Westie puppy incoming!
Discussion
Evening all, the missis and I are choosing our first ever puppy this weekend.
We've found a breeder in Irvine who has had a litter and we have put our name down for one of the boys. we get to choose him this weekend!
So any advice?! We are going to take a blanket down so that when we bring him back in a week he will have something which smells of his mum and siblings to comfort him whilst he settles in. Is there anything else i need to take? ask?
I'll be sure to take plenty of of pictures!
Oh, we are going to call him Baxter! Cannot wait!!
We've found a breeder in Irvine who has had a litter and we have put our name down for one of the boys. we get to choose him this weekend!
So any advice?! We are going to take a blanket down so that when we bring him back in a week he will have something which smells of his mum and siblings to comfort him whilst he settles in. Is there anything else i need to take? ask?
I'll be sure to take plenty of of pictures!
Oh, we are going to call him Baxter! Cannot wait!!
My Westie is almost 15 now. They are entertaining, intelligent, stubborn, loving and wilfull in equal measure. I could never have any other breed.
As above - be careful what you feed them as they can suffer skin issues. Also make sure you train them on recall (if possible
) - they love to run off and explore!!
I wish you many years of happiness.
As above - be careful what you feed them as they can suffer skin issues. Also make sure you train them on recall (if possible
) - they love to run off and explore!!I wish you many years of happiness.
danrc said:
Evening all, the missis and I are choosing our first ever puppy this weekend.
We've found a breeder in Irvine who has had a litter and we have put our name down for one of the boys. we get to choose him this weekend!
So any advice?! We are going to take a blanket down so that when we bring him back in a week he will have something which smells of his mum and siblings to comfort him whilst he settles in. Is there anything else i need to take? ask?
I'll be sure to take plenty of of pictures!
Oh, we are going to call him Baxter! Cannot wait!!
We've found a breeder in Irvine who has had a litter and we have put our name down for one of the boys. we get to choose him this weekend!
So any advice?! We are going to take a blanket down so that when we bring him back in a week he will have something which smells of his mum and siblings to comfort him whilst he settles in. Is there anything else i need to take? ask?
I'll be sure to take plenty of of pictures!
Oh, we are going to call him Baxter! Cannot wait!!
Spend a little while looking at how they interact with each other - there'll be noticeable personalities amongst them. Many people will advise against picking either the most dominant or the 'runt'.
Have a little look at how they all are, generally - shiny coats, no runny eyes/noses, all perky.
If possible, handle them all... see which ones seem interested in you/interaction, etc.
... and just try not to "impulse" choose! The one adorable cocky one that barges over to say hello? Probably the most dominant one... (we fell for this!
) ... the cute little shy one that cowers away, that's a bit smaller than the rest? The runt... may not have socialised as successfully as the others, may not have as good health as the others due to poor feeding...Thanks for the replies!
We are going to Crate train Baxter as I have heard they like their own space and the crate is their own wee home. We did look at the soft versions rather than the wire ones so we can take it with us if we go away for the weekend - any comments?
Do you have any suggestions on the food or is it trial and error basis?
I have had experience of Westies before as my brother in law had one. His used to shoot off as soon as he got the scent of a girl but I think he was just badly trained.
When can I introduce him to my mum and dads and brothers Schauzers? They are both fully inocculated.
Thanks for the tips Karyn. I know it will be tough choosing one as they will all be so cute. I guess we will spend a bit of time with them and get to know their charachters a little bit.
Getting excited now.
We are going to Crate train Baxter as I have heard they like their own space and the crate is their own wee home. We did look at the soft versions rather than the wire ones so we can take it with us if we go away for the weekend - any comments?
Do you have any suggestions on the food or is it trial and error basis?
I have had experience of Westies before as my brother in law had one. His used to shoot off as soon as he got the scent of a girl but I think he was just badly trained.
When can I introduce him to my mum and dads and brothers Schauzers? They are both fully inocculated.
Thanks for the tips Karyn. I know it will be tough choosing one as they will all be so cute. I guess we will spend a bit of time with them and get to know their charachters a little bit.
Getting excited now.
No experience of soft crates - suppose it rather depends on how you intend to use the crate.
Food - breeder should provide you with 1-2 days worth of the food they're on. If you're planning on changing the food, do it gradually over a few days to avoid upset tums. If the breeder doesn't supply food (you can ask what they do prior to coming home with a pup), then make sure you get the name/make of the food so you can get some in before pup comes home with you. See how often and what food the breeder feeds, and replicate that for the first few days, before making any changes (gradually).
Advisable to wait until pup has had the full round of jabs - usually around 12 weeks - before either going outside or interacting with other dogs, but if you know for a fact that the other dogs are innoculated, then it's your call, but, again, advisable to do it inside...
Having said that, it's perhaps better to wait a week or so, so pup can settle into his new home properly, before introducing "new" dogs. It can be quite overwhelming for tiny pups, so he needs to be as secure as possible.
Pups pick up an astonishing amount in their first few months, so don't waste time establishing desirable behaviour!
Treats/chews should all be age-appropriate - check the packaging.
Food - breeder should provide you with 1-2 days worth of the food they're on. If you're planning on changing the food, do it gradually over a few days to avoid upset tums. If the breeder doesn't supply food (you can ask what they do prior to coming home with a pup), then make sure you get the name/make of the food so you can get some in before pup comes home with you. See how often and what food the breeder feeds, and replicate that for the first few days, before making any changes (gradually).
Advisable to wait until pup has had the full round of jabs - usually around 12 weeks - before either going outside or interacting with other dogs, but if you know for a fact that the other dogs are innoculated, then it's your call, but, again, advisable to do it inside...
Having said that, it's perhaps better to wait a week or so, so pup can settle into his new home properly, before introducing "new" dogs. It can be quite overwhelming for tiny pups, so he needs to be as secure as possible.
Pups pick up an astonishing amount in their first few months, so don't waste time establishing desirable behaviour!
Treats/chews should all be age-appropriate - check the packaging.
Karyn said:
Spend a little while looking at how they interact with each other - there'll be noticeable personalities amongst them. Many people will advise against picking either the most dominant or the 'runt'...
... and just try not to "impulse" choose! The one adorable cocky one that barges over to say hello?...
That was the best advice I got when looking at Weim' pups. I picked the last one that came over. He said hello, then fell asleep on my kneee while all his brothers were still running around like crazy. He wasn't the runt though; Biggest pup in the litter. He's still big and still sleeps at any chance. The bold one of the litter has been re-homed twice I believe'cos it's still a loon!... and just try not to "impulse" choose! The one adorable cocky one that barges over to say hello?...
danrc said:
That would also work 
If you don't mind, have you guys got any pictures to wet the appetite?
We got our Ozzy (Westie) about 15 months ago, see here:If you don't mind, have you guys got any pictures to wet the appetite?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Best thing we ever did, he is perfect, Ok Im biased
I think my photos are just completely and utterly relevant, given the advise I posted...
Age-specific toys, and don't choose the dominant one...
(Ella, the EBT, biffed her rather large dad on the nose when he went in to sniff her!)
-OP, you should view the mum and dad, too. You might not always see the dad, because of the nature of studding, but they should at least have photos of him.
If you can't see the mum, ask why not - given she should still be feeding the pups during the time you first visit, there needs to be a very good reason why she's not around to be seen by you.
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