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- ADOPT A
RESCUE WESTIE FOR
- THE RIGHT REASONS
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- Adopting a Westie is
a big decision. The fact that you're thinking about adopting a
rescue Westie means you're a responsible and caring person.
But, Westies are not for everyone and they may not fit well with
your family and lifestyle.
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- Before you make that final decision to bring a
rescue Westie into your life,
please take a moment to consider
the following important questions...
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- What is a Westie?
- The West Highland White
Terrier or "Westie" is a small compact dog
standing about 10-11 inches tall. The weight of a
Westie can range between 15-22 pounds with the average
weight between 16-20 pounds. The Westie has an
average life span of 12-14 years, however, many live 15+
years. A Westie's hair is always white, though, some
may have a darker dorsal streak. Its coat is usually hard
and straight, but it may also be soft, curly or wavy.
Grooming is a necessary part of your Westie's general health
and hygiene routine. It includes brushing, combing,
bathing, hair trimming or clipping, ear care, dental care
and nail clipping. Daily
brushing will minimize shedding and prevent mats. The hair
is generally clipped and groomed every 6-8 weeks. More
frequent bathing may be required if your Westie has skin
allergies. The Westie no doubt
shares a common ancestry with the other terriers of
Scotland, the Scottish, Skye, Cairn and Dandie Dinmont.
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- Do you understand the
Westie's traits?
- People unfamiliar with the
Westie breed often think such a beautiful dog would be a
quiet, docile lapdog. The Westie's good looks are
quite deceiving. To fully understand the Westie's
personality and characteristics, it is necessary to
understand his origins. The breed was developed
during the 19th century in the rugged Scottish Highlands for the
job of hunting and killing game and vermin including fox, otter,
badger and rodents. To survive this
dangerous task, the Westie evolved into a tough, hardy, bold, tenacious,
assertive and highly intelligent dog. His small
muscular body was necessary to maneuver the rocky, craggy
countryside and narrow passages. His ribs needed to
be small and flat to fit into the dens and lairs of his
quarry. Powerful jaws and strong teeth were important for
self-defense. The white coat
of the Westie was obtained through selective breeding to distinguish dog
from fox during a hunt. The Westie's double coat,
consisting of a soft undercoat and a hard outer coat,
was developed to protect him from the elements as well as
from his prey. Thus, the Westie of today is a
beautiful, small dog with all the features and intact instincts of a
strong-willed intrepid hunter. This makes the Westie
a disaster for the
person who wants a gentle-natured little dog bred
primarily for cuddling.
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- Westies have an independent nature and
many are not lapdogs. The female Westies generally assume
the Alpha role. Westie
males generally tend
to be more lap friendly, outgoing and happy-go-lucky than the
females. However, these differences can be
reversed...there are always exceptions. Despite
their independence, Westies are, nonetheless, social pack
animals with a need to be with their owners...often
content to be near you in the same room, if not sitting on
your lap.
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- By nature, many Westies
love to dig in the garden, bark at the squirrels and chase
the cat. They can be sweet, loving and gentle and
they can also be assertive and
demanding. These attributes,
combined with their playful mischievousness and high energy level,
can cause owners, at times, to feel frustrated and
overwhelmed. Many of the Westies placed into rescue programs are unwanted simply for being
Westies by nature and behavior. Their owners found
that they were unprepared to provide the care required for this
fun-loving and feisty terrier. If you are not prepared to provide
structure, leadership and training for your Westie, this
is not the breed for you.
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- Hopefully, you will not make
a decision to add a Westie to your family simply because you think they are
cute and cuddly by looking at their pictures. Have you
done your homework and researched the Westie breed? Have you
attended dog shows to observe Westies? Have you
talked with Westie owners? Are you aware of
the West Highland White Terrier's known health
concerns you may encounter?
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- Why do you want a Westie
now?
- It's amazing how many people fail to ask
themselves this simple question. Is adopting a Westie a spur of the moment
decision? It should be a thoughtful, reasoned
decision because you have thoroughly
researched the breed, understand the feisty terrier temperament and decided that you want the
companionship that an energetic Westie can provide during
its lifetime. Adopting a dog just because it's "the thing to do" or because the kids
have been begging for a dog usually results in a big mistake.
