Looking for West Highland Pup

Psychic Lady

Hi all I'm looking for a West Highland Pup, as this will be my first pet I don't know if I should buy one or go to a dog shelter and see if there would be any there. What do you all think? Also i've been told that Westies are always sick and i'd be out a fortune on vet fees have any other Westie owners experienced this with their pet?

All advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

peasant

Westies, unfortunately, have gone the way of so many other "high demand" breeds. Everybody wants one ...and everybody "makes" one.
They are ideal fodder for puppy mills, small with little need for space and an almost certain sale, regardless of condition or health ...because there are so many clueless "dog lovers" out there that want the "same cute doggy like on the Ceasars tin".

The end result is lots and lots of mass produced Westies, bred in abominable condititions, from parents that have never seen a vet, had their behaviour or character assesed ...never mind been properly socialised.

No surprise then that there are a lot of sick Westies out there.

If you absolutely have to have a pup, ONLY buy from a reputable, responsible breeder and ONLY after a careful selection and screening process (of the breeder)

As this is your first dog, a word of warning:
Raising a puppy isn't as easy as it looks ...especially not a REALLY cute one like a Westie. Those little "monsters" know EXACTLY how to wrap you round their little paws, luring you into making one concession after another until you end up with one royally spoiled dog. Getting all those bad habits out of them again once they get older and "cute" becomes just plain annoing, is an almost impossible task. Almost as impossible as being strict with these little bundles of joy is for the first time owner And a "real" Westie is a proper terrier, strong willed, resiliant and slightly stubborn at the best of times ...you certainly don't want to raise one that thinks he/she rules the roost.

In light of that, a slightly older rescue dog might be a good idea. A good rescue will help you to assess the doggies health and character (and degree of spoiltness:D ) and enable you to find one that suits you and your circumstances.

Futhermore, you will provide a loving home for one more Westie that got dumped once it wasn't a cute puppy any more.

But whatever you do, take your time, do your research and don't rush into it.

Good luck !

Psychic Lady

Thanks for the advice Peasant will certainly take it on board before buying.

rondeco

Westies also love to play a game called 'The Phantom Burglar'. Generally they play it at 3am and go mad barking and as soon as u get up to check whats going on, they head off back to bed laughing their tail off at ya....

karlin

Westie rescue listed on this page:

http://irishanimals.com/breedrescue.html

They do come in fairly regularly usually via the pound at a variety of ages, never puppies however to my knowledge.

This can be a difficult breed as previously noted (a major reason they come into rescue regularly, so do read up on whether this is the right breed for you -- www.yourpurebredpuppy.com gives good warts and all advice on breeds)! They need a confident owner willing to put in the training time and are not very happy left alone during the day; like a lot of terriers westies can be particularly destructive when bored and alone. They are definitely a handful, more than those cute little faces would suggest... :rolleyes:

If you feel this is the breed for you and want a puppy, avoid any breeder listing puppies in the buy and sell or newspaper small ads as these are almost entirely backyard bred dogs prone to many of the health issues westies have, or puppy farm pups being sold on by brokers or the puppy farmers themselves. Note that IKC registration does not necessarily mean a quality dog; you need to research breeders thoroughly.

Contact the breed club to get advice on registered breeders expecting litters -- www.ikc.ie/buying . Or go to the St Pat's Day national dog show over St Pat's day at the dog show arena near Dublin airport and make contact with some of the breeders there. This is a good event to attend for anyone who wants to get a sense of what breeds are like in personality and behaviour.

It takes time and some legwork to get a good breeder who breeds for health but this is so important, not just to get the best dog you can but also to ensure the overall health of the breed. Indifferent breeders are the single biggest contribution to the severe decline in health and the behaviour issues in popular breeds like cairns, westies, labs, dals, cavalier King Charles, poodles, etc. Supporting a good breeder is one way to support the breed you like as a whole.

