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All Westie Rescue Inc. is based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Email: mail@allwestierescue.com
West Highland White Terriers
Westies may be small white dogs but don't let that fool you, their abundance of terrier personality makes up for their size. They are renown for their cheeky, opportunistic character. If a door is slightly ajar, a Westie will most certainly push it open so as not to miss any happenings.
They have the ability to suck you in (and quite possibly twist you around their little paws) with their seductive eyes and sweet expressive faces.
Westies aren't for everyone. The wonderful illusion of the TV ad Westie can be just that. A lot of Westies aren't lap dogs or lie around quietly looking pretty and always pristine white. First and foremost Westies are terriers. Terriers are generally small active and somewhat feisty dogs, which were originally bred to hunt vermin living in underground burrows. Many have the attitude that they're always eager for a spirited argument. They are bold, confident dogs who have a mind of their own, which can be at times very hard to persuade to your wishes.
Also known as earth dogs due to their burrow hunting instinct, cleanliness is of little importance when a Westies mind is set on their task. To have any hope of changing their focus, you must be aware of your Westies Motivation Gauge (WMG). Westie may not always be compliant, but this does not mean that they are unintelligent. Far from it, these cheeky little thinkers always want to know what they're going to get out of a situation, before actually making the move to it.
The WMG means the greater the distraction that is causing your Westie not to follow your command, the greater you motivator diversion must be eg. loud noises, excitement, favourite toy, favourite treat etc. Diversion must be greater than the distraction to gain your Westies attention. Once you have this categorised your Westies motivators, you can then have the upper hand when it comes to persuading your Westies to do as you say.
Westie Health
This is a list of some of the health problems Westies are predisposed to:
Aggression
Addison's disease (Hypoadrenocorticism)
Atopic Dermatitis
Bladder Cancer (TCC)
Cleft Palate
Copper Toxicosis (CT)
Craniomandibular Osteopathy (CMO)
Deafness
Diabetes Mellitus
Ear Infections
Epidermal Dysplasia
Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy (GCL)
Heart Disease
Hip Dysplasia
Immune System
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Hernia (inguinal and umbilical)
Juvenile Cataracts
Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (KCS, Dry Eye)
Kidney Disease
LeggÂCalveÂPerthes
Luxated Patella
Portosystemic Shunt
Pulmonary Fibrosis (Westie Lung Disease)
Pyruvate Kinase (PK) Deficiency
Seborrhea, Primary and Secondary
Skin and Allergy Problems
Teeth and Gums
White Shakers Syndrome
Informative reading
http://www.westiefoundation.org/pdf/health/ebook/westiehealthebook.pdf
True or False
There are many myths surrounding the Westie breed. When rehousing a Westie, it is our job to make sure that the new family doesn't have any fictitious preconceived ideas about the breed. Especially those that may impact on the Westie itself.
Taking Care Of Your Westie
Grooming Your Westie
This is one of the best in depth grooming websites presentation by Joan Graber