy small dog, and gets on well with children. This dog is an excellent companion and this dog travel well. The West Highland White Terrier is easy to train and they have a great deal of self assurance in their personality. This breed needs a good pack leader, or they can become irritable and snappy, guarding food, and even biting. This dog loves to bark and dig and needs firm guidelines on what is acceptable.

The West Highland White Terrier does show terrier instincts and will want to chase cats, but the fun is in the chase, and the cat should be unharmed. Small dog syndrome should be avoided as this will lead the dog to have behavioural problems. To prevent this you have to be the pack leader and have firm rules, for the dog to follow. This breed may be small but still requires walking daily and giving them play sessions will burn off the energy that they have. This dog, like most dogs loves to have a good romp off the lead in a safe area.

Health issues: The West Highland White Terrier is prone to hip problems and jawbone calcification, this is painful in puppy hood. Any puppy that has this, will need medical help, but this does pass at about 1 year. Liver disease and skin problems are also recorded. As with any dog it is very important that you make sure they are up to date on all vaccinations, de-wormings and heart worm preventatives. It is also suggested by the majority of licensed veterinarians that you take your puppy or dog in for a check up at least twice each year.

Grooming: The West Highland White Terrier is fairly easy to keep clean and tidy. All that is required is brushing regularly. The dog’s coat will need trimming every four months, with stripping twice a year.

Living conditions: This dog is fine for apartment living and is active indoors and will do fine without a garden, but daily walks are still required.

For more information on different Dog Breeds, Dog Training and Teacup Puppies for sale including Yorkies, Chihuahuas and Morkies please visit our websites below. Be sure to Register for our Free Puppy Contest where you can register to win a Free Puppy valued at up to $1,500.00 with Free Shipping.

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How Long Do West Highland White Terriers or Westies Live?

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

How long do Westies live? I was out for a walk with my son Jonathan and Pepper our Westie Dog by the sea shore where we live. I met a neighbour called John who I hadn’t seen for ages. I was very surprised to see him on his own because he has a black Labrador and the 2 of them are inseparable.

Naturally I enquired about Barney and his face dropped. I knew something was terribly wrong. His reply was that he had to put Barney down because he had developed cancer and it had come on so quickly. He didn’t want his friend to suffer.

I said to John that I was so sorry. He knew that I meant it as all dog lovers do. After all it is the passing of one of your family. Non dog owners can’t understand and I feel that they are the losers of such love and loyalty.

The news hurt Jonathan because he always would play with Barney and make such a fuss of him.

It got me to thinking how long our Pepper would live to. The Westie in general should live to around 15 years if probably looked after and also if no serious health issue arise.

He is now 6 years and I still can’t believe he is that old. Maybe it’s a sign of me getting old, because my kids seemed to have grown up in the blink of an eye.

I give Pepper a big hug when I got home and he got a couple of extra treats also. Don’t want to take him for granted and will monitor his health checks with the proper grooming for the west highland terrier He always looks like a little puppy again, every time he returns from the groomers. Have to also start building up the westie photos again.

So for all dog lovers, please remember to give your pet a hug today

(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)

Jeff Cuckson
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Itchy Dog – West Highland White Terrier

Friday, April 29th, 2011

The West Highland White Terrier suffers from allergic skin disease called at or atopic dermatitis. These dogs have a faulty skin barrier and are allergic to pollens, dust mites and household spores (the things that cause asthma in people). These dogs are frustrating to treat.

As pollens and spores are difficult to keep away from the dog, the problems are recurrent. To reduce the severity of flare-ups, the itch should be treated as soon as possible. The itch and rash on these dogs develops on the thinly haired regions of the body that is not well protected. These dogs typically have itchy feet, groin, ventral abdomen (tummy) and axilla (arm pits) and the concave surface of the pinna (pointy part of ear).

Immunotherapy is the only current way of curing the problem with a 70% success rate. Allergens are determined by a blood test and a skin prick test. This procedure is expensive and most owners of West Highland White Terriers turn to other ways of managing the condition. Corticosteroids such as prednisolone are the cornerstone of management. Cyclosporine also works well but the costs involved are often inhibitive.

Recent developments in understanding this terrible condition have enabled some more effective natural treatment regimes to develop that really do work. The skin barrier is deficient in a protein called sphingosine which is part of the protective ceramides that bind the skin cells together. Barrier protection and repair can greatly help these dogs prevent flares by blocking trigger factors. The west Highland White Terrier is a very challenging itchy dog.

For a FREE “Home Diagnosis Manual to the itchy dog” and information on natural treatment that really stops your dog itching and scratching go to http://www.scratchingdoghelp.com

For more information on treating the itchy scratching dog the natural way and to find out how to stop the itch go to http://www.scratchingdoghelp.com/treating_itchy_dogs.html

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Why You Should Consider Bark Collars

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Most of the times, dogs bark for a justifiable reason. However, sometimes dogs over-react to situations or stimuli and become excessive in their vocalizations. Dogs are extremely attached to their owners and feel their absence; they usually become noisy when they are left alone in the house.