Everyone
in the household should be in agreement about adopting the
dog. If you are adopting a dog for your children, are
YOU willing to care for the
Westie when the kids lose interest? Taking care of a
Westie is an adult responsibility.
What is your lifestyle?
Do you have time for a
rescue dog? A safe and loving home is one that
will give the rescued Westie the attention he needs.
When a rescue dog goes into a new home, it is much like
having a new baby or new puppy. New routines and new
schedules must be learned. If you think that a rescued
dog will come to you already trained and perfect, you have
the wrong idea of what rescue is all about. A
commitment to the rescued dog's needs means a willingness to
provide obedience training, socialization, understanding,
patience and plenty of quality time.
No Westie can be ignored just because you
are tired or busy.
Westies that are routinely neglected, confined and ignored
can become unmanageable. Even though many Westies are not lap-dogs, they are very
social pack animals. They want and need to be near their
owner. Westies require food, water, exercise, care and companionship every
day as well as training and
socialization.
Being high energy terriers, Westies
can get bored and look for trouble when they do not get enough attention and human companionship.
The success of the Westie
adapting in your home is dependent on YOU, not the
dog. This
means you may need to change your work schedule, hire
a dog walker or go to an obedience class instead of the
gym.
You must be realistic about
your lifestyle. If your job requires that you are away
from home more than 8-10 hours a day, then this is not the
time to add a Westie to your family. Many dogs are placed into rescue because their owners didn't realize how much time it took to properly care for
them. Do you anticipate a move in the near future?
If you are a student, in
the military or travel frequently as part of your work,
waiting until you settle down is a wise choice. Many rescue Westies come from
homes where the owners work away from the
home for long periods of time.
Unless your schedule permits many hours at home, leashed
walks and/or a safe, secure fenced backyard for your dog to run, a Westie is not the dog for
you.
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- Can you afford a pet?
- Adopting a rescue dog is not
a way to escape the high monetary costs of pet
ownership. A rescue Westie is not free. We
request an adoption donation for every dog adopted from
our program. Every dog, including rescue dogs,
will require
licenses, training classes, veterinary care, annual
vaccinations, routine preventative care, grooming, toys,
nutritious food, treats, bowls, collars, leashes and
crates as well as other
expenses that add up quickly. You will need money to
pay for a boarding kennel or pet-sitting service while you
are on vacation. And any dog, just like any human
being, can become ill at any stage of life requiring
surgery or long-term medication. The most prevalent
health problems seen in mature Westies are skin disorders
consisting of allergic reactions to food, fleas and/or
seasonal pollens that will require lifetime medical
management.
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- Are you ready for a dog?
- Are you prepared to deal
with problems that may arise from dog ownership?
Flea infestations, chewed or scratched furniture,
accidents on the good carpet and
unexpected medical emergencies are unfortunate but common
aspects of dog ownership. Are you willing to
housetrain a dog? Even mature, housetrained rescue dogs will need some
re-training in any new home. Do you have
the time, patience and money to train a Westie? Are you willing to go
to an obedience class with your adopted Westie?
Can you have a dog
where you live?
Many rental places do not allow
dogs or will restrict the type of pet you can have. If you
are renting, we will need to contact your landlord for
verification that dogs are allowed.
Are your living
accommodations appropriate for a Westie?
Westies are adaptable to
homes, condos and apartments in city, suburban or rural
areas provided your lifestyle is adjusted to meet their
needs and keep them safe. The success of the Westie
adapting in your home is dependent on YOU, not the
dog.
Westies need an outlet for their considerable energy and intelligence. While they do not need a huge amount of exercise,
ideally, they should have room in a safe, secure place to run.
It is your responsibility to provide a safe environment for
any dog that shares your life. We do not consider
Invisible Fencing or tethering as adequate means of
providing protection or restraint for a Westie. Westies should never be
allowed to run off leash in an unsecured area. Westies are
hunters by nature and even the most well-trained and obedient Westie is not reliable when he spots a
squirrel, bird, or other small prey. For this reason,
Westies require your protection from harm.
Do you have other
pets in your home?
If you have other dogs in your
home, the gender and temperament of your rescue Westie will be very
important. Same-sex aggression is well documented with Westies,
though, it does not occur in every Westie. There are always exceptions.
