Melissa in CA Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 If you own or have owned a westie before can you tell me about them? I've always thought them sooo cute, but have never actually known anyone who owns one. Are they a good family dog? Are the cuddly...like do they like to chill with you on the couch? Are they agressive? Do they shed? Do I want one??:D We already own two labs...I love labs...but I'm starting to want a house companion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 It was very independent and not cuddly at all. I wouldn't describe it as a family pet: it wasn't mean, just not part of the pack. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My sister and her dh have one - she is very cute, her name is LuLu. The dog is my mom's CONSTANT companion...........I don't know what my mom would do without that dog. When mom was in the hospital with the broken ankle, LuLu was depressed. When mom was in rehab, they had bring your pet to visit day, and it did both LuLu and my mom a world of good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My brother and his family had one. They adored him. Someone else did too, stole him out of the yard. About a year later a college girl returned him, her boyfriend was the culprit and she had always felt bad about it. Anyhow, he was a real cute dog and a great family dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyfizzle Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My mother has three. I think they are fun, but... very annoying. LOL Terriers are just not my cup of tea, but many people like them. They are smart. They are obsessed with the squirrels in the yard and run terrorizing and yapping non-stop from window to window, and will tend to knock down anything in the way. She has issues with them not responding to her once they get outside, they tune her out and make a beeline for it, and no amount of calling will bring them back, she has to go run them down. They are good with the kids and the boys enjoy playing with them. I think like every breed, they have their attributes and negatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Our neighbors have one. It is very ornery and territorial and growls at my children when they get too close to their property line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 My sister and her dh have one - she is very cute, her name is LuLu. The dog is my mom's CONSTANT companion...........I don't know what my mom would do without that dog. When mom was in the hospital with the broken ankle, LuLu was depressed. When mom was in rehab, they had bring your pet to visit day, and it did both LuLu and my mom a world of good. Aaaaawwwww!! See, now that's what I want. I think I'm going through kid withdrawls. My boys are getting so old now and they no longer cuddle. =( I need a cuddly puppy friend. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lainey Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 In-laws have one. We kept him for a week. He isn't cuddly, was kind of aloof, didn't like being held, & wasn't a lap dog. But, he was cute, liked being near us, had playful moods & was quiet. He rarely barked, but did whine some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 DH's brother has one. I love that dog, but well...she's a terrier. :) Kind of yippity, and hyper...it's like she's always been a puppy. And I have mini schnauzers, which are the same. Great family dogs, loyal, cute, smart...but they love to bark bark bark!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Amanda~ Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I think, like all dogs, they will reflect their surroundings/"raisings". I had some neighbors that wanted to breed, so they had several. (they ended up never breeding, for some reason or another. first girl was too small and first boy was too big, they were afraid she couldn't safely bear a litter. second male had some skin condition, third female I think lost a litter, and then was run over) I love them. I LOVE westies. They ARE terriers, though, so keep that in mind. They dig. I got one (from said neighbors, it was a mix, yorkie and westie) and it caught possums, moles, rabbits, birds… never did catch a squirrel though. After going through puppy training, he was a good dog. I would have loved to have kept him, but my husband has this thing about animals in the house (Due to the way he was raised. Thanks MIL) and I just felt like that dog deserved more love than being stuck in the yard all the time. but I love them. and I can tell you some stories about nearly every other breed of dog lol (AKA, not many I like) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in VA Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) Love, LOVE, LOVE Westies!! We have had two, both from a Westie Rescue group. The first we had for 4 years. They didn't know Megan's age when we adopted her because she had been found wandering around Manhattan! The vet estimated she was aroung 5. At the time we thought she was the sweetest dog that ever lived. She was a total lap dog and would follow me from room to room when we first got her. She always stayed near us. She didn't bark as much as most terriers. I have heard Westies described as a big dog in a little dog body. They do have terrier traits, but less than most terriers. She didn't dig, but did love to roll in stinky stuff in the yard :001_huh:. We had a fenced back yard so she could get her energy out there. She did have some health problems and ultimately we had to put her down due