What's your experience of West Highland Terriers ?

Question

do you think they make good pets ?

Answer 1

I know a few people who own them and they do make great pets,they have the typical terrier personality and early socilisation is a must.There friendly,energetic,inquisitive little dogs.Great with kids and adults.There coat does need regular grooming and trimming but this isn't to much of a problem.

Answer 2

We adopted a Westie last August. She was 6 years old at that time and had NEVER lived inside. She was a breeder who was kenneled outside all her life. She is an amazing dog and we have had a great experience with her. She is crate trained, but we don't find it necessary to crate her. She has never chewed anything. She was housebroken in about a week. She has only has 2 accidents in the house since then and it was when we were gone for a long time and brought home a guest so she was too excited to wait until she got out the door! These dogs are loving, smart, and want to please their owner from my experience. It has been a wonderful experience!

Answer 3

We had a Westie - she did make a good pet but you should never forget that they are still terriers. She used to be extremely quick to snap at small children and personally I found her a bit stupid compared to the Jack Russells we've had (she was a pedigree). She loved chewing things, being stubborn and also killed my sisters hamster! If you want a really good, genuine family friendly dog, go for a labrador or a retriever!

Answer 4

my friend has west highland terriers and she loves them i take them for a walk sometimes and they are very well behaved on and off the lead she has them clipped every three months because they suffer from skin problems this seems to be one of the problems with we sties they can get skin complaints but they are fun loving and the two my Friend have are brother and cousin they are called haggis and Angus my friend has 4 children and if you include the dogs 6 they make great pets but do like there own space they are great around my friends kids and her kids friends i think from what i have seen they make great pets

Answer 5

Hiya, I have never personally owned westie, but Im a VN and see lots of them every week!
Westies are prone to skin problems and ear probs, but every dog I have encountered has a great big personality and deals with all the treatment and pulling and probing without any grumbles at all. They are quite strong characters and have a will of their own but make great companions and as long as kids are taught to respect any animal then you shouldn't have a problem.
We had a poor old man (westie) in that had a terrible abscess and in turn also had to have his eye removed. Through out this and even after his owner passed away recently he has been a great dog!

Answer 6

i'm a breeder (Miniature Schnauzers) and coach of countless distinctive breeds. i've got owned 2 Westies and located them friendly,sensible, and loving companions. in case you get a male, please get it neutered, as adult males have an inclination to be a touch extra obdurate in the event that they are no longer. I oftentimes want male canines, yet with this breed, i think of the girls human beings have softer personalities with extra of a prefer to thrill you temperment. Grooming is easy , a bath and a good brushing. manicure and a touch trimming around the eyes and ears is all this is mandatory to maintain them looking good. The westies in the conformation ring are stripped, yet that's no longer something you're able to do to have a astonishing looking canines. i'd certainly no longer get a Westie from a BYB, and pay the better to get one from somebody actively exhibiting her line. talk wellbeing problems with the breeder and notice what style of attempting out has been accomplished on the sire and dam of the muddle you're drawn to. Get a 12 months wellbeing assure (any breeder properly worth their salt provides you with one) and keep in touch with the breeder with your questions.

Answer 7

I've not owned a Westie, however, my sisiter in law has had three- a female that lived to be 18 and another female that just turned 15, both with wonderful dispositions. The male she had lived to be 16, he was the opposite but she adopted him out of a bad situation.

Answer 8

My old next door neigher had one and the vet told her that he would be seeing a lot more of her as apparently they have a lot of medical problems. But the dog has a lovely nature and if well looked after shouldnt be a bad family pet at all. Just consult somebody who knows something about breeds first.

Answer 9

I have an 18 month old Westie and I love him to bits. He is very affectionate, playful, funny and very cute. He loves cuddles and going for long walks. He loves to run round and round in circles when we go to a park or other big open spaces.
The only problem with him is he gets very protective when we have visitors and doesn't know whether he should be barking at them or rolling on his back to have his tummy tickled! He gets very anxious and it takes a while for him to calm down. He also is very protective over his bones and food. He hates going to the vets and gets very nervous and shaky and difficult to handle.
He's very good when out walking and doesn't react when other dogs bark at him.
This is my first dog and I absolutely love him and will always have westies from now on.

Answer 10

They make excellent pets. My neighbor had one growing up and it was adorable. I absolutely loved it. It was such a sweet, friendly little dog. The only problem they had with it was that it completely dug up their back yard, and they couldn't really take it off a leash or it would be off like a shot. Other than that, it was adorable. When my husband and I were trying to decide what kind of dog to get, the Westie was one of our choices.