However, it is generally
recommended that two dogs of the same sex should not be
permitted to stay together unattended. Westies are
well known for their fearlessness challenging other dogs
three times their size. If you have a female dog, you
should give consideration to adopting a male rescue Westie (and visa versa).
Canines in general, and
terriers in particular, possess an instinctive behavior
called "prey drive". This instinct
allows wild dogs to chase and kill animals for food.
As Westies were
originally bred to hunt vermin, this
instinct is still very much intact in the Westie breed
today. Consequently, we often find some Westies may
try to hunt other small house pets such as cats, rabbits,
birds, mice, rats, hamsters. These other pets may be in serious peril
from this instinctual hunter. Even if the Westie and
the other small pets are separated, there may be ongoing stress to
both the animals and the family as the Westie may continually
bark and attempt to hunt the smaller prey.
- Do you have young children
or grandchildren?
- If you have children under 7
years old, you should consider waiting a few years before
you adopt a Westie. Many of the popular breed
books have unfortunately misrepresented Westies as
unequivocally "good with children". This is
not an accurate statement. Many Westies will NOT
TOLERATE even unintended mistreatment from a child.
They will not put up with typical child handling such as
pulling of ears or tails nor will they tolerate taking or
"sharing" of the dog's bones, food and toys.
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- Children are often the most
disrespected members of a dog's pack. A Westie may
view himself as a much higher-ranking pack member than your
children. Additionally,
the sight of a running child may trigger the Westie's high
prey drive resulting in the Westie instinctively trying to
bring the child to a stop anyway it can.
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- We often do not know the
background information pertaining to each rescue Westie's
previous experience with children. And sometimes when
we do know the dog's background we find the Westie has been
placed into rescue because of problems with children.
For the safety of your children or grandchildren, our policy
is to not place Westies into homes with young children under
7 years old
Will you be a
responsible pet owner?
Obeying community leash and
licensing laws and keeping identification tags on your pets
as well as Microchipping your pets are all part of being a responsible pet owner.
Responsible owners spay or neuter all of their pets. And, of
course, providing love, humane training methods, companionship,
socialization, exercise, a healthy
diet and appropriate regular veterinary care are all
essential.
A training program is part of responsible
pet ownership. Motivational and compassionate
obedience training helps to build a quality relationship
with your rescued Westie. We encourage positive
reinforcement training. Westies who are not
sufficiently trained can become too difficult for an owner
to handle. Westies need owners with a willingness to
provide leadership, structure, patience, obedience training, socialization,
understanding and plenty of quality time.
Pets deserve time and love from their
owners every day. Make sure your dog is a part of the family
and not simply left outside all day and brought in at night.
Dogs, like humans, need more than food, water and shelter.
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- Are you prepared for a lifetime
commitment?
- Are you prepared to make the commitment to be a responsible
dog owner for the life of the dog?
Change is an inevitable fact of life whether it be job,
home, health or family status. How will you manage
these changes with your dog? Are you going to
consider your dog if you need to move? Will the dog
remain a member of the family when you have
children? Are you willing to provide for your Westie
if he is diagnosed with a chronic disease?
Westies are placed into our rescue program every year
because people were unable to make a lifetime commitment to
their dog.
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- Sharing your life with a Westie can bring incredible rewards
and gifts of steadfast devotion, abiding love and joyful
companionship.
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- We take care to match each
rescued dog to the best possible home. Rescue Westies have been uprooted from at least one
home, therefore, we want the next home to be the Westie's permanent
home. We expect those who adopt our rescued
Westies to make a commitment to the dog for the rest of
his natural life. In the case of Westies, this may be a
15+ year commitment.
Westies can
live into their teen years and require a lifetime
commitment of love, time, money, responsibility, health care, obedience, activity, exercise and
entertainment.
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- We urge you to take the
Westie Profiler and read the Westie FAQs (Frequently Asked
Questions) as well as the article, "Fire
and Ice".
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- If you have considered all
of these issues and feel a Westie is the right dog for you
and this is the right time in your life to adopt a
rescue Westie, please read our Adoption Agreement and
complete an Adoption Application:
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- Recommended Reading
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- We recommend the
following books if you would like to learn more about Westies
and raising a rescue dog.
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- To understand a rescue dog
from the dog's point of view, please read the heart
rendering article, Second
Hand Dog, written by a little rescue named Tansy.
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