Westie Puppies Blog

We all know that dogs are highly effective at sniffing out drugs. But a little West Highland Terrier called Holly has this week excelled herself by tipping off police about a massive cannabis factory. According to the BBC, Holly started appearing stoned about a month ago when strange smells started wafting into her Reading home.

Soon Holly started sleeping longer and laying in her den until mid-morning.
“I had a job getting her up in the morning, it was almost as though she was drugged, probably stoned,” Holly’s owner Valerie Bailey told the BBC. After a few weeks, Mrs Bailey started feeling woozy too and called the Police.

When officers investigated the house next door they found a huge drugs factory containing 200 cannabis plants worth £50,000. Mrs Bailey didn’t have too much to worry about, however. It is rare that dogs get addicted to narcotics of any kind. Cats on the other hand are well known for developing a dangerous taste for addictive substances like catnip. Yet another reason why dogs are the superior species…

For more odd and interesting scientific facts about man’s best friend you should read “Play It Again Tom: Curious Truths About Cats And Dogs” by Augustus Brown.

Dogs have become such an important part of our society, that the need for them to fit in well with other human beings and not pose a threat or a disturbance is critical to their long term acceptance by our neighbors and others around us. Not all people are dog lovers and to make sure that they’re not inconvenienced by our pets, training is essential. Training dogs is a specialized skill since the key difficulty lies in how to communicate efficiently with them.

Dog training is a repetition of the basic principle of reward and punishment in various forms and combinations. Communication of these signals is the key to proper training. One very important thing to remember is consistency of signals. The reliability of the training depends on how well a dog is able to be sure of what your signals mean.

An important factor is the emotional state of the dog. A dog that is frightened, anxious, or insecure doesn’t train well and this reflects the importance of factors like proper socialization of puppies.

A lot of studies have shown that proper puppy socialization goes a long way towards ensuring a good temperament and receptivity towards training. Lots of handling, petting and generally being around humans in their everyday life goes a long way towards making a dog well behaved and easy to train.

Training Westie puppies should not begin too early however, as there is evidence to show that before a certain age, the brains of puppies are not significantly developed enough to process complex learning.

Professional dog trainers are best when it comes to training your Westie as they will ensure that the proper habits are set for life, including how to behave around strangers. For the safety of your Westie, it is your duty as an owner to ensure that he or she is well trained.

A little white bundle of joy….

I found a really cute poem about a Terrier. Although it doesn’t say it is a Westie, the Terrier personality, that the Westie possesses shines through in this poem!

Terrier:

I am a little terrier dog
As feisty as can be.
So don’t you come in to my yard
And don’t you mess with me!

I know my rights, I have my ways,
I’m always on the go
(Not like some dogs I could mention
Who are lazy, fat and slow).

Devoted to my owners
And of that there is no doubt,
But strangers? I may let them in -
But I won’t let them out!

I’m a cocky little terrier dog
As you can plainly see,
But if you want a loving friend,
then that is really me!

Liz Heslop

It is always teh best thing to choose a premium diet that agrees with any dog’s digestive system and keeps his coat shiny is sufficient for nourishment. However, it has been noted - and it is important to note here as well- that this breed is allergic to almost all grains and most proteins. So it is a good idea to let them get used to Wellness brand fish and sweet potato dry food. Another good idea is to gie them WetNose pumpkin cookies. Even if your Westie is initially okay with grains and red meat, he/she may develop allergies to those things later on and there is nothing worse than increased veterinary bills due to chronic allergies!

Westies are definitely “big dogs in little bodies”. They are oh so willful! It is a known fact that terriers the most willful type of dogs, and Westies are the most willful of all terriers!! So you must establish rules of behavior, just as you do with children. A firm “No!” should eventually get your point across. Westies are extremely intelligent, so training MAY be relatively easy. It isn’t that they don’t understand what you want. It is just a simple case of whether they CHOOSE to obey. Stubborn is their middle name!

Some Westies may come off as indifferent. Not unfriendly, just indifferent. Others openly love everyone, especially kids. So you could get either kind, or one with an in-between temperament. Don’t let anyone tell you that Westies aren’t good around kids. They really love children. That certain attitude and bullheadedness that can only really be labelled as”Westitude” is so unique to all Westies! Please do keep in mind that Westies, like with most breeds, socialization is absolutely essential. Familiarize your puppy with his or her world and new environment as soon as possible, although gradually. Meeting other dogs on walks as well as neighbors will make your Westie a self-confident member of the family. Watch for that Westie strut!! They will make you laugh that’s for sure!

Westies are prone to allergies. it has been noted that this breed is allergic to almost all grains and most proteins. So it may be a good idea to let them get used to Wellness brand fish and sweet potato dry food, and WetNose pumpkin cookies. Even if your Westie is initially okay with grains and red meat, he/she may develop allergies to those things later. Be vigilant about itching, scratching. Some Westie”s may also allergic to Autumn mold.

This Scottish little dog breed is prone to having problems with dry skin. Don’t bathe him or her too frequently as this may aggravate these problems. Washing once a month will suffice and this will generally not aggravate the problem. However, brush the coat of a Westie regularly.The coat of a Westie is two-inches long, all-white and is supposed to be uncurled. A soft, dense undercoat is present. Brushing is needed so as to keep the coat clean. Natural oils will become evenly distributed throughout the coat; thereby also helping to alleviate the dry skin problems. Another way to keep the skin hydrated is to wash them with a detergent-free, baby-soft skin shampoo. The best shampoo for Westies is Nolvassen, which is available from your vet. It is great, but not cheap. Weekly washing of the inside of the ears with cotton balls will prevent oil and wax from building up and ear infections from appearing. This is very important so please do keep this in mind.

This amazing little dog is the topic of this blog, which was introduced to collect all information pertaining to this lovely little dog. Also known as the: Poltalloch Terrier, Roseneath Terrier and the White Roseneath Terrier, the West Highland White Terrier is a wonderful little dog breed that needs much more attention than is has gotten! Welcome!