HELP! I WOULD LIKE ADVICE ON WESTIES AND KIDS,AS CERTAIN LITERATURE KEEPS TELLING ME I SHOULDNT CHOOSE MY FAVOURATE BREED BCOZ I HAVE KIDS!IM LOOKING FOR A FEMALE PUPPY TO JOIN OUR FAMILY IN A MONTH OR SO.KIDS ARE SENSIBLE 4 AND 7 YEAR OLDS.I WORK MORNINGS AND WOULD EVENTUALLY LIKE 2 WESTIE GIRLS,SO THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE EACHOTHER AND WE CAN LOVE AND ENJOY THEM.
MANY THANKS theporters@grutler.fsnet.co.uk
JO.

Hi Jo - I have a westie which we got last year when my son was 6. The breeder we got her from doesn't allow her pups to go to families with kids under 5 years. I think the basis for this is that kids under 5 need a lot of attention therefore you wouldn't have enough free time to cope with a new puppy.

But in the end of the day it is down to your family and how you will cope particularly making sure the kids know not to touch the puppy when it is sleeping etc.

Personally I wouldn't have breed other than a westie.

Ailsa,
I think the other reason that "under five" restriction exists is that children under that age naturally do things that young dogs & puppies have difficulty handling. Being too rough, unknowingly hurtful, crawling, poking, grabbing, putting (tail) in mouth and other rather rough behavior. It's sometimes easier to "just say no" than to evaluate the condition of watchfulness of each household.

One time Samma & I were at a friends' house. While we were playing cards, Samma was lying next to my feet under the table. Her baby was crawling & stumbling around in view...then she goes into the hallway. Moments later, I hear Samma give this really soft pleading whine. When I look under the table, here is baby lying completely on top of and chewing on Samma's ear, with her both her hands painfully twisting chunks of her hair.
We immediately untangled baby from Samma. Both were happy about that...but if Sam had been a much younger & inexperienced dog, she might have snapped or panicked to get free. Baby was so fast & quiet, neither her mom or I knew she had moved 20 or so feet & was under the table. Samma soon forgave & played with baby, but I still watched them both very closely. Just in case :)

Oh, Samma's a Doxie/Westie mix --very winning combination :D
toodles

Hi, I usually also say no kids under 5, when I am selling pupies, but if your 4 year old is well behaved (!!) in as much as you are confident the 4 yo will do as they are told and understand about picking up gently and not teasing I would consider selling to a family with a child who is gentle and sweet and is more interested in gentle cuddles than chasing about. I would try very hard to buy a house-reared puppy from a breeder who has WELL BEHAVED and nice,young children themselves that the puppy has gently handled by. Also I would advise picking up the puppy between 7 and 8 weeks of age, certainly no older than 9 weeks, when they become very boisterous. If the breeder has done thier job properly, when you go to view puppies there should barely be any "puppy biting" or "mouthing". Many people seem to accept this behaviour as normal, which it is in a very young puppy, (5-6 weeks) but they should have been trained to stop this by the breeder before sale at 8 weeks IMO.

Glad I've not being reading your literature then- I got a GSD puppy yesterday and I've got two kids a Daughter aged 7 and a Son aged 4. My Daughter's in full time school and my Son's in morning nursery- 9am til 11:30am. I thought I was being quite sensible waiting til they were that bit older as they are old enough to be told 'no' whereas if they'd been younger they might have 'ragged' a pup a bit. With my Son now being in nursery I have a few hours spare each morning for one-to-one's with the pup re training and the rest of the time she can be a much loved family pet:) I also work 16 hours a week. The breeder that I got my pup from doesn't mind people working part time so long as the pup's not left for too long- infact a couple went up for one of there older dogs (9mth) and she originally said yes on the phone as the lady was only meant to work 5 hours each day but it turned out she worked 6 then an hour for lunch and an hour travelling there and back- she's actually out 8 hours per day which is near enough a full time job so she then refused.

Unfortunately I can't advise on Westies but I can help with the 2 kids and part time job bit:D :D Good Luck and I hope you get what you want;)

Stacey x x x