I’m looking to get my first dog and I’ve fallen in love with this breed by searching for terrier breeds but have to still interact with the westie. I was wondering for when I decide to play with a westie and then eventually search for the perfect puppy what should I be looking for, and what are some of your favorite westie stories?
I like them, and in fact they are one of a very limited number of small dogs I could see myself owning. Two close family members have had Westies, one from a pup and one I’ve only known as an adult dog.
They can be vocal and a bit crazy if not disciplined correctly, as at the end of the day they are terriers. Because of their white coats they need a lot of grooming (and trust me, they will go and find the largest puddle of mud straight after a bath…) and the breed has its health problems (there’s a breathing problem a lot of them develop in later life… I can’t remember the proper name but colloquially it is known as "Westie Cough").
That said, they are intelligent dogs, very friendly when socialised, generally live long lives and make good pets in a good home. Both dogs I’ve known were lovely, having been well socialised and well cared for throughout their lives. 
I would never recommend a terrier as a first dog, I really wouldn’t. It is somewhat throwing yourself in at the deep end, unlike owning something like a Labrador that are quite calm and don’t have moments where they’ll just yap and yap at you! That said if you’ve had experience with dogs of your own before you may know a little more than the average first time dog owner. As for having experience with a Westie, try going to a breed show, contacting a breed club (who, if you are serious, would be happy to give you serious advice on how to choose a quality dog and what the breed are like in depth), or visiting a shelter, who may have Westies.
As for looking for a puppy, don’t fall into the BYB scam – you are much more likely to find a low quality and unhealthy dog on craigslist or a newspaper. Contact the American West Highland Terrier Club, they may be able to help you find a quality breeder in your area. Be prepared for an ownership application and a homecheck though, as al quality breeders want to know what kind of home their pups are going to.
Good luck with your search for your dog. Hopefully I have helped you.
Tags: west highland terrier, Westie
Why this breed?????? This is a breed which is really high maintenance and if you want the dog or bitch to be as shown in pictures you have to maintain the dog really really well.
Go for a lower maintenance breed amongst terriers- like say the Border Terrier.
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go to a dog show and see how Westies behave.
yes, they look neat, and all white and cute, but they are basically a white coloured Cairn terrier.
most terriers are a bit vocal and dog aggressive.
the sweetest(most laid back) terrier would be a Dandie Dinmont Terrier,look it up.
the second terrier breethat’sts not going berserk when seeing other animals/dogs is the Border Terrier!
call up a breeder and tell them you want to see the adult dogs,they should let you come and visit.
If they don’t want you to visit that’s a bad sign.
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I like them, and in fact they are one of a very limited number of small dogs I could see myself owning. Two close family members have had Westies, one from a pup and one I’ve only known as an adult dog.
They can be vocal and a bit crazy if not disciplined correctly, as at the end of the day they are terriers. Because of their white coats they need a lot of grooming (and trust me, they will go and find the largest puddle of mud straight after a bath…) and the breed has its health problems (there’s a breathing problem a lot of them develop in later life… I can’t remember the proper name but colloquially it is known as "Westie Cough").
That said, they are intelligent dogs, very friendly when socialised, generally live long lives and make good pets in a good home. Both dogs I’ve known were lovely, having been well socialised and well cared for throughout their lives.
I would never recommend a terrier as a first dog, I really wouldn’t. It is somewhat throwing yourself in at the deep end, unlike owning something like a Labrador that are quite calm and don’t have moments where they’ll just yap and yap at you! That said if you’ve had experience with dogs of your own before you may know a little more than the average first time dog owner. As for having experience with a Westie, try going to a breed show, contacting a breed club (who, if you are serious, would be happy to give you serious advice on how to choose a quality dog and what the breed are like in depth), or visiting a shelter, who may have Westies.
As for looking for a puppy, don’t fall into the BYB scam – you are much more likely to find a low quality and unhealthy dog on craigslist or a newspaper. Contact the American West Highland Terrier Club, they may be able to help you find a quality breeder in your area. Be prepared for an ownership application and a homecheck though, as al quality breeders want to know what kind of home their pups are going to.
Good luck with your search for your dog. Hopefully I have helped you.
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They are adorable but very high strung and high maintenance.
