UCLABelle
Ideal_Rock
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I''m a new MOM!
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UCLABelle
Ideal_Rock
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Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Lynn I am not sure how tall Portia is but she is not tall at all. Maybe like a foot tall? She weighs 18 lbs now I think...but she is mostly dense muscle and not much hair. A lot of other dogs that look her size are more like 9 lbs with like all this big fluffy hair!! Our pom neighbor is about 14 lbs but he is tiny under all his fur. People are often surprised when they try to pick her up since she does feel like about 15 lbs!! But I can still carry her on my shoulder and stuff and she is easily scooped up when necessary (one of the perks I like about having a smaller dog, aka if another big dog is running towards us).
They are more hypo-allergenic and are supposed to be better for those with allergies. They have hair and not fur...and they have two layers of it typically, a soft undercoat and a more tough outercoat which keeps them cleaner than dogs with 'fur' (aka Poms). They also do not get matted fur really at all because of the whole hair vs fur element. Our other neighbors have this MaltePoo and he is always sooo matted, you run your hand over him and all you feel are bumps. They have a really hard time with his fur. Also, she's white but she stays amazingly clean mostly to the fact that we bathe her weekly and also the way their hair/coat is, it sloughs off a lot of the dirt and stuff and she doesn't pick that much up. People always ask us if she just got groomed, even when she is really bushy and big and dirty hahaa.
Boy Westies are typically larger than females, we have seen a few 25 lb'ers running around and they are big!! But really the breed standard I think is like 13-19 lbs or something like that. Oh also she does not shed...which we LOVE. Our friend has a jack russell and he comes over and leaves fur everywhere!! Sometimes I will get some of her hair on me if I am rubbing up against her or snuggling and wearing black but for the most part there is not much Portia hair around here at all. Part of the hypo-allergenic thing I guess.
And we got her from a breeder who is kind of out in the country around here...I had been in touch with her for a few years before and was tracking her litters and we got lucky that she had a puppy at the time we were ready, someone had put a deposit for Portia but couldn't end up taking her so we got her! We only paid $900 but around here most people pay anywhere from $1200-2000 for a puppy from a reputable breeder, with a health guarantee.
Oh and they tend to live I think around 13-16 years on average depending on lifestyle and health. They can have hip and skin problems...and Portia has displayed the typical Westie skin condition from time to time but they seem to be pretty minor so far (knock on wood) based upon other Westies we have seen that have serious skin problems (aka entire loss of hair/coat, patchy itchy red bald spots, etc), they tend to get worse with age so we are hoping that's not the case..she did lose one small patch of fur last year due to fall allergies but now that we know more what to look for (symptoms) and we have met with a dermatologist, we feel more prepared.
Anyhow that's kind of a rough overview. You can check out the Westie Club of America's homepage (google it) for more information, they also have a questionnaire on if a Westie is right for you etc. They are not fabulous with children typically because they are kind of independent, intolerant dogs overall, but Portia is really good with kids, she just stands there and lets them do whatever to her...so a lot of the 'breed standard' personality traits she tends to not display because we have trained a lot of them out of her. Aka stubborness, she is not that stubborn mostly because we don't allow her to be. She is super affectionate and loves being with us and around us (she is SOO nosy and always wants to know what you are doing and where you are), but she is not a super 'loyal' kind of dog..aka she pretty much loves everyone and would probably run off with a stranger if he had a treat for her haha. She has a fabulous personality, she's so much fun to be around....we just laugh and laugh sometimes when we play with her. They are such awesome entertainment!
Gosh I could babble forever. Greg says sometimes he forgets what our life was like before Portia. I said 'we used to go out more' hahaa. But we love having her and she makes our house a better home!!
UCLA...one thing I wanted to mention is that I noticed that Lula's paws and snout are already turning brownish...that means she is licking them, the saliva is what turns the hair brownish and it does not go away. When Portia started displaying more serious allergies last fall, that started happening to her because she was licking her paws and snout (aka licking her chops basically) all the time due to the itchiness of the skin. I would definitely get Lula checked out and watch her to make sure she doesn't have too serious of an allergy problem especially at her young age. Portia just turned 3 and so her allergies are starting to get a little more up front, but up until almost year 2 she didn't really have any issues. You just don't want to end up with a dog who ends up costing $$$$$ at such a young age since the treatments for serious allergic problems can be expensive and it is a lifetime committment. Good luck!
They are more hypo-allergenic and are supposed to be better for those with allergies. They have hair and not fur...and they have two layers of it typically, a soft undercoat and a more tough outercoat which keeps them cleaner than dogs with 'fur' (aka Poms). They also do not get matted fur really at all because of the whole hair vs fur element. Our other neighbors have this MaltePoo and he is always sooo matted, you run your hand over him and all you feel are bumps. They have a really hard time with his fur. Also, she's white but she stays amazingly clean mostly to the fact that we bathe her weekly and also the way their hair/coat is, it sloughs off a lot of the dirt and stuff and she doesn't pick that much up. People always ask us if she just got groomed, even when she is really bushy and big and dirty hahaa.
Boy Westies are typically larger than females, we have seen a few 25 lb'ers running around and they are big!! But really the breed standard I think is like 13-19 lbs or something like that. Oh also she does not shed...which we LOVE. Our friend has a jack russell and he comes over and leaves fur everywhere!! Sometimes I will get some of her hair on me if I am rubbing up against her or snuggling and wearing black but for the most part there is not much Portia hair around here at all. Part of the hypo-allergenic thing I guess.
