west highland terrier

lyns52

Hi all,
would like to ask if anyone has experience with westies. Is it true they are quick to bite? Any feedback would be great

boodlesdoodles

I have a westie. They need a very strong leader and strict training to break them of the habit of snapping and mouthing that can develop in puppyhood, but this is true of every dog. They're fiercely independent and loyal though. My fella is very affectionate I get tonnes of kisses and cuddles off him when he's in the mood, and definitely first thing in the morning and when I come home. I wouldn't be without him though he's great craic.

JacksonHeightsOwn

quick to bite?

never heard that, my mate has a westie and he's the calmest and laziest dog ive ever seen

once you stop any uwanted behaviour in your dog early, there'll be no problem, and that goes for any breed

get yourself a good training book, i.e, Cesar Millan, you wont go wrong

ive just fully toilet trained my 8 week old beagle in about 3 days thanks to it

and have her sitting on demand

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

We had a westie since he was a little pup. If I held him and you were to slap me he would go for you (Bark aggressively), if you held him and I were to slap you he would go for me. It didn't matter who the owner was etc etc. While we would never leave the dog around infants, we never had any incidents of the dog actually biting anybody. I found him to be tempermental, grumpy but extremely intelligent, same for their loyalty too. Like all terriers, I know of, they can be a bit aggressive.

happypuppy

we have a 1 year old westie and like others have said he nipped / mouthed as a young puppy but it took very little training (firm training though!) to stop him but once he stopped he never bit again. Have not heard it as an issue with westies at all and know a few

Although we don't have children our dog is regularly around our nephews and nieces (daily) and he has never touched them. Like other posters I would never leave any dog alone with children

lyns52

Thanks for your replies. Now its off to find one

crotalus667

lyns52 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. Now its off to find one

there is a westi rescue that uses the pets ireland board it will be alot cheaper than buying one (they usealy just ask for a rehoming fee to help cover some their costs ) plus you can get a dog that is past the puppy phase if thats what you are looking for

Mr. CooL ICE

My parents have a westie, and I was still a teenager when he was taken in.

At first we found him to be very snappy, but we never let him get away with a single bite and from about 4-5 months on, he was genuinely afraid to bite. Even when playing with him, his teeth may touch your hand but when this happens, he automatically pulls away and either licks your hand, or fake yawns

We got him neutered at 6 months, so this may have helped his behaviour. Although he wasn't toilet trained very quickly, he was very excitable and would 'dribble pee' when someone new came to the door, etc, for up to a year.

As long as they are trained correctly, I can't recommend them enough. I always get assaulted with facelicks and have to wash my face any time I walk in the front door of my parents house

Ado86

A lot of Westie's are snappy, from personal experience I have dealt with many, and sadly it is more the exception to find a placid westie than a snappy one.
I am not biased against Westies, I used to have one but they're not a breed I would generally recommend to people, they definitely need a very firm hand. I think its mainly due to their in-breeding, many lines have been crossed and there is little distinction between them, with some breeders anyhow.
Despite their temperament issues, Westies have a huge number of health problems, if you're considering one, I would 100% advise pet insurance. Skin problems and allergies are a major issue for many westies. I personally have had to watch my dog become allergic and its not nice to see your pet uncomfortable when there really is very little than can be done for them.
Think wisely about a Westie, I know they are cute, and not overly large, and seem like an ideal dog...but I'd be wary.

boodlesdoodles

Ado86 wrote: »

A lot of Westie's are snappy, from personal experience I have dealt with many, and sadly it is more the exception to find a placid westie than a snappy one.
I am not biased against Westies, I used to have one but they're not a breed I would generally recommend to people, they definitely need a very firm hand. I think its mainly due to their in-breeding, many lines have been crossed and there is little distinction between them, with some breeders anyhow.
Despite their temperament issues, Westies have a huge number of health problems, if you're considering one, I would 100% advise pet insurance. Skin problems and allergies are a major issue for many westies. I personally have had to watch my dog become allergic and its not nice to see your pet uncomfortable when there really is very little than can be done for them.
Think wisely about a Westie, I know they are cute, and not overly large, and seem like an ideal dog...but I'd be wary.

With regards temperament, this is why it's important seeing mother and father and dealing with a reputable breeder. It's also down to each owner to ensure that you break the cycle of nipping as a puppy if this isn't done properly you'll have a snappy adult - but this is the case for every dog not just Westies. As for huge number of health problems this is a little bit of a myth IMHO. Yes they can be prone to skin problems but sometimes proper grooming and diet can put paid to that, this is another reason why its important to see the parents. They can also have sensitive tummies but this also can be addressed with changes in diet.

We've been lucky with our fella but then we put a lot of work into discipline and training at the beginning. There's no need to be wary of any dog if they're trained properly. I'd recommend a westie to anyone as long as they're willing to be a proper leader and stop bad habits before they develop.

roxiesmammy

I know westie rescue wont rehome to families with small kids

Ado86

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

As for huge number of health problems this is a little bit of a myth IMHO. Yes they can be prone to skin problems but sometimes proper grooming and diet can put paid to that, this is another reason why its important to see the parents. They can also have sensitive tummies but this also can be addressed with changes in diet.

