Do westies make good pets?

[Dancergirl]

I am completely in love with westies after seeing the Wizard of Oz

We have been thinking about getting a dog for a while, it's not a spur of the moment thing and I want to take enough time to think about everything involved in having a dog and make sure we get the right breed for us.

So what is their temperment like? How much walking etc?

Our only other pet is a cat, how do dogs and cats generally get on?

What other breeds make good family pets? Prefer smallish dogs.

Forget to say our dc's ages - 11, 9 and 5

Yes they do make good pets however their temperaments can vary from being very gentle and friendly to being snappy. They love their walks and are huge characters in tiny bodies. Go for it...you won't regret it

Is the dog in the wizard of oz not a cairn terrier?

Was just about to post what Marios said - Toto's a Cairn terrier

My great-aunt has taken on a series of Westies that have proven too snappy for families and hated cats! I really don't understand her fondness for them but she understands them. You really do need to look at temperament with this breed. Whoever said they are a lot of character in a small package is right!

I have no idea about Cairn Terriers!

Westies and Cairns were different colours of the same breed a long time ago but I think the kennel club said they had to be separate breeds. Very similar dogs though, we've had both and they were lovely with the kids.

We have a 4 year old Westie and three children (10, 7 & 5). She's fantastic with people and especially loves children but can be a little growly with other dogs when walked on-leash (she's perfect off-leash). My Mum owns her brother and he's lovely with the children too. One thing to watch out for is skin issues and allergies; the breed can be really prone to dermatitis and other nasties so a good food is really, really important. We've been lucky with ours so far but I know other people with Westies who've had real problems with this. They need quite a bit of exercise and stimulation (more so than other small breeds) but are really good fun, loyal and they love to cuddle .

Forgot to add that my Mum has three cats and they are definitely in charge of the Westie .

Our Westie is a bit cross and snappy, at times.

We got her when DD2 was 2, and that was a mistake. I hated her at first, for biting my DC.

But now she is 9, she is a wonderful family pet. But very stubborn. Not like a Labrador which will always try to please. She knows what you want, but would often rather do her own thing. She has the bare minimum of training, but don't expect an obedience dog.

True that, Tally. They are missing the "eager to please" gene; you won't get the precision obedience or bounding-towards-you recall you can achieve with other breeds. They come back to you if they want to and there's nothing better on offer .

I used to be a vet nurse and most westies we saw were grumpy little buggars but that could just be due to poor training or owners allow them to be that way. Echo what someone else said earlier they can suffer from skin allergies which can be very costly as they need life time treatment ranging from special vet bought diet to steriod tablets. They can also have ear problems too. If you do opt for a westie 3 words of advice insure insure insure. Good luck

My only experience of westies is with a pair of them in the dog park in Bury St Edmunds, where we used to live. They were pampered little princes - neckerchiefs, diamante collars, the works - and were even more snappy and grumpy than the stereotype!

I think most of the terrier types have that napoleon syndrome, tbh. (Terrier owners will disagree, obv!) We have a Lab who completely adores our 15 month DD. She's more than happy for DD to sit on her, use her as a pillow or sort of reading corner (DD loves books), 'cuddle' her (headlock), 'pat' her (slap) - anything really.

I still wouldn't leave them in the same room unattended, however. You never know when a child will inadvertently make just the wrong movement that leads to a nip, bite or worse.

And we have 3 cats too. We had the cats first, so the puppy was soon shown her place in the pecking order and has never forgotten!

Oh dear, perhaps not the dog for us then.

Can anyone recommend any other small breeds other than Cairns?

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (though these can have health issues). Tibetan Terrier s (medium sized), Cairn Terriers.

My friend has a cavalier king charles spaniel - gorgeous dog! How much walking do they need?

King Charles have lovely temperaments. They don't need loads of excercise TBH- they have heart problems so again if you get one always insure them. They also get ear infections a lot too because their ears are big and floppy and stuff gets stuck in them. To be fair most pedigree dogs have breed related health issues (that's not to say that mixed breeds never get ill though). I would insure any animal I get because I have seen so many times when owners cannot afford the expensive vet bills and the results can be heartbreaking .

My ILs had a westie, and it wasn't snappy at all. It was however manic, and stubborn and it never shut up. It yapped at everything, and then it yapped again, and if it didn't want to do something it dug its heels in and wouldn't budge. I couldn't stand it

I'm not sure if this was down to its breed or the fact it was treated like a spoilt child with no boundaries.

King Charles are lovely but do read up on health issues.

we have a stunning little Westie... called Whisky... he is one next week and has never been grumpy at all, he is a gorgeous little fellow, with a temperament to match - likes nothing better than a walk followed by a tummy tickle and a bit of hide to chew on - he is gorgeous...

we got him from a breeder with 14 grandchildren, all of whom handled the puppies virtually daily - he is a real "people" dog and will sit at your feet talking "o-wo-wo-woo-ooooo" til you let him curl up on your lap like a cat.

He had "Westie gut" when we got him- so he is on Pet's Corner's own brand Symply which is gentle on tummies - settled him down nicely.

One thing to remember is that Westies are naturally "shaggy" and need to be groomed - ours costs about £30 every 2 months, and a lot of brushing in between.

He comes bottom in our house - and knows it - tell him to move and he moves, recall is good too - just say "cheese" or "carrot" - his favourite treat is raw carrot (odd dog!!) and he comes right back!

He gets walked twice a day - but sometimes if we can't he just runs round the garden like a completely mad idiot - a bit of a "self-exerciser"...... Doesn't pull on the lead, doesn't run away off the lead - would like to say it is my fantastic training regime - but to be honest he just does what we want....

I like scottish terriers more a westie but a black coat

Westies and very proud dogs, scottish terriers remind me of a stuck up but a dog always walk with there head held high!!!

Ive always wanted one but i have 4 chinchillas and a son on the way :(