West Highland White Terrier (Westie)

GROOMING TIPS FOR WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER (WESTIE)

A wonderful dog, active, determined, strong willed, brave, loyal with a larger than life character, loves people and responds well to training. They have a thick coarse top coat with a soft undercoat and require a daily brush using a good quality Pinhead brush, to keep their coat in great condition. They also benefit from regular stripping/clipping, but here we would recommend that you visit your groomer and discuss this with them before attempting yourself as this requires skill and care. If approached to energetically you can discomfort or harm your dog so get advice and training from your groomer before attempting.

You should brush your dog daily and generally their coats do not mat and tangle if groomed regularly but as with all dogs it pays to check looking out for and dealing with any tangles or mats which occasionally develop. Due to their adventurous and inquisitive nature you will often need to give a quick brush after a walk to remove burrs etc your dog has attracted during his adventures

For the visits to the Groomer you should concentrate on clipping of nails stripping or trimming of coat and of course a good wash and groom, and most owners advise these visits can be as often as every 6-8 weeks but with regular washing and grooming this can be reduced to every 8 – 12 weeks.

So in between these visits keep your Irish Westie in great condition by having your own washing and grooming sessions at home, this can be a rewarding and fun experience and keep your pet’s coat from a strong doggy smell. Always if you can start these grooming sessions as soon as you can when they are puppies is the ideal.

 

We would recommend that you wash only if the dog has developed an unpleasant odour and ideally no more frequently than monthly as more frequent bathing may result in dry skin, or other skin complaints. A handy Roses hint here is if your dog has got a little muddy/dirty  on their walk, use the PVA Superabsorbent Towel as a flannel gently dabbing the coat clean and then drying off with the Super Absorbent Microfibre Towel, or after those cold winter walks a quick dry with the Grooming brush.

Before you start your shower and grooming sessions make sure you have all tools and materials required: –

Shampoo ensure you use a specific Dog Shampoo this will ensure that the Fur is maintained in great condition, Human Shampoos have different formulas not always compatible with Dogs.

Towels 1 x Roses PVA Mega Absorbent Towel, and I x Roses Large Microfibre Towel

1 x Roses Grooming and Drying Brush

1 x Good Quality Dog Pin Head  Brush

A good supply of treats

Washing your Westie

For all Westie’s we advise you to use the shower, (and use a non-slip shower mat) as washing in the sink or bath may result in your dog jumping out and potentially harming itself. If you do choose to use the sink or bath again a non-slip mat and if possible secure your dog to stop them jumping out and hurting itself. Ensure the water is a comfortable temperature not too hot or too cold use the shower attachment to thoroughly wet your dog’s coat and then apply the shampoo and knead it thoroughly into the coat.  Now this is important when rinsing the shampoo out you must ensure that all shampoo is rinsed away as any residue can cause itchiness. Another key point we would make is to avoid getting shampoo into the eyes and try to keep the inside of ears dry away from shampoo and water. Starting from the head and working towards the tail can minimise the risk of shampoo in the eyes and ears.

If using a conditioner repeat process and again make sure the conditioner is thoroughly rinsed out of the coat

When coat thoroughly rinsed it is time to dry and technique is important here to keep your dog’s coat in great condition. Firstly, dab the coat all over with the Roses Mega Absorbent PVA Towel, squeezing excess water out often to ensure maximum absorbency. Once all surplus water is removed then wrap your Irish Terrier in a Roses Large Microfibre Towel gently dabbing and rubbing the towel all over until the coat is just damp. It is important that you do not vigorously towel dry your dog as this can result in Frizz, Split Ends, knots, tangling and matting.

Now to the final drying and grooming, connect your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush set on medium heat and low speed and start brushing and Drying the coat, there is no correct place to start but the key advice we would give here is to ensure the whole coat is dry particularly around the base of the tail and around the ears. Ensure all the coat is brushed through and dry. If your dog is a little anxious at first encourage with treats and words of encouragement. Once your dog is familiarised and comfortable with your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush you can increase the heat setting to full and increase the speed to high, but note when drying around the eyes and ears only use medium heat and low power.

The permanent IONIC feature will ensure great condition to your dog’s coat

The choice of Brush head to use varies from Dog to Dog, but for the Westie we recommend  the oval pin head brush head for the whole dog. But once you have used the tool a few times you will develop your own technique and use brush heads which you feel give you the best results.

We know that following these simple instructions you will soon be getting great results and you and your Westie will enjoy these sessions which can help create an excellent bond between you and your dog and of course keep your loved pet looking great and smelling good most of the time.

Following a wet walk, you can also follow these guidelines if not dirty no need to shampoo or condition simply towel dry as outlined here and quickly dry off with the Roses Grooming and Drying Brush, and on cold winter walks your dog will welcome being dry and warm.

We look forward to hearing your experiences and of course receiving pictures of your Westie’s after your Grooming and Pampering Sessions

THE ROSES TEAM

We at Roses Top Dog are currently offering A Grooming Bundle comprising The Roses Grooming and Drying Brush, Large Super Absorbent Microfibre Dog Towel and a Mega Absorbent PVA Dog Towel for £39.50 with Free Delivery.