Westie's
 

I love them! They're one of the sweetest breeds of dog. I would have one myself if I could justify it somehow...lol. :D

They do shed a little, but not too much...they have like a thicker wiry coat.

They're SO smart too...they learn quickly, but they do like to chew and dig. :p

Oh I agree...;) Oh and I forgot to add, Westies are little bigger too...about 20 lbs or so full grown. Some are a little smaller, but most fall close to that number. :p

We used to own a Westie and we adored her! However, they do require someone that is skilled at training. :rolleyes: We were not and she walked allllllllllllllllll over us. LOL!! She was so beyond smart it was bizarre!!!!!! I know most people say that their dogs are smart, but she was insanely smart! Yes, this sounds good in theory, but they are also one of the most STUBBORN breeds out there! Sooooooooooo, what we had was a dog that had her own thoughts and was not about to mind us because we were push-overs and she was stubborn AND was super intelligent!!!!!!! I think it definitely takes someone with a lot of paitence and time.We never taught her to sit or shake or stay or roll over or any of her tricks that she did....she learned every one of them by the time she was 10 weeks old and it was from watching our other dogs do them. She was the only dog that I have ever owned that I can honestly say seemed more like a person than a dog. I can tell you that her allergies were VERY bad and she was on different medicines for them and she had luxating patella (the latter, I believe because her breeder was not the best).....Westies are known for allergies.

We loved our sweet smart girl so much and her feisty personality is what makes me smile when I think of her.

Tammy

Our Madi did like to dig and would have a HUGE mess in a matter of seconds! She was an indoor dog and was only outside long enough to potty....but I can't tell you how many times she would have to be hosed down before she could come back inside! :rolleyes:

Tammy

My Madi was about 14lbs. but she was small for a Westie.

Tammy

We have a few westie/cairn park friends, they are true terriers. So be prepared for training, otherwise all the ones I have met are well socialized and very friendly to the point that they are quite comical:rolleyes:

We had a wonderful westie! Scruffy was the most obedient dog I have ever had. He was easy to train and great except when it came to cutting his nails! He would nearly have a nervous breakdown. We did not get him as a puppy, so he may have a had a bad experience with a groomer.

The coat takes a LOT of work! It is hard to keep a white dog looking good. If you want the true hard coat you have to "strip it", which takes a very long time. If you get them groomed (cut instead of stripped) they can look just as cute, but the coat gets soft and is more porous and so gets dirty easier.

I loved having Scruffy and miss him a lot, but truly the upkeep on yorkies is easier. JMHO

I have attached a few pictures of him. Attachment 205317Attachment 205318Attachment 205319Attachment 205320

I always wondered about them as well:) I think they are so cute:)

My daughter has one..she's about 15 lbs and will be 1 next month..sweet, but, very stubborn and hyper as all get out..She jumps like a kangaroo, but, is cute

We had a westie when I was a teenager. Snoball was his namo...:p

(Sorry...I am tired & have to wait up for my daughter to come home from work.)

He was the sweetest, smartest dog. My brother used to spoon feed him his dinner...yes, he was spoiled.:rolleyes:
He never barked much either, he was about 10-12lbs full grown.

My Amanda [dau] has a Westie named Jackson and he's a pistol!! :) He is everything that everyone has already described except he's not a chewer [thank God] but he is such a sweet little man. Although he is purebred, he has huge ears but his eyes are almost human. He will sit in my lap and gaze into my eyes and I just look at him and wonder what he's thinking!! :p He's every bit as loving as my Toto and he's wonderful with children.

My Grandma had a Westie when I was growing up, and she was hands down one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met. Excellent with us grandchildren, all our families' dogs, strangers, etc.
She definitely had the terrier independence, one time at our cottage, she and my cousins' black lab took off on a little day trip to a neighbouring island by themselves! Friends of ours told us they had seen them crossing the bridge together! They came back home by themselves too.

The first picture's Lacey, and the second one is of the two of us, not great quality because they're both scanned.

I suggest a Shih Tzu. :) The most difficult thing about them is they have to be groomed. My parents keep theirs in a puppy cut and he looks sweet like this.

Tammy

Hmmmm, my parents's Shih Tzu doesn't smell bad, but he does snore. :rolleyes: I also like Schaunzers and Bichons....I truly think that Bichons are the sweetest breed (shhh, don't tell my Yorkies). :p

Tammy

this is just my opinion, westies are a lot more terrier like then yorkies. they are more high strung and prey driven. When westies are brought into the dog park i immediately pick morgan up because she's so much smaller then them. she's had a few westies go for her. one even pinned her down and tried to bite her, but i pulled him off in time. i just don't trust them.

On another note, they are very nice dogs with other breeds and are great family pets. I just wouldn't own one if i had a smaller dog in the house.

Westies are fantastic
 

We adopted a westie last year named Breezy! She is 7 years old, and a WONDERFUL DOG!!!:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: We love her so much!

I can't recommend Westies enough! Breezy is 15 lbs. As much as I love my first baby (my Yorkie, Edie), I will say this: in my experience Westies are much easier dogs than Yorkies.

Edie still has accidents in the house (she is 7 also). Breezy is a little lady who has never had an accident. She got the hang of the doggie door in about 5 seconds.

Like Edie, she is very loving and affectionate. But Edie is a one-person dog, while Breezy, the Westie, is a "love the one you're with" kind of gal...she especially loves men and will jump up on a stranger's lap and stare adoringly into his eyes.

Regarding shedding: she does shed a little, but not much at all. Nothing like a lab. After a long brushing session, I only get a little bit of hair in the brush.

Yes, she is twice Edie's size, but still very managable. I do all the bathing and grooming, and it is not difficult.

Don't worry girl.........your secret is safe w/me!!!!;)

I've bred & shown Cairns for over 30 years.
They are just like a Westie, but all the colours except white.

Here in the UK, Cairns & Westies were all one breed in the beginning, some coloured, some white, all Cairns. Then in the 1920s the Kennel Club allowed the white ones to be registered seperately as Westies.

Showing my Cairns, I meet lots of Westies at the terrier shows. Both have the same great little characters, full of life & fun.....it's always a case of "Look out world, here I come!" :D

Their coats are the same, it's just that the West Highlands are trimmed more than the Cairns.

Thank you!

Except for grooming my westie was no trouble. If they go to a groomer it wouldn't be too hard for them. It is just that I tried to do it all myself and really wanted to strip him for a proper coat. Now THAT is a lot of work. After a few years I ended up clipping him instead of stripping (much easier). He still looked cute. (Anyone want to buy a stripping knife???).

If they do decide get a westie be sure that they research and get one from a line that is not prone to allergies as allergies are quite common in white dogs. I ended up feeding my westie raw to alleviate some of his allergies. If they decide to get a westie I can probably point you in the direction of some good breeders with good lines. My westie was a rescue of sorts and probably came from a puppy mill.