And we got her from a breeder who is kind of out in the country around here...I had been in touch with her for a few years before and was tracking her litters and we got lucky that she had a puppy at the time we were ready, someone had put a deposit for Portia but couldn't end up taking her so we got her! We only paid $900 but around here most people pay anywhere from $1200-2000 for a puppy from a reputable breeder, with a health guarantee.
Oh and they tend to live I think around 13-16 years on average depending on lifestyle and health. They can have hip and skin problems...and Portia has displayed the typical Westie skin condition from time to time but they seem to be pretty minor so far (knock on wood) based upon other Westies we have seen that have serious skin problems (aka entire loss of hair/coat, patchy itchy red bald spots, etc), they tend to get worse with age so we are hoping that's not the case..she did lose one small patch of fur last year due to fall allergies but now that we know more what to look for (symptoms) and we have met with a dermatologist, we feel more prepared.
Anyhow that's kind of a rough overview. You can check out the Westie Club of America's homepage (google it) for more information, they also have a questionnaire on if a Westie is right for you etc. They are not fabulous with children typically because they are kind of independent, intolerant dogs overall, but Portia is really good with kids, she just stands there and lets them do whatever to her...so a lot of the 'breed standard' personality traits she tends to not display because we have trained a lot of them out of her. Aka stubborness, she is not that stubborn mostly because we don't allow her to be. She is super affectionate and loves being with us and around us (she is SOO nosy and always wants to know what you are doing and where you are), but she is not a super 'loyal' kind of dog..aka she pretty much loves everyone and would probably run off with a stranger if he had a treat for her haha. She has a fabulous personality, she's so much fun to be around....we just laugh and laugh sometimes when we play with her. They are such awesome entertainment!
Gosh I could babble forever. Greg says sometimes he forgets what our life was like before Portia. I said 'we used to go out more' hahaa. But we love having her and she makes our house a better home!!
UCLA...one thing I wanted to mention is that I noticed that Lula's paws and snout are already turning brownish...that means she is licking them, the saliva is what turns the hair brownish and it does not go away. When Portia started displaying more serious allergies last fall, that started happening to her because she was licking her paws and snout (aka licking her chops basically) all the time due to the itchiness of the skin. I would definitely get Lula checked out and watch her to make sure she doesn't have too serious of an allergy problem especially at her young age. Portia just turned 3 and so her allergies are starting to get a little more up front, but up until almost year 2 she didn't really have any issues. You just don't want to end up with a dog who ends up costing $$$$$ at such a young age since the treatments for serious allergic problems can be expensive and it is a lifetime committment. Good luck!
UCLABelle
Ideal_Rock
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Hi Mara,
Thanks for the heads up....She has already been to the vet, today. He said she didn''t appear to have allergies. When we got her she was fine (all white) but, as you know, after a rump in the mud, and "investigating her pee", I think she turned a bit. I just had my Mom bath her again (which we were told not to do) and she doesn''t appear "brownish"...not yet at least. However, the vet did say that westies are prone to allergies...so time will tell.
Thanks for the heads up....She has already been to the vet, today. He said she didn''t appear to have allergies. When we got her she was fine (all white) but, as you know, after a rump in the mud, and "investigating her pee", I think she turned a bit. I just had my Mom bath her again (which we were told not to do) and she doesn''t appear "brownish"...not yet at least. However, the vet did say that westies are prone to allergies...so time will tell.
Miranda
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Lynn B
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Mara
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oh i''m glad to hear that UB! yeah sometimes they can just be dirty, it took us a little while to notice that P''s paws were getting slowly browner even after baths. they are not super dark but definitely some staining...it gives her a little bit of character. she never got the dark tear trails though, knock on wood that continues.
UCLABelle
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We bought Lulu from a pretty reputable pet store (eek! I know, as a former volunteer for the Manhattan Animal Shelter, it sounds awful) but a friend of a friend is the owner, and it was even given props by local animal groups, so we "trusted" it a bit more....Just wanted share!
Mara- What is that dark tear thing? Lulu doesn''t really have it, but puppies at other stores and shelters do, no clue what causes it?
Mara- What is that dark tear thing? Lulu doesn''t really have it, but puppies at other stores and shelters do, no clue what causes it?
icekid
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I''d still be cautious about any pet stores- reputable breeders don''t sell their puppies to pet stores. They want to know exactly where they are going! And make sure that the homes are appropriate for the breed, etc.
But regardless, she is ADORABLE. what a little doll! I''m sure she will bring you loads of happiness and laughs.
Love those pups.. FI and I cannot wait until we have more space to get Kaji a playmate.
UCLABelle
Ideal_Rock
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Icekid-I agree, but in this case, the breeders have actually already contacted us (they are in Iowa! I can''t believe Lulu came so far!) to discuss her. In the agreement with the "purchase" at the pet store, we agreed to allow the breeder to contact us, etc. But I agree, be very cautious, and I can''t guarentee 100% she isn''t from a puppy mill, but because of "knowing" the owners, etc, it worked for us.
KimberlyH
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KimberlyH and Diamondfan- Isn''t Brian May awsome?! I wrote him twice, and he responded both times...I have all the Queen tracks, and his own stuff....The worst part is, I love his music so much I even find him cute now
He''s a very talented man, that is for sure. Hope you''re enjoying that adorable puppy!!!
He''s a very talented man, that is for sure. Hope you''re enjoying that adorable puppy!!!
FireGoddess
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cutes814
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Past, Present, Future: The Meaning of Three-Stone Engagement Rings
Past, Present, Future: The Meaning of Three-Stone Engagement Rings - 04/14
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