Westies

[nodogsinthebedroom]

Hello

Does anyone reading this have a westie or experience of westies?

We're due to bring one home on foster tomorrow as her owner sadly passed away and she is very distressed in kennels . She's 8 years old and has only ever lived with one owner.

We've fostered several dogs before but mostly bigger breeds and no terriers other than an SBT so no idea what to expect - any words of wisdom?!

Thank you

I meet two out walking every day. Their owner rescued them at about 6 and 8 years old. They are tough little terriers who do a good three mile walk every morning and love a bit of mud and rabbiting.

I know one quite well-she's a real character, but has a very stubborn streak and isn't at all food motivated. She's extremely curious, loyal and intelligent, and gets involved with everything (especially gardening and hoovering-her favourite things!)
Hope it goes well with your foster, poor thing.

I have 2 and they are both extremely stubborn and defiant. They're not food motivated but do like the hide stashes of dog biscuits in corners and plant pots. They are burrowers and like to sleep in a den. One of mine sleeps under the bed and the other burrows down under the duvet and sleeps with his head on my feet. The boy like a good walk every day but my girl is a complete couch potato and won't go out at all, just mooches in the garden.

We adopted a 9 year old westie in January. We have never had a dog before, and tbf he is very easy to look after. He loves a twenty minute walk a day, but he is very low energy in the house ( apart from an occasional mad ten minutes every so often)
As others have said they can be quite stubborn, and they also have a high prey drive so love chasing squirrels or cats.
Heath wise hips and skin seem to be a common problem to keep your eye out for.
Good luck, I'm sure you will love your new dog

Thanks all! We are slightly wondering what's we've let ourselves in for

Tbh I doubt she'll be with us long as the small pure breeds always get snapped up quickly, but it will be interesting to get to know a different dog.

Do your westies/the westies you know bark much? Can they be left alone for short periods?

The one I know barks a bit. She's never alone as the owners also have a labrador. When they leave the two of them they go to sleep on the sofa

Ours barks out in the garden, and if we are in, he barks when someone else comes into the house. If he's alone, he never barks when we come in! He's stubborn and not motivated by food, but is completely lovable. He'll walk all day if that's what you want, or just bimble in the garden. He has more personality than some people I know. you'll have a great time with your foster.

We called ours the little yap, he barked a lot. Westies, I think can have itchy skin conditions. DM spent a lot of time putting creams and lotions on ours, he pulled the fur out of his feet, they were often sore. He had a special diet to try and help.
They are time consuming, but so much fun and really affectionate.

She's home . She was really scared in kennels when dp picked her up but after coming home and being bribed with sausage she's a lot better and is now snuggled up with me in an armchair. Still lots of stress panting and a couple of accidents but we're getting there. As pps suggested she is very busy and into everything but so far no yapping (touch wood). And she is ridiculously cute.

One question - is there any point in trying to tackle the brown staining around her mouth or does it tend to be a permanent feature? (not something to tackle today, obviously). We're only likely to have her for one - two weeks so don't want to shell out on a full groom.. Could pop her in the bath but if that's unlikely to make much difference I'll just stick to brushing her.

Awww so cute! The staining doesn't really come out with a bath tbh, I would just ignore it