to bladder cancer. A few months later we fostered a Westie with the intention to adopt. But she was definitely an alpha dog and wanted to be in charge of all of us! She growled at both my kids and husband and she was gone. The rescue folks put her in a home with no kids or other animals. Five months later we adopted an 8 month old Westie puppy, Annie. We have had her over 8 years and SHE is definitly the sweetest dog that ever lived. She sits with us on the sofa, stays where we are, endures the cat stalking and jumping on her, and will good naturedly put up with anything. She loves baby carrots and ice cubes. The pp who mentioned they don't come when called is right. She won't come in unless we tell her to come get a carrot :001_smile: Then she races to the door. My husband who never had a dog before our first Westie loved/loves both of them. Of course the fact Annie races to the door when he comes home and does a dance for him has endeared her to him :001_smile: She does bark at passing dogs from our yard and chase squirrels, but we don't leave her out if she barks too long. They were both great family dogs. I highly recommend a rescue organization, unless you are set on a puppy. Mary ETA: They don't shed much at all. Our short haired cat sheds a lot more than the dog. Edited February 17, 2011 by Mary in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I love most terriers so I am biased. I grew up with westies as my grandmother had many! I LOVE them. But they can have many health issues such as eye problems to congenital issues as well as allergies. Some allergies can be severe! With that said, fun dogs. Great family dogs most of the time. They adore their family! You can do lots with a westie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayDad Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 We were looking for a good family dog and ended up searching "best family dog" on Google. Almost every list included English Bulldog. They are the short wrinkly ones. I was hesitant as I prefer sporting dogs. Our last dog was a chocolate lab. We lost her to lime disease. Any way I am the proud owner of an English Bulldog and we love her to death and she loves us. She is a great house dog, low key, and my girls love her and can do anything to her and she is great with them. This isn't what you were asking for but if you want a great house dog who is a lover you could not go wrong. I don't think I will be changing breads ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I have a friend who breeds Westies, and from my experience with them, they're friendly and fun little dogs. My dog is a Cairn Terrier, the gray version of the Westie, if you will. She is very friendly, will sit on your lap and snuggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My sister has had 3 Westies, they have all been great, very different but each good in their own way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I have a friend with a Westie mix. I think she's a Westie-poo. So picture a Westie but the hair is curly like a poodle. I love that dog. She is the sweetest, friendliest, most loving dog. I would have gotten that mix for my MIL when she was looking for a new dog but we couldn't afford all these expensive small breeds. I don't think you can go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My old neighbor had several. They loved barking at us. One of them had had his voice box removed, but it didn't stop him from whisper-barking all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Terriers are just not my cup of tea, but many people like them. They are smart. They are obsessed with the squirrels in the yard and run terrorizing and yapping non-stop from window to window, and will tend to knock down anything in the way. My stepmother's was very yappy and nervy. Whenever they stopped for petrol in the car she would bounce around biting anything she could touch and yapping hysterically. She couldn't cope with anyone touching the car (even a family member). The car upholstery had huge chunks bitten out of it. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Oh, I should mention that I don't cut my Westie the right way because all that grooming $ really adds up. My husband trims her but we don't pluck or strip her coat. I think my stepmother only used to have her coat stripped to keep her cool in summer - otherwise she was full coat. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedmom4 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Their current Westie is a female. She was a puppy mill rescue. She is wild and crazy but so sweet and loveable. Her fur around her face looks like Don King. My kids enjoy her so much! They also had two other Westies. They were a male and female brother and sister pair. They were absolutely wonderful. Sweet natured and friendly. The male became a bit grumpy and a nippy in his old age but he was never raised around young children. The female was always sweet and loving. I would get a Westie in a heart beat. They are wonderful little terriers. The only caution would be that they are barkers. They will bark at anything. I guess you would need to train them out of that. But they make great look outs. Nobody would ever be able to sneak into your house! Also, they are diggers. That is their natural tendency. God Bless, Elise in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Thanks everyone! With such conflicting experiences I'm still undecided. :lol: I'm wondering about the barking though... You see, we live in a rural area on