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Finding a groomer who really knows how to
properly trim and shape your
Westie may be a
problem. It seems quite a few "groomers" out
there think your Westie should look
like a Scottie,
Wheaten Terrier, Welsh Terrier, Sealyham Terrier,
Norwhich Terrier and so many come out looking
like "A SCHNAUZER --- HEAVEN FORBID!!
The proper head of the fantastic looking Westie is
that
which is patterned after the Chrysanthemum
flower which is FULL and ROUND not trimmed
to a WEDGE toward his/her
chin. The tail should
be shaped like a carrot, thick at the base, tapered
to a point at the tip (no
trailing hairs) and the hair
should be trimmed even with the tip of the tail
bone. A Westie is supposed
to have a skirt.
Trimmed neatly it should come to within an inch
or so of the ground. The neck should
be trimmed
so as to accent the chrysanthemum shape
(lion type) head. All clipping of the body hair
must be clipped in the natural direction of the hair
and blended cleanly down to the skirt and legs.
There should NEVER be a horizontal cut-line
down the sides of the body. This is all wrong!
The hair
on the top of the head shall be brushed
forward over the eyes and that hair trimmed so
those beautiful coal
black eyes can be seen clearly.
This hair should create a "visor" effect.
When first
setting out to secure grooming for your
West Highland White Terrier, you will need to
spend a few minutes going
through the yellow
pages of your phone book listing all the grooming
shops in your area. You'll
probably want to check
the ones nearest you first but, NEVER NEVER
discount those that may even be an hour
or more
drive away. The reason we say this is, if the shop
that can do a PROPER job
for you and your
Westie friend demands an hour's drive, you will
find that time very well spent.
Maybe you could
do a little shopping, have lunch with a friend or
if it's a nice day, spend the waiting time
relaxing
at a nearby park under a big shade tree with a
good book. We have a grooming shop here at
our ranch and many times, during the warmer
months, the parents of our grooming clients relax
under our many 70
- 80 foot tall cedar trees
surrounding our facility while reading some of our
dog magazines or a book
they brought with them.
You have spent much time and considerable
expense securing a high quality Westie
who will
offer more love and companionship then you can
ever imagine sooooo, placing him/her in the hands
of a well qualified groomer, even if it causes some
inconvenience over the years, will prove to be of
small
consequence.
Not only is the proper cut and blending of the hair
important but a well experienced and
truly "dog
caring" groomer will constantly keep you informed
on everything he/she finds concerning
your dog
while in their care. We find it sad that there are
grooming technicians, even some with many
years
experience, who simply seem to ignore
situations/conditions effecting dogs they see. It is
our thinking that anything we find concerning you
pet's health or well-being (no matter what the breed)
should be and will be relayed to you so corrective
steps can be instituted. We are 100% for your
dog's
health. When some of our clients are
amazed at the information we offer and inform us
that no one has ever
seemed to be so concerned
about their dog (beyond grooming) we have a
simple statement we offer: "Actually,
we are more
concerned about your dog's well being then we are
about yours." We surely develop strong,
almost
family-like ties to our human clients, but we love
those four legged critters we call dogs and do
everything
possible to assist them in having the best
and most healthful life possible. We can not stress
the importance
of a strong, personal relationship
between yourself and the one who is your "first
line of defence"
in regards to the health of your
pet. A caring and competent tech. will offer simple
solutions to simple
problems but, will know when
to inform you of a possible ear or other infection
or condition that needs the
attention of your Vet.
Your groomer should always be there to offer his
or her (non-physician) opinion on
any question
you may have. Many times these opinions may
save you considerable veterinary dollars or even
more importantly you dog life. A good groomer
sees a variety of dogs and conditions daily
so this,
coupled with reading everything we are exposed to
about conditions concerning dogs and our
discussions
with Vets. over the years, gives most of
us a fair handle on many things that effect your little
or not-so-little
four legged friend.
Now that we have most of that out of the way,
we'll list below things to look for
when searching
for that right grooming facility.
1. What is the condition of the exterior and
interior of the shop?
a. How are things kept ? What you see can
surely reflect the general attitude of the
groomer.
b. Are things clean and reasonably orderly.
(Remember, a busy shop can be
difficult
to keep all swept-up but there is no
excuse for a dirty facility.
Dirty
can lead to bacterium, fleas, mites and a host
of other conditions.
c. Don't forget to ask to see where you pet will
be kept while waiting to be groomed or for
you to come for
him/her. These cages should
be spotless accepting a small
amount of
flying hair from the dryers in use.
d. What is the general temperature in the shop?
Is
it between 75 an 85 degrees. To cold,
your puppy/dog
could become chilled. Not
good. Too hot and he/she could
become
over heated. Not good. Generally, while
you are in the shop it should feel a little extra
warm but not enough to make you want to
leave.
e.
How does it smell in the shop? It may smell
a
little "doggie", but it shouldn't smell bad.
f. Does the tech.
take a few min. to look-over
your dog each time you
bring him/her in and
discuss what you want done and note any
adverse conditions?
f. Do they
have/use the type shampoo that you
have found to work well for you dog.
If not,
do they have a similar material?
g. Do they have you fill-out an information
form on you
and your dog, go over it with
you and do they make notes
as to any
special situations/conditions?
h. Do they REALLY know how to groom you
dog to that breed's
specifications? If they
seem uncertain, maybe you should
continue
your search. NEVER ASSUME THAT JUST
BECAUSE THEY OWN OR WORK IN A
DOG GROOMING SHOP AND MAY BE
LICENSED, THAT THEY KNOW HOW
PROPERLY
GROOM YOU DOG.
i. This must be your call but, many times we
have
found that the "Chain-type" grooming
shops may
not be the best place to take your
dog. Now, that is not
to say that any certain
shop, in any certain store, can't/won't
do a
good job but, many of these shops hire young
inexperienced people and the name of game
is "get them in
and out as quickly as possible".
Now, we realize everyone must
"practice" but
with the high volume and the limited oversight
by a groomer who "hopefully knows" (don't
count on it) how to groom all breeds, it is very
likely the
finished product may not be pleasing
to you. Taking a dog to a
place like that, one
who needs a special type grooming (a Westie),
may
be returned to you looking more like a
schnauzer or possibly worse.
A STRONG WORD OF CAUTION IS
IN
ORDER HERE.
j.
A good groomer will not have you bring
your dog in very
early in the morning
and have you pick him/her
up late in the
afternoon. There is no reason
for him/her
to be sitting in a cage for
hours. 1/2 hour
prior to your "appointment time"
is plenty
and you should expect to receive a
"pick-up" call as soom as your dog is
finished.
That said, YOU need to make
every effort
to BE ON TIME,
both bringing and receiving.
The groomer has a business
to conduct.
They are not there as a hobby. Theat
them as you would want to be treated.
k. The one good thing, if you can see it that way,
is
that all dogs have hair and hair re-grows.
No matter how much
devastation is unleashed
upon it, it will grow back. You'll
just have to
try to "hang-in-there" until it grows long enough
for a qualified groomer to begin re-shaping
to proper specs.
l. When you find the right groomer, even if
they charge
more, hang onto them what ever
it takes. Especially,
groomers who really
knows Westies. They are out there but
surely not on every corner. Do what it takes.
Next to you, they are probably your Westies
best friend and can be worth their weight in GOLD.
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