Dear Miss Jane,
We have a 1 1/2 year old neutered Yorkie. He is an absolute joy but we think that he might enjoy a playmate. They of course would be inside and crate-trained pets. Would the Westie be a good fit? We thought about another Yorkie but the Westies are so cute. If we do get one it will be a girl since we want our Spanky (Yorkie) to remain the alpha dog. We live in Houston in the suburbs and have a nice fenced-in back yard but mostly they would be in the house. What do you think?
Scott Farris

Now, regarding wanting the Yorkie to remain Alpha Dog, I hate to tell you but that can only be decided by the two dogs. Just because the Yorkie is a male, makes no difference whatsoever about pack order. Many females are the head honcho, my pack included. Pack order has nothing to do with age or gender, it is determined by the way the two dogs decide who is the more dominant, even in a litter of puppies there is the Alpha, then the subordinates. I strongly advise never to interfere with that selection or you will only cause a lot of frustration and potential fighting amongst the dogs. You let them sort it out.

I wish you lots of success in locating a little Westie girl, which, by the way, is a good choice since you already have one male dog.
~Jane

Dear Miss Jane,
We are planning an addition to our Westie family. Joey, our one-year old Westie, is to be joined by Ava, who is presently 3 weeks old. Can you direct us to books that might help us better understand how to introduce Ava to Joey, and how to raise our two Westies?

Thanks for your help!
Andrea Billante

Hello Andrea,
So nice to hear from you. How exciting that you will soon be expecting a second Westie into your household. Well, firstly I can suggest a book called Living With More Than One Dog by Carol Cronan, and secondly I say, throw out all the human emotions when it comes to living with dogs, singles or multiples.

When Ava comes onto the scene, you obviously will need to keep a very watchful eye on her so Joey isn't too rough with her. By the same token, it is also very important that you establish some quiet time for Joey while Ava is still young, because puppies being puppies (read: ACTIVE) can be too much for even a young Westie. Puppies never let up on other dogs, they pounce, nibble, "attack" and generally drive the older dog to distraction. Puppies need to rest a great deal too, so throughout the day, put Ava in her crate or a separate area so she will stop playing and will nap for an hour or so. That will also give Joey a much needed rest too.

Owning two Westies is lots of fun but you have to understand that dogs are pack animals and are guided by a pack leader, the head honcho. You must let Joey and Ava work out pack order. Sometimes the establishment of pack order goes very smoothly and other times it can sound quite nasty to the owner. Dogs do not share with one another, they do not treat each other as equals. There is always the high dog on the totem pole and all others are subordinates. Think of it as a ladder with ABCDE. "A" dog is Alpha (first) "B" dog is above "C" dog but a subordinate to "A" dog. Ava may take over as pack leader once she reaches maturity or she may let Joey be top dog. Either way, you must not get involved or you'll only prolong the inevitable.

You will also need to get used to the growling and sparring that comes along with owning two terriers. That is just how Westies play, and occasionally it can get out of hand, but only for a moment. You have the best combination in dogdom, male and female, so I don't expect you'll have to deal with too many battles.

I wish you enormous success with your two Westies and many, many years together.
~Jane

Dear Miss Jane,
My westie is just 20 months old but she is showing signs of skin problems. She has small red patches visible on her lower abdomen and is scratching constantly. Can you suggest any easy remedy? I only feed her chicken andhave tried to be careful of her skin but it seems they are doomed to have some problems.
Anne

Hello Anne,
I am so glad you wrote, but sorry to hear that you are experiencing one of the most troublesome aspects of Westie ownership, skin problems. Considering the location of the bumps I would suspect a contact dermatitis. Grass, synthetic fibers, dust on floors, etc., can cause these types of bumps. This is allergy season as well, depending on your geographic location, so take into account that all allergens go through the nose and skin to erupt in pustules and other histamine related signs. Runny nose, red raccoon marking
around the eys, head rubbing, bottom scooting are all obvious signs of an inhalent allergy problem.

For a few more weeks, during the peak of allergy season, you can safely give children's Benadryl Elixer, about 1 tablespoon (3ccs) orally, three times a day. Or if you prefer a more holistic approach, you can go to your local health food store and get a homeopathic remedy specifically for allergies, such as pollen, grass, etc. A capsule of Evening Primrose Oil is a good idea too. One 500 mg. gelcap three or four times a week acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Once or twice a week you can give a warm oatmeal soak to the area too.

Best wishes to you both.
~Jane

Dear Miss Jane,
Can you help me? My Westie seems to have 'winter nose' year around. Is his diet lacking? How do I supplement it? Other then that, he's a terrific specimen. His relatives are mostly show dogs and don't seem to be likewise afflicted.

Thanks for your help,
Erika

Hello Erika,
Winter nose, or snow nose, commonly occurs only in the winter months, hence the name, and the black pigement usually returns in the warmer summer months when the days are longer. Snow nose usually affects white coated breeds, but Siberian Huskys and Golden Retrievers can be affected by it also. Adding powdered Kelp to the diet will help restore the balance of nutrients and help the pigmentation. Visit your local pet supply store and ask for Kelp powder, or if you get some of the wholesale pet catalogues, you can find it in there as well. Snow nose is merely an asthetic condition and is not indicative of serious health problems.

Thanks for writing.
~Jane

Copyright © 2001 Jane Fink and Westie World.