Considering buying a Westie

POPPYOSCAR

Peeing on the curtains- thats not good! Sounds like you might have a problem there then.Perhaps an expert on dogs might be able to advise on this.

poet123

Thanks for all this info, we had a Yorkie some years ago and he had a congenital hip problem, which cost us a fortune, but more importantly gave him great pain and mobility problems for a long time after he came out of plaster. So I am keen to avoid any breed with inherent medicalproblems if possible.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Oooh poppyoscar you are a first to me - lucky you! Can i have one then????

No honestly mine is a nightmare for barking at the door/cats in the garden/freaks out at thunderstorms etc but usually you can tell her shhh and she'll shhh (apart from thunderstorms - she has to be put in the shower cubicle as it's the ONLY place she'll settle) it's just a pain when she initially starts as her bark is that of a very big dog and can really make you jump. Just she seems to think i'm deaf and must tell me whenever something is going on, lol! I'm always like ok ok - i have ears too, haha!

She isn't one of these constant barkers - just is very vocal at real things if you know what i mean.

Even though i'd have to think hard about having another in future i'd never swap her for the world - no matter what, a dog is for life and she is very much part of our family, i mean i can put up with her naughtiness, just as you do your children, lol

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

hethmar wrote: »

Well worth a try for anyone who has a dog with skin problems. Its not expensive and they give 100% money back guarantee
http://www.aromesse.com/pages/petnat/dermacton.htm

I'd try Hibiscrub first - just as it's cheaper and last ages (is what is used to wash hands before surgery, so as you can imagine a proper antimicrobial wash) but if that didn't work deffo second this stuff

Our girl had really bad skin on her back till i came accross Hibiscrub, was advised it's often used on horses (cheap but effective) - she cleared up completely after a few baths. And now i bath her prob once a month with it - and she loves her baths.

gadjah543

I would also agree about a westie chasing anything that moves.You would definitely need to do plenty of training .Their instinct is to run after anything that moves.Our dog used to chase after bikes ,skateboards etc.At least if they are well trained you can recall them. We are getting a new puppy but have chosen a tibetan terrier as they are meant to be excellent family dogs .The kennel club will give you a list of registered breeders for puppies .Again like others have said, much as I loved my old westie I wouldn't get another.

POPPYOSCAR

[QUOTE=my_gorgeous_ellie-belle;32818385]Oooh poppyoscar you are a first to me - lucky you! Can i have one then????


Sorry no you can't I love them to bits!!!!!!!!!! Yes I know we are lucky as I do know others that are not very nice to put it mildly.I hear a lot of people talking about skin conditions but as I said been ok so far(Now ive said that I know what will happen!!!)They are just so loving and follow me around everywhere(that is when they are not chasing the squirrels up trees)

foreign_correspondent

poet123 wrote: »

Mmm, my OH would prefer a collie! that said he will be happy with anything as I have held out against one for so long, and he is just happy I have come around!

Which suits your lifestyle best? You are considering three dogs with very different temprements and exercise needs - a bichon, westie and collie...

How much do you like walking? What do you want from your dog? If you can tell us we may be able to make some suggestions!

tcr_3

Our Westie didn't bark much. My GF was great with her, when we were out for walks & the dog off the lead, my GF just called her name & the dog came running back. Didn't work like that with me, I called her name and she just kept on running ... away from me ... always turning around as if to say "haha, you can't catch me !".

She was hugely intrigued by mobile phone ring tones, in fact she loved anything which made an electronic type sound. I thought she was a bit deaf ... perhaps she couldn't hear lower tones such as my voice ? She only responded to OH and other mad noisy things. Or maybe she was just like every other female in my life and learned how to switch off to everything I say and do ... who knows ?!

Our Westie wasn't too good with kids, she never bit anyone but with kids she was certainly uneasy in herself so kids & doggy were always kept apart. We re-homed her from rescue aged 5 years, her history before then we never knew.

She was as fit as a fiddle too, really lean for a Westie, no fat on her at all, not like the stodgy Westies you see lumbering about. She loved going outside, she thought nothing better than running about and sniffing here there & everywhere.

I can see her now, in my memory, us sitting under the tree during the Summer, the dog with her white coat glistening in the sun, as she meandered through the rockery, sniffing the plants and flowers, chasing butterflies. That was just such a perfect Summer's afternoon, everything right in our world.

She died suddenly one night, aged about 10 years, quite unexpected too because she hadn't been unwell. I awoke to OH crying on the side of the bed, saying the dog had died in her sleep. I shouldn't make a joke about it, but as I woke up with a start I thought she said my Mum had died ... it was only when I went to phone my Brother that she realised I hadn't a clue what had happened ... she explained about the dog and we had such a laugh ... then a cry together ... then total hilarity when we told friends later.

Poor wee soul. She's buried under that tree, you know. Her little grave isn't marked or anything, but we know she's there and that's all that matters.

foreign_correspondent

ah... tcr - sounds like my little mongrelly ginger terrier - she died three years ago in her sleep, unexpectedly after being happy and fit aged about 16.. she died when the snowdrops were out, and so she is buried by a tree, under a big clump of snowdrops... every year when the snowdrops come out I am reminded of her - lovely, happy little soul.

OP - as far as health problems go - most/all breeds have some inherant problems which they may be prone to, for example labradors and retrievers tend to be prone to hip dysplasia, cavalier king charles to heart problems, westies to skin problems... (many of them will have more than one, but these are just a few commonly known examples!) However, decent breeders research the genetics of the lines and select which dogs to breed to which to try and reduce the risk of these.

For many of the health problems there are tests (blood tests, eye checks, x rays on hips) which can be run on the parents to try and avoid breeding dogs with unseen conditions they can pass on to their offspring.

Many breeders however do not bother, and breed their dog with a friends or neighbours dog, cos it is cheap and convenient. Others sadly breed from stock with known health or temprement problems. Really what you need to do is research the breed, find out what the recommended health checks are for that breed, and then look for a breeder who can provide evidence that they go by the book.

The kennel club had a page which lists breeds and the recommended health checks, which may be helpful: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/1100/abshealthreqs.pdf

POPPYOSCAR

Does any one have any pictures they can post of their Westie(or any dog really) that they can post I would love to see them. i would like to put my two on but I have no idea how to do it!