Because it happens when the owner is not around, it is also one of the most difficult to control. At one time, this usually led to a difficult decision: have the dog de-barked, or send the dog away. Of course, these are rushed decisions which should only be used as a last resort. Yet, if neighbors complain constantly, there’s not much the owner can do.

Fortunately for both the dog and the owner, anti-bark collars were invented for these situations. These devices were not always as efficient as they are now. They often mistook other dogs’ barking for the sound they needed to stop and started functioning even if it wasn’t the right moment. Others could not discern between a normal barking reaction and constant barking.

bark collars have improved massively since their beginnings. There are now three types available: spray, sonic, and static. All these collars use the same principle. When the dog produces sounds and vibrations within a certain range or frequencies, the collar starts functioning. The combination of vibration and barking makes the collar react only to the dog’s noise. Also having a volume and frequency requirement helps prevent the collar from being triggered by fear, pain, or other vocalizations not tied to problem barking.

Static bark collars give the dog mild shocks when it is noisy; those with citrus spray spread the substance and the ultrasonic collars produce an irritating sound that only dogs can hear. None is intended to harm the dog, but startle it, which will silence it. Some of the static collars can be adjusted and they also have an automatic shutdown system if the dog barks continuously for a longer period. Moreover, the bark collar can switch to a lower setting if the dog doesn’t produce any noise for a certain amount of time. This system is meant to encourage your dog to only bark when it has to.

However, even if you buy a bark collar, this does not mean you should not train your dog as well. It should not be left on all the time, and initial sessions with it should be monitored. If your pet only barks when you are away and there’s no possible means for you to control his training, ask for a neighbor’s help. Usually, they will be happy to help, since they are the ones that must endure the noise. Consider the friendliest neighbor you have, with whom your dog is already used.

Keeping the pet under constant supervision is meant to record whether it has a normal reaction to the collar. Dogs need much more than an anti-bark collar in order to learn how to behave. You must train them constantly, especially during their first year of life.

Instead of resorting to extreme solutions, consider purchasing bark collars instead. These devices can prove to be very efficient in educating your dog. If you want to know more details about these devices and the mechanisms they use, read more about bark collars here.

Methods to Stop Your Dog’s Insistent Barking

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Many households keep at least one dog. Unfortunately, one cannot predict his dog’s behavior when it grows up. Loud, constant barking can drive anyone crazy, and many families consider the idea of giving the pet away.

Yet, dog barking can be useful in critical situations, where the house, or a member of the family is threatened. Dogs that are experiencing anxiety for any number of reasons will bark and whine. They also signal joy or excitement, or willingness to play. There is the bark that a dog lets out when he wants the attention of his master, and there is the bark a dog will voice when he is bored.

Generally, dogs that bark a lot do it out of boredom. Seeing as they are so used to having attention showered on them, bored dogs will start to bark simply to attract more attention. Of course, it is the fault of the person who owns the dog, rather than the animal’s.

Dogs always bark at other passing dogs, so putting the dog behind the house where he will not have to see other dogs passing is a good way to get him to stop barking. Make sure to give your dog plenty of time to run around, as exercise releases a lot of the pent up enthusiasm that makes a dog bark so much.

When dogs bark a lot you shouldn’t pet them or give them attention, as they will insist in their behavior. You will actually keep on spoiling it, instead of educating it. You can start with light dog training, such as teaching it how to react at simple commands. However, do not use any aggressive means to make it shut up, like force or yelling.

Bark collars are common tools used by many around the world. Many people feel that these bark collars are inhuman and painful to the dog, but that is not the case. The bark collar comes in several versions, proper for any kind of dog. You can choose a bark collar with sonic, static or citrus mechanisms.

Every version uses methods to teach the dog the proper time to manifest itself. Though they may annoy or even mildly sting the dog, it is not painful and will be a valuable tool in helping him learn that making too much noise is bad.

When you put the collar at your dog’s neck, make sure the animal is kept somewhere far from other sources of noise, such as screaming kids or other dogs on the street, so that the noise doesn’t interfere with its barking. If the dog learns to associate the discomfort with his barking, he will learn quickly not to make so much noise with his barking.  

A great way to educate your dog is the use of a bark collar. When you put the collar on, keep the animal away from sources of loud noise. Read more about the use of a bark collar by clicking this link.

Puppies in the Park Part Two!

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Puppies in the park for a walk! With my nephew Darragh!

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Really Funny Westie Puppies

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

my sister’s pups molly and leila playing!
check out my other vids please!

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Puppies First Walk in the Park Nov 20 2008_0001.wmv

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

Puppies first walk in the park. November 2008

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Westie Puppies NE Atlanta GA Snowesti

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Snowesti featuring the Little Snoflakes.

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Westie Puppies

Sunday, September 7th, 2008

Westie Puppies playfully attacking their Mum in her bed

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