acreage. RARELY does anyone come to our door. Our property is fenced and one has to drive through a gate to get to the house. I'm wondering what he would truly have to bark at. My mom has a ****z-shu (sp?) and that lil guys barks (like a crazed lunatic) every time the mailman comes to the door, or anyone comes around...but they live in town on a regular street with regular people milling about. My neighbor across the road has a passel of small terrier type dogs, I believe she may also have a westie and I know she has a jack russel. Anyhow, they all live in the house (All 6 to 8 of them!:001_huh:) and when she lets them out for a spell they all run around the yard yapping like lil madmen. Our labs run to the fence and just look at them like..."You all are crazy" :lol: They are not at all annoying to us though due to the distance from our home to theirs. We do hear them of course, but it's no biggie. ANYHOW, I know my DH would NOT want a dog running through the house yapping, but I'm wondering how much he'd have to yap at in our situation, KWIM? And the digging... How much/deep a hole can such a small dog dig? One of our labs is a mix, and after searching through dog sites, I think she a mix with some type of larger terrier. She has the sweetest most cuddly character...when she's in the house, but she prefers being outside. All that dog does is run the border of our property and dig for critters. Her nose has amazing abilities and she terrorizes (and routes out) all the lil critters on our property. :lol: We used to have lots of adorable fluffy tailed ground squirrels, but not anymore! Anyhow, I am picturing her size and digging abilities to that of a small westie....seems pretty minimal?? Is he going to want to dig up our carpet or something important like that though? That would concern me. I'm also a bit worried about our fence. It's not chain-link. It's some other type fencing and I'm worried a westie could squeeze through, run to the main road, and there goes a bunch of money... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 We had one when I was growing up. She was a great dog - not aggressive, sat on the sofa next to us with her head on a lap, didn't shed much (at least not that I remember, though I may have just not noticed), but she was yappy. Other than the noise, I can't say anything bad about her. She didn't have expensive medical problems, didn't dig or make messes. Great dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 They NEVER N.E.V.E.R. stop barking. I work in a kennel and I will never, ever, ever recommend this breed. Every single one of them that comes in there (and there are many) NEVER shut up. I cannot even tell you how annoying they are. Run FAR, FAR, away from them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in VA Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) Gee, neither one of my westies barked much at all compared to what people are describing! While in the house Annie will bark if the door bell rings or if she hears a dog bark on the television or radio, or if she needs to go out. Now when she is outside she will bark at other dogs walking by our yard, but that's about it! I could certainly see her barking a lot in a kennel if there were other dogs there too! I think any breed behaves differently in a kennel then they do at home!! Kennels have all sorts of other dogs to interact with, of course they want to bark, it's fun time! Right now Annie has been outside about an hour and I haven't heard a peep out of her :001_smile: and we live a regular suburban neighborhood. I would certainly not have called either one of our dogs "yappy!" Our previous westie would bark at some odd things. She didn't like the tone one of our phones made when dialing or our oven. Whenever we'd turn on the oven she would run from wherever she was in the house and stand in front of it and bark. It was handy if we needed to find her :001_smile: Mary Edited February 17, 2011 by Mary in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyfizzle Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My stepmother's was very yappy and nervy. Whenever they stopped for petrol in the car she would bounce around biting anything she could touch and yapping hysterically. She couldn't cope with anyone touching the car (even a family member). The car upholstery had huge chunks bitten out of it. Laura My mother's also. One has chewed the underside of her (very expensive) sofa completely out. I will concede that she does little in the way of discipline or manners with them, they have the run of the house. When we visit they bark very loudly the entire time, enough to drive me up a wall. (And I am used to shelties, so that says quite a bit) They do bark non-stop toward the neighbor's house while out. Like I said, they are good with the kids though, I have never worried about the boys being around them, even when the boys were babies & toddlers. Hers do like to dig and get covered in mud and dirt and then she has to sit and scrub them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Well, my grandmother trained all of her dogs and competed in obedience and underground trials with her dogs. But none of them barked without a reason. We might not have understood that reason but there was a reason. A squirrel, rabbit, something like that would normally get them going but it was stoppable. Her German Shep.s were louder and barked much more often then her Westies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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