Karlin
Irish Cavalier Rescue

Edited to add: Oops IKC have a new website I see so the old link I gave won;t work now. Here's the new site, give them a ring for the westie breed club secretary: http://alfa.ikc.ie/

BlueSpiral

Who ever told you they get sick alot must have got the wrong information, because they don't. I've had my westie for over 7 years, and he hardly gets sick, he's just a bit pron to constipation.

And as peasent said you are better to get an older dog, as the pups ARE monsters. The second Scotch (our westie) got into the house, he splatted poop all over the kitchen lower cabinets.:eek:

I thought westies were rare in Ireland now?

karlin

Actually, good breeders will tell you this as will vets. Skin problems in particular are a serious problem in the breed (Westies get a particular type of dermatitis where they go totally bald in areas of their coat) as are digestive tract issues. Westies are the number two breed for health insurance claims in the UK and Ireland, after boxers, according to Allianz. As they say, your mileage may vary, but the breed is considered one of those more prone to health problems. Even though digestive and skin issues are not considered serious health problems in the way cancer or hip dysplasia are, the problem is they are very hard to treat in many individuals.

I work with various general, breed and pound rescues and westies come in on a regular basis. They aren't hard to find at all.

BlueSpiral

Ah ok, sorry I was mistaken. It's just the westies I know seem pretty health around here, but I'll listen to you, the professional.:o
I just thought the pure breed pups were hard to find, but I must be getting my information wrong, thanks for that info.

Psychic Lady

Thanks for the advice there Karlin you've given me alot to think about and I will do some more research into it now before I choose to buy a dog.

karlin

I'm not a professional, but I talk to a lot of people who are.

Here's what I'd do:

1) research the breed and its characteristics and also consider your current home situation -- to weigh up what would suit you and a dog best and what type of dog and age would work best (eg are you out all day, if so can you get someone in to walk your dog daily etc -- puppies in particular need a lot of hands-on time which is hard to give if you live alone and are in work all day)

2) if you feel a puppy is the right choice, do the research on breeders to be sure you get your puppy from a good breeder whow focuses on overall breed health and the highest quality puppies (that doesn;t mean show puppies necessarily but quality dogs from a breeder who shows and therefore upholds the breed standard and who is proud to have their dogs weighed up in a public arena for health, quality, conformation to breed standard)

3) If you decide on an older dog, consider a rescue dog and talk to Maureen of Westie rescue at the contact I noted above -- there are wonderful dogs needing homes and Maureen can assess what will work best for you. Maureen is good to talk to before you make a choice either way (puppy, adult or rescue) anyway -- she can give you pointers and advice on westies and help you decide if this is the breed for you.

Westies are a great little breed, just be sure you are aware of what you can be in for (eg they are commonly known to westie fans as 'pesties' for good reason ) and that this feisty breed suits what you want in a dog!

Ps one of my best friends has had three; all are lovely and have been much adored. Of those, two were quite placid but the third is a bit of a terror and even he, a huge westie fan, has had an exhausting time during his current dog's puppyhood! So while there IS a breed personality, individuals do vary too!

karlin

Psychic Lady there are several westies including some young dogs in rescue with Maureen (Westie Rescue) at the moment. You might want to get in touch and discuss all the above with her; I am sending her the link to this forum as well so she might PM you or post.

Psychic Lady

Thanks Karlin, Maureen PM me took her advice on board will let you know my decision soon hopefully. Thanks again.

skippyman

Hi there,
I wonder can you tell me what to do with my fourteen month old Westie. I keep her indoors at night and in a little run during the day. I take her for regular walks, but if the door is left open she just runs away up the road and across fields and we spend hours trying to catch her she just does not want to come back. Any suggestions?

andreac

Keep the door closed and keep her secure.

cloudy day

Westies are, as a general rule, not suitable in a house where there are small children. Lots of people have had really bad luck with health issues, but they got their pup from puppy farms without knowing. Heartbreaking for the owners.

skippyman,

sounds like your dog needs a bit of extendi lead and obedience training. If you can't join any classes in your area try and source a good book and work away by yourself. Like kids, they forget themselves and need to be reminded.

let us know how ya go.