I have been thinking of getting a westie for my family.The problem is that some of the books and sites I've visited say westies are good with children of all ages while some say Westies are good with children 10 years and up. The youngest child I have is 4 years. I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED. Can anyone give me any advice?

Thanks

To be honest I would not recommend any terrier breed where there are very small children(under 8)

The child needs to be able to realize that the dog is a dog & not a toy. Small children in my experience tend to have higher pitched voices-screaming etc is not unknown so this could lead to problems if the dog gets over excited or frightened & a play nip on a small child is more serious than an older child.

Sorry but it's only my opinion

not being funny or anything i have 2 jrts & a bc and 4 children aged 12,8,7,4, and they are great with this kids never had a problem what so ever,my children and i have always had animals around so i guess even tho they are young they know not to pull or wind any animal up.

Hi,

I would agree with Moonmaiden about most terriers not being suitable with young children. Remember what they have been bred for - ratting/killing etc, children role around, crawl around and often squeal, this may hype a terrier up and encourage it to nip and bite.

The only terrier I would maybe think suitable would be a Cairn terrier, carefully selected from a good breeder who comes recomended for good temperaments.

manda
x

ps. Westie boys can sometimes be a bit snappy with other dogs and can be very wilful.

I wont let a family have a Westie puppy if they have under school age children. However it then depends on the children. A badly behaved rowdy 10 year old with similar friends could be more of a liability/danger to a puppy than a well behaved gentle 5 year old!! The 3 main problems with having small children and a puppy ( apart from the behaviour angle) is (a) all the toys strewn about that the puppy gets hold of - child freaks - puppy freaks - say no more!! (b) the manic running about playing that all small children do sometimes and the puppy wants to join in and gets over excited and starts nipping. The puppy is then branded "snappy". (c) getting trapped in the doorways and being trodden on.

A well reared puppy who has been bred in a home with well behaved/dog friendly children, who is not the dominant puppy in a litter will be fine in the right home imo. Properly socialised male Westie puppies are no more snappy than any other terrier breed. If any are snappy its because they have not been properly bred/reared or socialised and/or have been allowed to rule the roost by the new owner.