If you have a West Highland white terrier then you know how time consuming it is to fix your pet’s hairstyle. When it comes to grooming your pet, several things have to be considered. You can’t just immediately clip or strip your pet’s hair otherwise you will be hurting her sensitive skin or hair.

This is why pet owners have to be extra careful when grooming and choosing the perfect hairstyle for their Westies.

Grooming tips for your Westie

At first, you may find that grooming your pet Westie is such an arduous task. This is true especially if you’re still learning how to groom your Westie puppy and such process also warrants patience on the part of a pet owner. For starters, the following tips will prove to be helpful:

1. One of the basics of grooming your Westie involves much of stripping which is the process of removing the pet’s excess hair. You have to do this on a daily basis, so you don’t have to spend much time doing it when all the excess hair has accumulated for several days.
2. Trim the excess hair from your Westie’s facial area.  Extra care must be observed, especially in the sensitive part beneath the dog’s facial area. Do this every three to four months or depending on how quickly your pet’s fur grows back.
3. Nail trimming is also a vital part of dog grooming. But, for everyone’s safety it is best that such task be left to a professional dog nail trimmer.
4. Luckily, if you own a Westie, bathing does not have to be done frequently. This is because a Westie’s fur is straight and coarse which means not so much dirt is trapped in it.

Now that you have the basics of grooming your Westie, it is time to choose which hairstyle fits your pet. Check out the following options:

The show cut

The show cut is ideal for Westie’s who are looking to be part of a competition. Do it right by adhering to the AKC breed standard in which states that the dog’s coat has to be about 2 inches in length. But, its neck part needs to have a shorter fur. Your Westie will be hand-stripped so that it would look more rounded even if its white coat remains hard and straight. However, this type of hairstyle would require high maintenance. It needs constant extra attention. Not to mention the time, money and effort spent on grooming.

The Westie cut

The Westie cut almost looks like a show cut, but it’s a bit shorter. However, if your pet is about to join a professional show, this hairstyle will not be deemed appropriate. In order to achieve this look, a cleaning up of your pet’s undercoat has to be done first. To clean up the undercoat, use a stripping comb or a knife. Don’t forget to clip using a pair of  scissors and then blend it into the longer fur which you can find on their legs and stomach. The hair on your Westie’s face should be trimmed to achieve a rounded shape look. The rest of your pup’s fur will then be cut according to the natural lines of its body shape.

The shaved look

As the season gets warmer, your Westie coat definitely needs some shaving. This is a must especially if the coat has turned out to be too matted that combing it has also become difficult to do. With this shaved look, your pet’s fur around the face will be trimmed thereby giving it a typical Westie look. However, its body and legs will be shaved to the skin. When doing this, extra care has to be taken so as not to hurt its sensitive skin. Prepare a dog sunscreen in order to protect your pet from sun damage. Always use a gentle shampoo and bathe your pet frequently to prevent the risk of skin irritation.

The puppy cut

If you want to enhance your pet’s cute and adorable look, this type of hairstyle would be perfect. Trim down the fur all over your pet’s body and make sure that it stays at about 1-1.5 inches long. Do not forget to trim the fur around your Westie’s mouth. This will put an end to that stained or dirty look. You may also opt to keep its fur surrounding its face and make it longer, allowing it to grow out of its body. Keep in mind that the chosen hairstyle must also suit your pet’s style and attitude.

The natural cut

If you love your Westie’s natural look and would want it to sport the same look all year through, prepare yourself to do more brushing to your pet’s double-coat. Regular brushing is a must to prevent your pet’s hair from tangles and mats. However, you still need to trim the fur around your pet’s eyes so it won’t cause any issue in your pet’s eyes. If your Westie is still a pup and is new to the brushing tool, make sure he makes friends with the tool first. This way, your pup will not be frightened when you use it to fix her fur for the first time. Put the brush on the ground, throw some puppy treats in it and allow your pet to be familiar with the tool first before you use it.

Whatever type of hairstyle you choose for your pet, remember to take into consideration your family’s lifestyle and budget as well, along with your own preferences. The best thing about owning a Westie is the fact that they can do well with training that’s coupled with lots of rewards and other positive reinforcements.