Spend a couple of months in a veterinary surgery or have a Westie yourself with health problems and you'll change your opinion. Don't think grooming or diet is going to change to their genetics.

OxfordComma

I would strongly discourage you from getting a Westie. They're very attractive dogs, but from my own experience that's really the only thing they have going for them.

I had a Westie a few years back who was a massive challenge to deal with, to the extent that we never enjoyed having him at all. He was extremely aggressive, barked incessantly, wasn't good with kids, was very difficult to train, and snapped at us more times than I care to remember. Our vet said he was "the most cantankerous dog" he had ever encountered, if that tells you anything. (Another thing to bear in mind is that Westies are prone to health problems such as congenital skin conditions, so our vet saw plenty of him). He was never particularly affectionate, and it's very hard to care for a dog that's so difficult to deal with. Now I'm sure not all Westies are like this, but that's just my own experience of the breed.

We now own a Golden Retriever pup and he's everything a good dog should be - he's friendly, affectionate, always happy to see us, very intelligent and easy to train, rarely barks and never bites any of us; basically the polar opposite of the Westie.

boodlesdoodles

Ado86 wrote: »

Spend a couple of months in a veterinary surgery or have a Westie yourself with health problems and you'll change your opinion. Don't think grooming or diet is going to change to their genetics.

Some of their health and skin problems are due to too much protein, wheat etc in their diet, therefore, can be addressed through changes in diet. I didn't say that they don't have health problems but I did say it is important to do your research on your breeder and his breeding dogs. My own vet has said the health problems are more uncommon in recent years due to people knowing more about diet etc and looking for the signs. My family have had westies on and off for years and we've never had any problems with them but then we took a firm hand with them. Most terriers try to stamp their authority its in their nature. You can't condemn a breed of dog outright just because you had one you didn't like or wouldn't behave. A badly behaved dog is a badly trained dog.

Maureen Byrne who runs Westie Rescue indeed doesn't recommend them in homes with small children and she's right I don't allow my guy around children unsupervised as he's not used to them and you can't trust a small child not to pull an ear etc playfully thus angering the dog. Then this goes for every dog.

Ado86

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

You can't condemn a breed of dog outright just because you had one you didn't like or wouldn't behave. A badly behaved dog is a badly trained dog.

You're assuming that my own Westie was badly behaved, but I never said this. I have had the "pleasure" of working with many westies and have found from personal experience that the vast majority of them are badly behaved.

boodlesdoodles

Ado86 wrote: »

You're assuming that my own Westie was badly behaved, but I never said this. I have had the "pleasure" of working with many westies and have found from personal experience that the vast majority of them are badly behaved.

Far from it, I'm saying that a lot of people can't manage to train their westies properly which you prove by saying you've come across a majority of badly behaved ones. I'm sorry you haven't had better experiences with them because they really are a loyal and wonderful pet to have. But a lot of people go into pet ownership without proper research and understanding and that's why so many westies end up in rescue. I just wish people would check things out like the op and get both sides of the story. I'm afraid I'll always be on the side of westies and but would always advise people to check out lineage etc before jumping in and advise them they have to be tough and resolved like the dogs themselves.

RosieJoe

I have 2 westie bitches, one is 11 and the other is 7. Never once have I had to bring them to the vet other than getting their vaccinations done.

Both are in good health with no skin issues at all. Both are well behaved, obedient and rarely bark for no reason.

Elder one did nip a nephew a couple of times but this was down to the nephew tormenting her. Was not severe, just a nip on the (shoed) foot as a way of a warning. We put a stop to this straight away.

We have three kids ranging from 5 down to 1 and never had an issue with the dogs.

Saying all this, these are my dogs and this is how they behave. All dogs you get will be completely different due to who they are and how they are trained. I just wanted to give you a flip side to the previous few posts.

Bob_Harris

The anti Westie sentiment is nonsense.

Best dogs ever :pac:

Giggles1982

We have a westie in our family he is 7 now, but he has suffered terribly with the skin condition for the past few years. Rarely a month goes by without a vet visit . Thankfully the steroids have helped his skin condition , he also gets a lot of ear infections.

Unfortunately the steroids have brought on more problems though . The dog is constantly thirsty , he drinks & drinks& drinks ..... as a result he pees & pees & pees ..... mostly he can control it but most days there is an accident , especially at night. The last 2 saturdays we have had to rush him to the vet for severe vomitting & shaking , the vet initially thought it was early diabetes as his blood sugar was 16, ( should be 4-6) .

Blood tests were done but we had to take him again this morning as he wouldn't eat or drink and was trembling violently . Vet doesnt think it is diabetes (sugar only 8 today ) but that the constant steroids have damaged his thyroid function. He wants to keep the dog in for a few days and do a bunch of tests , which is going to cost a small fortune. If the poor little thing isnt puking hes peeing .

Moral of the story - nice dog but get insurance

Busbys babe

lyns52 wrote: »

Hi all,
would like to ask if anyone has experience with westies. Is it true they are quick to bite? Any feedback would be great

Hi I have two Westies they are male and female and they are not snappy at all, the male play snaps but never comes in contact with you. The female is the oldest and the boss when I got her I loved her so much I got a 2nd. Ive had dogs all my life, but found the westie the easiest dogs to train, they are really intelligent, understand every word I say, and so cute.