The Westie has a double coat. A coarse top coat and a soft undercoat. It should be brushed regularly or combed with a narrow comb.

The first thing to do is to use the brush to comb through the fur without tugging. Then you should rework with a narrow comb to remove individual nodules. Most of the time, the little guy enjoys this procedure as it has a massage effect. In the rarest of cases, the dog should be bathed. Only when he has rolled around in the dirt and unpleasant smells rise from him.

Constant bathing destroys the natural protective acid mantle and this can lead to skin eczema. Combing will make the fur nice and white again.

The Westie also needs regular trimming. By trimming the top hair becomes nice and hard and the undercoat is lifted, it should never be sheared. That makes the fur soft.

When trimming, loose, dead hair is plucked out. The undercoat is ventilated and the top hair becomes hard through regular trimming. This provides protection against wind and rain. The soft undercoat warms our Westie.

When the Westie is shorn, the natural structure of the coat is destroyed. The dead hair is not removed, just shortened and remains stuck in the pore. This prevents new hair from growing and skin diseases can develop.

The dead hair must definitely be removed as the West Highland White Terrier does not change coat in summer and winter.

Proper trimming is very important to keep the Westie's hair and skin in the best possible condition and healthy. This should be plucked by hand. It doesn't hurt the Westie. Trimming should be done every 8-10 weeks to prevent skin problems from clogging the pore.

In between, you can cut your eyes free yourself and remove the fur between the pads. Otherwise small stones and dirt can stick and cause pain.

The eyes need to be freed from sleep and the ears need to be cleaned at intervals with a liquid ear cleaner. Under no circumstances should you use cotton swabs. Because this only pushes the ear wax further into the ear canal. If wet food is used, you should wipe the small snout once after eating so that no bacteria collect in the lips. This can lead to inflammation.

You are welcome to make an appointment with me to trim. Take a little time to get to know your dog for the first appointment.