West Highland White Terrier Anyone have one ?

nyc_besos

nyc_besos

azur addict ♥
Oct 17, 2007
910
1
#1
I'm possibly getting a west highland white terrier soon but there has been some debate on the size. My breeder says she only has some that grow to about 12 lbs at most but on most sites it says they go up too 22lbs now Im confused anyone have one and info on size and temperament?

thanks:biggrin:
 
#2
I had a Westie for 17 years. She was amazing. Best dog ever. She was about 17 pounds. Extremely bright. You need to be well trained to be the obvious alpha. They like to rule the roost.
 
#3
ladakini said:
I had a Westie for 17 years. She was amazing. Best dog ever. She was about 17 pounds. Extremely bright. You need to be well trained to be the obvious alpha. They like to rule the roost.
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awwwww 17 yrs wow!! I love to spoil my puppies so I guess I would have to toughen up for the westie lol
 
#4
My cousin had a Westie and she was such a sweet dog, very smart and loving. She had some sort of skin condition that is apparently common in the breed and my cousin had a lot of trouble getting it under control, so perhaps you may want to look into that further.
 
#5
A friend of mine had a Westie- he was the sweetest, most lovable dog! Id say he was somewhere between 14 - 16 lbs. Just be aware that they are fulllllllll of energy! But very smart and eager to please. I hope to adopt one one day-You should go for it!
 
#6
^ Also, if you are concerned about size, Id ask to meet the parents, if they are on site. Or to see some pictures of full grown puppies from past liters from those parent(s). That will give you a good idea of how big they will be. I have definitely seen full grown Westies that are about 12 lbs. Good luck!
 
#7
I've known a couple and they were very cute and extremely intelligent... also full of energy so you would definitely need to be able to give it enough exercise to tire it out.

If you want more info you could always attend a breed-specific show and talk to some of the breeders there and contact a rescue group or two. Rescue groups are usually willing to give you the good, the bad and the ugly about a breed (sorry for the cliche) because they want you to be truly prepared for what you are getting. Plus they see so many dogs they really have a great cross-section of the breed to talk about.
 
#8
wow great advice ladies ! i will def do all of the above! I saw a rescue shelter that I was going to check out and my bf has a friend who puppy is about to give birth to some and I might check out both we are not sure if want one or two but with all that energy maybe one lol ? were worried about him/her getting lonely when were at work
 
#9
^^ Well walking two dogs is the same as walking one if tiring them out is your concern. But remember two dogs means double the food, double the vet bills.

I would be concerned about getting a puppy from your BF's friend unless they breed and show westies.
 
#10
My in laws LOOOVE Westies..They had one when my DH was growing up and when she passed away they got another female. She lived for 18 years!! She was about 12 lbs.
My DH for our 1 year anni (back in the dating days) was shopping for a Westie but ended up with a black dog whom he thought was a Westie but turned out to be an acestor, the Scotish Terrier.
My Scotty was problem-some in the beginning but that's just part of raising a dog! He's 4 now and still acts like a puppy. He turned out VERY obedient, great with other dogs, and while sociable with others he still prefers mommy and daddy ^_^ He's about 15 lbs.
Our friends loved him so much they bought what they thought was a Scotty but turned out to be a Westie ! They love their Westie. He also plays very well with other dogs and pretty well behaved.
Westies and Scotties are known to be stubborn but also very loyal to their owners.
I definetly highly recommend Westies and Scottes :biggrin::smile:
 
#11
nyc_besos said:
I'm possibly getting a west highland white terrier soon but there has been some debate on the size. My breeder says she only has some that grow to about 12 lbs at most but on most sites it says they go up too 22lbs now Im confused anyone have one and info on size and temperament?

thanks:biggrin:
Click to expand...


Please visit www.petfinder.com

You can adopt baby Westies (or baby Scotties ^_^) or whatever your heart desires !
Great site I just learned of from a different thread on TPF!
 
#14
nyc_besos said:
wow great advice ladies ! i will def do all of the above! I saw a rescue shelter that I was going to check out and my bf has a friend who puppy is about to give birth to some and I might check out both we are not sure if want one or two but with all that energy maybe one lol ? were worried about him/her getting lonely when were at work
Click to expand...

If the dog is still a puppy, it shouldn't be having puppies. Correct me if I am not reading that right.

As far as westies go, my boys have a bunch of westie and cairn friends. All of them are around the 20 lb. mark. I agree with looking into a rescue, people tend to get them because they are cute little puppies with no knowledge of their breed tendencies and end up giving them up. They really are a "true terrier", so if you want a fluffy lap dog a westie is not for you.
 
#15
My westie fluctuates between 20 to 21 lbs, but he's a boy and girls tend to be smaller. They're definitely not lap dogs although mine loves to stay close to me. They are 110% terrier -- high energy and very active. You'll have to be firm in training a westie because they tend to test your limits, every day. Your "no" doesn't always mean no to them, but I think their mischievousness is what make them so fun to be around.

as for potential skin problems, be sure to look at the mom of the pup to see if she suffers from skin problems. I was told by my vet that that's always a tell-tale sign of potential skin problems for the pup. Good luck with your search!:biggrin:
 
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