West Highland WhiteTerrier Grooming - Key Considerations

Whether you intend to show your Westie, or keep him for a household pet, the first key to West Highland Terrier grooming is to start while he is a puppy.

Take your Westie to his first groomer appointment after he has had all of his shots, at approximately 14 weeks. Acclimate your dog to the grooming process, and he will grow to accept it as part of his natural routine. If you intend to groom your dog at home, give him his first clipping at around the same age.

West Highland Terrier grooming, whether performed at home or by a groomer, should be performed with the dog's safety and comfort as the first considerations. Be aware of the practices used by your groomer, and be sure to remain with your dog until you are convinced that he is safe.

Contact your local Westie Club to find a reputable groomer. If you intend to show your dog, you will want to be sure that your groomer knows what a Westie cut looks like. It is not unusual for owners to find that their Westie has come home from a grooming looking like a Schnauzer or a Scottish Terrier. If you are uncertain, bring photographs to your first groomer visit.

Although you might think that, after safety, your first consideration is price, how to groom your Westie is your next decision. A show dog must be hand stripped to give the dog its Westie look - round head, carrot-shaped tail, and blended skirt.

Hand stripping involves actually pulling hairs. When they grow back, they tend to be straighter and coarser. Many claim that a hand stripped Westie coat sheds dirt, allowing the dog to go longer between baths. Hand stripping is not necessary for a Westie that is kept as a pet, and a regular clipping from your groomer, or at home, is all that your dog needs. A clipped Westie coat will be softer and curlier, and more prone to staining.

Because of their white coats, staining is another problem peculiar to West Highland Terrier grooming. If the hair is white at the base, licking might be the problem, and is often triggered by cuts and abrasions, or objects lodged in the hair around the paw.

Hair that is stained down to the base may indicate a fungal or yeast infection, and your Westie should see a veterinarian. Staining around the muzzle is most often caused by the food the dog eats. Check for red food dies, or beets in the formula. If you want your Westie to attain show dog perfection, a cotton ball dipped in hydrogen peroxide, and wiped on the beard daily, will lighten and prevent the stains.

(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)

Jeff Cuckson
webmaster@madaboutwesties.com

Want To Know How To Have The Healthiest,
Happiest and Most Well Behaved Westie You
Have Ever Dreamed Of! Then Visit NOW!
http://www.madaboutwesties.com

Only the most sincere should adopt pets
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 9 hours ago
Humane Society volunteers want to make sure pet adoptions aren't impulsive, given the unstable economy. By PATRICE RELERFORD, Star Tribune I've done animal ...

NBC13.com
Fireworks cause pets to go astray
KOB.com, NM - 7 hours ago
More than a hundred Albuquerque pets are waiting to be returned to their owners after running away during Fourth of July fireworks. ...
Pets need special attention to cope with holiday fireworks Seattle Times
Town Lake Shelter Receives More Strays Than Usual Post Fourth CBS 42
Pets often best left at home during summer Oakville Beaver
TurnTo23.com - WCTVall 49 news articles

Calgary CTV
Fire kills 19 pets, damages businesses in SE
Calgary Herald,  Canada - 16 hours ago
A fire that killed 19 pets was electrical, started by an old radio that overheated due to poor ventilation, the Calgary Fire Department said Saturday. ...
Nearly 20 pets die in city house fire Canoe.ca
House fire kills 16 cats, three dogs in Calgary The Gazette (Montreal)
Woman hurt, animals perish in northeast blaze Calgary CTV
Calgary Heraldall 6 news articles

We're spending more on medication for pets
Los Angeles Times, CA - Jul 5, 2008
Yes, we are spending more and more on medication for pets. Newsweek reports: Next month this will change when Slentrol, the first diet drug for dogs, ...
Diet pill maker targets competition Houston Chronicle
all 2 news articles

Obesity Harms Pets As Much As Humans
RedOrbit, TX - 7 hours ago
Our pets are also suffering from the effects of obesity. The American pet owner is literally killing their pet with kindness. Who would ever have thought ...
Up From Nutrition RedOrbit
all 3 news articles

Local volunteers reach out to homeless folks’ cherished pets that ...
The Olympian, WA - 9 hours ago
They are the pets of the homeless, and they need food and supplies, too. That’s where Covenant Creatures comes in. The Rev. Leanne Johnson’s nonprofit ...

Pet Rescue Is Heroic, And Pets May Know It
Hartford Courant, United States - Jul 5, 2008
Q: Our entire lives we've rescued pets from shelters. I really believe that at some level these dogs and cats bonded so tightly with our family because they ...
Here's to choice, free will and funny little dogs Pueblo Chieftain
all 4 news articles

People Hurt By Economy Giving Up Pets
Tampa Tribune, FL - 19 hours ago
Like thousands of pets around the country, Sam became a silent victim of the nation's economic woes. "He's fairly new. He's not quite sure about the whole ...
Humane Society Hoping for Donations WMBB-TV
all 2 news articles

Exotic pets common, but often dangerous
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA - 16 hours ago
While it is unknown exactly how many exotic animals are kept as pets nationwide, the Humane Society of the United States estimates there are at least 15000 ...

Pets praised in animal service
Watford Observer, UK - 4 hours ago
Dogs, guinea pigs, and pictures of pets too big to fit in the Mildred Avenue hall, joined staff from the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals (ASWA) ...
Special pets' service Watford Observer
all 2 news articles

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Your Dog and the Dentist: Learn the Drill