Do you have references?
I respect the privacy of my customers so I will not give out their personal information. I do however like to keep in touch as much as possible so I started an email group you are welcome to go to the group and read anything that is posted as well as view the photo albums. this is the link http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Dianeswestiesgroup/
When can I see the puppies?
When the pups are about 5 weeks old, I will schedule a visit for the people that have reserved one of the puppies and would like to see them. As this will be when they first begin being socialized and I don’t want to over whelm them, I ask that only the immediate family come at this time. Friends and other family will have to what till you bring your puppy home. I do not allow anyone to handle the pups prior to that age for safety reasons & to avoid exposing the pups to outside germs. I will however be sending emails & puppy pictures so that you can see the pups as they mature.
What if I change my mind or do not like the picking order I am given?
The deposit in non refundable once you reserve a pup, so when I email the deposit contract to you & you are not happy with your assigned pick, email me back saying you changed your mind. Once you send a deposit, you agree to your picking order. The only time a deposit is returned is if there is no longer a healthy pup available. EX: a pup does not make it or doesn’t pass their physical.
How old are the pups when they go home?
A pup must be at least 8 weeks old and also at a weight that I am comfortable with in order for me to allow them to go to their new homes. For most pups, this is between 8-10 weeks old. Occasionally there may be a pup or entire litter that is on the small side. I may require that I keep the pup for additional time to ensure they are thriving. The pups health & welfare is my priority. All pups grow at a different rate, so their adult size is not based on the size they are when they are pups. All pups will have their 1st set of shots along with a vet issued Health Certificate. If you are unable to pick your pup up within 10 days of their vet visit, prior arrangements must be made with me because the Health Certificate is only valid for 10 days.
Will the pup be vet checked, vaccinated & wormed ?Yes, all pups before going home will be vet checked, vaccinated with their first set of puppy shots & have been de-wormed.
Why spay or neuter ?There are so many reasons; I will just give you a few. Your dog will be much healthier, happier and make a better pet. The best way for me to explain this is to remind you of your children or some ones children that you know. Males first. Having a neutered male dog is like having an 8-year-old boy. They play well with others girls or boys and don't have a care in the world. Having an un-neutered male dog is like having a 16-year-old teenager always trying to act tuff, looking for a fight or to prove he's a man with the ladies (That's right I'm talking about SEX). That is all they think about. Also un-neutered males will start marking their territory (peeing on everything) Now Females . A spayed female is like an 8-year-old girl. Plays well with others. An unspayed female is like a teenage girl (PMS) need I say more!!!!!!!!]
Which makes a better pet Male or Female?You should never pick your puppy based on its gender. Every puppy has their own little personality which has very little to do with their gender. In the old days when very few people had their dogs spayed/neutered as the dog matured their personality would change. But if you have your puppy spayed/neutered before 6 months of age their personality doesn't change. So pick your puppy based on their personality.
Why are pet pups sold without AKC papers ?I CHOOSE to sell all pet pups without papers because the only need for AKC Registration papers is for showing or breeding purposes.
Do Westies shed ?Yes. All dogs shed. Even people shed. When the hair shaft gets to a certain length and dies and fall out and is replaced by a new shaft of hair (This is called SHEDDING) When someone says that a dog doesn't shed it only means that their hair is long enough or thick enough that it doesn't fall out on its own like a short haired dog such as a Lab or Shepherd. Instead it gets tangled in the longer hair and needs to be brushed or combed out or it will form mats.
Are Westies good with children ?Westies are pretty much good with anything that is good back to them & even those that are not so good to them. They live for attention and when socialized and properly trained, get along with most everything.
Why do puppies bite when they play? That is how they play with their littermates once you take your puppy home they must learn how to play with you without biting. They will learn this very quickly as long as the whole family follows the same rules. If you have one person that allows the puppy to bite or play too rough and another that doesn't want the puppy to play rough it will only confuse the puppy. So decide what the rules will be and have everyone (even guests) follow the same rules.
Are Westies easy to train ?That depends on how much time & effort you put into training. Consistency is a key factor in training along with patience. All dogss learn at a different rate and in different ways. They love food, so they normally will do anything for a treat. As far as housebreaking...this can vary anywhere from 1 week to over a year depending on your living situation, weather, work schedule & individual dog. I highly recommend crate training.
Why is it so important to meet the parents of the puppies? All puppies are cute. But all puppies will grow to be adult dogs and look and act like their parents. By seeing the parents you will be able to see their personality, size, coat type and health and it will give you a good idea of what your puppy will be like when it grows up. So if you are happy with the parents chances are you will be happy with your puppy. And if you're not then maybe this is not the right breed for you.
What should I feed my puppy? How often and how much?When you take your puppy home at 8 weeks they will be eating a quality dry puppy food 3 times a day. At about 4 Months you can change to 2 times a day still puppy food. At about 5-6 Months after you have your puppy spayed/neutered you should change to Adult food. (I know most Vets will tell you to keep your puppy on puppy food until they are 1 year old). Once your puppy is spayed/neutered their metabolism slows down so they don't need all that fat that is in the puppy food. Have you ever heard someone say? Once I had my dog spayed/neutered she/he got really fat. That's why; they probably didn't change foods. There is nothing Healthy or cute about an overweight dog. My adult dogs eat about 1/2cup of dry food a day and they are all healthy and at a good body weight for their size.
Why does my dog scratch?There are many reasons why your dog will scratch. The most common is (Because he can). All the books talk about Westies having skin Problems so the first time your dog scratches you panic. (There must be something wrong) Have you ever watched a person for an entire day and count how many times they itch themselves? Dogs itch for a lot of the same reasons. Dry skin (especially in the Winter when the heat is on) something in the air, something they ate. Or even if they are nervous. The only difference is, that your dog is wearing a collar with a tag that jiggles when they scratch. Unless your dog has sores or a rash and the scratching is non-stop. Don't worry about it. Take the collar off when he's in the house if the noise bothers you
Why does my dog eat poop?There are many different answers for this one. Always ask your Vet if you think there is something wrong with your dog. With that being said this is my answer. From the time the puppy opens its Eyes they see their Mother quickly cleaning up after them when they POOP. (How does she do that? Yes she eat it) Once they are away from there Mother they see ME quickly cleaning up after them when the POOP (No I don't eat it) But the puppy doesn't know that. Then you take your puppy home and you quickly clean up after your puppy when they POOP. So your puppy starts eating POOP. Sometimes quickly trying to grab it before you can pick it up. WHY? (It must be something special after all everyone is always racing to get to it first) Always try to clean up after your puppy without them seeing you do it.
