West Highland White Terriers

Bishon's usually live about 15 years but I have known some to die at 9 if they have a medical condition like a heart murmur.

yes, a westie's hair doesn't moult and so they need trimmed around twice a year. Also they are susceptible to skin conditions so letting new hair grow through is a good idea.

Dry food is best

Iams is what i have fed my pet for the last 12 years and the vet says she is in exelent condition for the illness she has, do not feed him or her anything else apart from dry food in the morning and in the evening Dry bisquits such as bones are good for there gums and it wont do that much harm to the skin.

I would get the Westie, but they are related to Scotties and I love Scotties. I like the terrier group, but they are stubborn, smart, and good dogs.

Scotland, The highland

Westies can be wonderful dogs, but they, like other terriers, are very active and demanding. They need exercise, and lots of it. They need socialization, and lots of it, with people and other dogs, and with children especially. They are very intelligent, and if they are not stimulated by their environment and by activities, they will become destructive. They are a hunting dog, and have a heightened prey drive. They may not get over their strong desires to chase small animals, even with good training and a lot of love from their owners. Westies "talk" a lot, which sounds similar to growling, but really is not aggression at all. I would recommend a book called The West Highland White Terrier by Jill Arnel. She presents the breed very well, with a bit of humor added in. I read the book before I got my Westie boy nearly three years ago.

Depends on the skin condition. It may be simple rash, an allegery ( like an allergy to grass) and would require a trip to the vet to find out what's causing the problem. It could also be what they commonly call, `hot spots', which are common among canines. You can go to Google and search hot spots to find out more information about the condition.

Usually, a good bath or two with Sulphadine brand shampoo will bring relief for hot spots, and even some allergic reactions. It may be temporary and if it becomes persistent, then definitely get your friend to the vet for further tests. You can usually pick the shampoo up at pet stores, food stores in the pet section or your local superstore.

Remember: There are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners, and since you're asking about it, I'd say you're doing better than most. At least you're paying attention to your pet's needs. Also, different foods or ingredients in foods can cause problems. I breed Westies and one of mine is allergic to chicken, wheat, corn, and beef, so we had to be very careful what we fed him. We found a brand of pet food called Taste of the Wild. Go to Tastofthewildpetfood.com for more info. It is grain free and the best food that there is. There is absolutely nothing in the pacific stream canine formula that a dog could be allergic to. It can be found online. We switched all of our Westies to this food and it eliminated most of their skin conditions. The other miracle worker we use is called K-9 Show Stopper. There is more info at k9power.com, but it is a blend of supplements and oils that 100% eliminates most skin problems and makes the fur thicker, beautiful, and less shedding. It also has antioxidants and vitamins that improve the dogs overall health from the inside out.

Yes they can eat eggs without getting sick. My westie likes eggs and I know other animals eat eggs.

We owned a West Highland Terrier named Fluffy, who lived to the age of 18 years old...mind you, at the age of 15, she was attacked by 5 pit bulls at dog park. After the attack she had to have 2 surgeries & then to add insult to injury, we were told she had some sort of liver problem, and needed surgery on that as well. That's a lot of surgeries for anybody or any dog let alone a dog @ 15 years of age...she lived another 3 years and at 18 died of old age...Good stuff !!!

well don't fill up the bowl just put a pit in and if it begs for more give it little more

You need medical intervention for your dog, not a wiki answer. You should take it to the vet as soon as possible.

Our Westie's first litter weighed in from 4 ounces to 6 ounces. She has 4 females and 1 male whelped January 23, 2012. The site is 3 years old and the Dam is 2. This is their first litter. The puppies now weigh 1.4 to 2.3 lbs. and are now active and sociable. Just so adorable!

Westies are relatively healthy little dogs. By far, the biggest potential issue for them is allergies --- especially skin allergies. Not all Westies have allergy problems, but for ones that do --- their owners should be very careful to use only hypo-allergenic shampoos and other grooming products. Also on the allergy question, some can be sensitive to particular dog food ingredients --- especially corn and wheat. Westies with those problems do much better with lamb and rice formula dog foods.

Some Westies can have luxating patella --- that means back leg kneecaps that "slip" out of place on occasion, giving the affected Westie a "skipping" gait. Other issues (though not common) are an osteo (bone) condition called lion-jaw that clears up as the puppy grows, and "white shaker syndrome" which can affect all-white dogs of any breed and causes intermittent shaking seizures that come on when the dog is nervous and from which the dog completely recovers after each seizure. Again, these last two are NOT common.

In general, Westies are a healthy breed ... just watch for skin allergies.

For a dry nose, you'll have better results (and it's less expensive to use) a mist form of saline solution. it's available OTC and the generic is fine. Mark the container "Dog" so you don't mix them up.

Especially in winter it's normal for it to occur for a day or two. If the condition persists see your Vet.

most of the time

They were bred for hunting small animals, and because of this, they don't like animals that are smaller than themselves.

She'll be fine.

"Hanes socks do come in colors other than white. Hanes socks come in black, as well as grey. Occasionally you may find a tan colored sock set, but the white, black and grey are the most popular"

No. Never.

im 99% sure there isn't but there are some dogs that are closely bred to the westie that are black like the cairn, skye and scottish terrier. although the skye terrier is only black as a puppy

Going any smaller than a westie and you get those "teacup" dogs, which usually aren't really in good health. Westies are plenty small by themselves.

**Please read discussion page for more info on question!**

Another Westie! Or perhaps another small dog, such as a Yorkie.

Birdy ♥

By one year old their fur should be full. Like many very furry breeds, Westies do go through an "uglies" stage where it seems like they will never be in full coat, especially the thick ruff of hair around the face seems to come about slowly. But do not worry!! The fur WILL come in and your Westie will be in beautiful full snow-white coat by one year in age.