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I’m a breeder (Miniature Schnauzers) and trainer of several different breeds. I’ve owned two Westies and found them delightful,smart, and loving companions. If you get a male, please get it neutered, as males have a tendency to be a little more stubborn if they aren’t. I usually prefer male dogs, but with this breed, I think the females have softer personalities with more of a want to please you temperment. Grooming is simple , a bath and a good brushing. Nail clipping and a little trimming around the eyes and ears is all that’s necessary to keep them looking good. The westies in the conformation ring are stripped, but that isn’t something you have to do to have a nice looking dog. I would definitely NOT get a Westie from a BYB, and pay the extra to get one from someone actively showing her line. Discuss health problems with the breeder and see what kind of testing has been done on the sire and dam of the litter you’re interested in. Get a year health guarantee (any breeder worth their salt will give you one) and keep in touch with the breeder with your questions.
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Purchasing a purebred dog is heartless. Please don’t.
Those who breed millions of dogs and cats each year for profit are contributing to the companion animal overpopulation crisis. Every newborn puppy or kitten means one home fewer for a dog or cat desperately waiting in a shelter or roaming the streets.
Producing animals for sale is a greedy and callous business in a world where there is a critical and chronic shortage of good homes for dogs, cats, and other animals, and the only "responsible breeders" are ones who, upon learning about their contribution to the overpopulation crisis, spay or neuter their animals, and get out of the business altogether.
Most people know to avoid puppy mills and "backyard" breeders. But many kind individuals fall prey to the picket-fence appeal of so-called "responsible" breeders and fail to recognize that no matter how kindly a breeder treats his or her animals, as long as dogs and cats are dying in animal shelters and pounds because of a lack of homes, no breeding can be considered "responsible."
There is no excuse for breeding or for supporting breeders. If you love animals and are ready to care for a cat or a dog for the rest of the animal’s life, please adopt from your local animal shelter, where there are dogs and cats galore—tails wagging and hearts filled with hope, looking out through the cage bars, just waiting to find someone to love. Shelters receive new animals every day, so if you don’t find the perfect companion to match your lifestyle on your first visit, keep checking back. When you find your new best friend, you’ll be glad that you chose to save a life—and made a new best friend as well.
Producing more animals—either to make money or to obtain a certain "look" or characteristic—is also harmful to the animals who are produced by breeding. Dogs and cats don’t care whether their physical appearance conforms to a judge’s standards, yet they are the ones who suffer the consequences of humans’ manipulation. Inbreeding causes painful and life-threatening genetic defects in "purebred" dogs and cats, including crippling hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, heart defects, skin problems, and epilepsy. Distorting animals for specific physical features also causes severe health problems. The short, pushed-up noses of bulldogs and pugs, for example, can make exercise and even normal breathing difficult for these animals. Dachshunds’ long spinal columns often cause back problems, including disk disease.
All breeders fuel the companion animal overpopulation crisis, and every time someone purchases a puppy or a kitten instead of adopting from an animal shelter, homeless animals lose their chance of finding a home—and will be euthanized. Many breeders don’t require every puppy or kitten to be spayed or neutered prior to purchase, so the animals they sell can soon have litters of their own, creating even more animals to fill homes that could have gone to shelter animals—or who will end up in animal shelters or so-called "no-kill" animal warehouses themselves. Simply put, for every puppy or kitten who is deliberately produced by any breeder, a shelter animal dies.
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Hi
My name is Skye and my dog was a westie. Her name was Crystal and she passed about a year ago. Crystal was only about 2-3 years old when she died. She suffered from a bad kidney, because we got her from a terrible breeder. Since i as only just turned 11. I took down hard. I remember going to school that day, and i would always kiss Crystal on the top of her head everytime i left for school. But on this certain day that i knew she had an operation, but i always thought she was so healthy and invincibal it never occured to me that she could die. Also i was in a bad mood and couldint care less for my dog. And when i got home that day, my dad was coming back from the office, i came home and waited for the little white terrier to jump up on my cold legs. Not today. i looked all over for her,called her name endlessly. No Crystal. As i was going to call my mom, i realized the small garbage bag behind the door. I ran up to it. I looked inside and found all of my baby girls things. Her leash,collar,food, everything. I remember running to my room moaning with anger. i sat with my knees tucked in sobbing. It was a terribl;e experience. Ive cried so many times.
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