Grooming
West Highland White Terriers require minimal grooming to keep them looking and feeling their best.
Westies are known to be a very hygienic breed and when groomed properly they easily maintain a brilliant white coat which rarely sheds.
Highlanders have a very unique texture of coat which is characteristic to their rich terrier heritage. Their coat should be wiry and coarse with a soft undercoat to keep them insulated during temperature changes.
As West Highland White Terrier’s rarely shed, their coats can become overly dense and weighed down without the removal of older hair in their coat. The process for removing these hairs is known as “handstripping” and involves plucking out some of the old hair to allow for new hair to take it’s place. Handstripping should never be painful to the dog and it is an enjoyable experience for them. If you wish to show your Westie you will want to explore the art of handstripping in greater detail, however the basic technique involves using a stripping knife or pumice stone to grip the old hairs and pull with the direction of the coat growth to remove them.
Photographed above are a few of the tools we frequently use including three handstripping knives (wooden handles).
Ideally you should avoid the use of clippers on your Westie as this does not remove the old hair and simple trims the hair down to a uniform length. The coarse wiry texture of Westie’s coat was designed to protect them from getting caught up in brambles in their Highland home and to repel dirt while maintaining a brilliant white color. The use of clippers may result in skin irritation, yellowing of the coat, and changes to the texture of the coat from coarse fairly straight hair to soft and sometimes wavy or curly in appearance. Interestingly enough, some other terrier breeds also loose the vibrancy of their coat coloration when their coats are clipped.
If you have the time, we highly encourage learning the basics of grooming your Westie as it develops an unbreakable bond between you and your Highlander. What is more, grooming basics are inexpensive and highly enjoyable.
The basics include brushing, bathing and light trimming.
Daily brushing for five minutes or less daily will stimulate your Westie’s skin and aids in their health while enhancing coat growth and maintaining optimal coat color and texture. We recommend using a basic comb to remove knots in the hair followed by a boar bristle brush to evenly distribute natural oils on your dog’s skin.
Bathing should be completed when required or desired. West Highland White Terriers do not produce excessive oil on their skin and have very minimal odor. We use various types of products and recommend formulas designed for dogs with sensitive skin which are low in odor and known allergens. When looking for a shampoo, we recommend purchasing one which has been designed and formulated for dogs as they should have a pH range of 5.8 - 7 which is more basic than human skin. Using products which have been designed for humans can be harmful to the dog’s skin which leaves their skin dry and vulnerable to parasites, viruses and bacteria.
Light Trimming and clipping and filing nails is a more advanced skill which you may wish to attempt or seek professional assistance with. West Highland White Terrier’s are traditionally handstripped and this is accomplished by simply applying chalk to their coat and hand plucking coarse hair. Hair should always be plucked or pulled in the direction of the coat growth and removing this hair should never cause any pain or discomfort. Tools for handstripping are not a necessity, however they do aid in gripping hair and are very inexpensive. Hair is traditionally plucked shorter on the neck and back of West Highland White Terriers and left longer on the face, feet and skirt. Frequent handstripping enhances the coat texture and health of the Highlander’s skin as it allows new hair to replace the old brittle coat which becomes itchy if left in place. Sometimes the use of scissors or thinning shears is also used trim areas which are more sensitive including around the anus and genitals. Trimming nails is also important and there are many tutorial’s online for clipping or filing nails. Nails should be trimmed frequently to keep them short and maintain proper structure of the foot. A word of caution however, dogs nails are very sensitive and have a “quick” which is a vein of blood supply in the nail itself so it is important to know how much should be trimmed without causing pain or injury to your dog. In dogs with white nails the quick is visible through their opaque nails, however a good quality West Highland White Terrier should have all black nails which are hardier and slightly more challenging to trim.
For a more in-depth explanation and demonstration of grooming techniques, please contact us or sign up for our newsletter.
