Dear Miss Jane,
Thought I'd ask about my Westie I bought about three weeks ago. He came from Minnesota. Of course he had a time getting used to the South Texas Weather. I had one before and he got killed. Anyway, this wonderful dog is soon to be four months old. My question is, have you ever heard of the Continental Kennel Club? That's who he is registered with. Can I get him registered AKC and if I can, how do I go about it? Also, how old do you recommend him to be before you start mating him?

Thank You,
Rick J.

You can register your dog through the AKC if you can provide a pedigree (family tree) on your dog. If you can't provide a pedigree you will be issued an ILP (Indefinite Listing Privilege) number which will allow you to show the dog in all AKC events except conformation. In order to get an ILP number the dog must be spayed or neutered.

Regarding the breeding of your Westie: I have no control over whether someone decides to breed or not, nor does the AKC, but I would advise you to study all you can and to wait until the dog is at least two years old and has been cleared of some of the genetic problems that Westies are prone to such as Cranio Mandibular Osteopathy (CMO), Copper Toxicosis (CT) which affects the liver and Legge-Calve Perthes. If you are not familiar with these diseases, you need to do a little more research before deciding to breed. Also check into your local state laws to see if your state has a puppy lemon law. In my state there is such a law, it is there to protect the puppy buyer from being stuck with the veterinary costs of a sickly dog as a result of bad breeding. Both owners of the sire and dam are responsible for each puppy produced and may be required to make restitution to the puppy buyer in the event a puppy does become sick.

If you would like to contact the AKC regarding their policies and registration, you can reach them on the web at www.akc.org or by phone at 919-233-9767.

~Jane

Dear Miss Jane,
Do you use the Internet to sell Westies? If you do, do you get good results? We have used Purina puppy beef for years until they changed the ingredients, and now we are getting loose stools. What puppy food do you use? We have had Westies for nine years.

dquinley@xxxxxxx.xxx

Hello,
Thank you for writing. The Internet is an invaluable tool to get information across to a large number of people and it can also be used for selling merchandise, however live animals are not merchandise and I wouldn't advise selling puppies via the internet. What some breeders do is have an ad in their internet breed section listing their kennel, puppy availability, whether they have a dog for stud, etc. No prices are listed but a phone number, mailing address and email address are given so that any interested parties can contact the breeder. If you are a breeder you really need to have a phone conversation with the prospective buyer, not just a note across email. By interviewing a person over the phone, you can get a better feel for whether that person is entitled to one of you puppies or not. If someone calls you about a puppy and you find out that their last three dogs were hit
by a car, you wouldn't want to sell a pup into a situation like that.

Respectable breeders never have to advertise, their reputation as breeders and the quality of their dogs is well known and established. These types of breeders usually have a waiting list for future puppies. Locating a local kennel club or breed club is a good way to advertise puppies. You can go to the AKC website to find a club near you at: www.akc.org

Regarding the dog food: dog food manufacturers change their formula all the time. I would advise going with a higher quality premium dog food like the kind you find in pet supply shops. California Natural makes an excellent dog good, both for adults and puppies. Compare the ingredient labels of all puppy foods, and try to find one that contains as few allergens as possible such as wheat and corn. Check the protein content, puppy foods are higher in protein but a level too high can cause bone growth problems and very loose stools.

~Jane

Dear Miss Jane,
I have a now 10 week old new son named Klondike. We have had him for 31/2 weeks and he is very smart, but he nips and barks a lot. Do you think this is just a puppy thing or is this common for Westies? Also, at what age should I worry if he is not housebroken? He already knows what to do when he goes out, but he will use the paper when in without letting me know he needs to go. How old are they usually when they can let me know? I have been wanting a Westie for years and finally got one. I want to raise him to be the best pet he can be.

Thank you in advance for your advice.
PEACHIEGA2@xxx.xxx

Hello,
Thanks for writing. At under three months, a puppy is just like a baby, not mature enough to handle the urgency of urination and defication, therefore it is crucial you are patient and understanding during the housebreaking process. Housebreaking is something most dogs fully understand and are able to control by six months of age. Before that, the pup may have good days and bad days. Everything depends upon you. You must set a schedule for you and the puppy for food times and bathroom times, confine the puppy when you can't watch it, and if you want to teach puppy to go outside to do it's business, now would be the time to take up the newspapers and teach puppy to go outside exclusively. Trying to teach both can be confusing. On the Westie World homepage you will find an excellent article on housebreaking. Also the Shirlee Kalstone book, How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days, is a must have.

Good luck.
~Jane

Dear Miss Jane,
How can I get my westie to sleep in his own bed?

Our westie, Rudy, had been sleeping with our daughter for about a month. One night, she decided she wanted to go spend the night with her grandmother and Rudy would not sleep alone. I had to sleep
with him in order to get some sleep myself. After that, I realized Rudy sleeping with our daughter was not a good idea.

I have sat up at night waiting on him to go to sleep in the floor so I could put him in his bed. He will stay there over into the night and then will want to get in the bed with my daughter in the early morning
hours. How can we brake him from this habit?

I'm not sure why he is waking up during the night. He is 5 months old now and does not go to the bathroom until morning.Please advise me on what to do to get him to sleep in his own bed all
night.

Thanks,
Patty James

Hello Patty,
Thanks for writing. Well puppies are very much like children, once a habit is started, it takes some time to break. Until Rudy is older, say over 12 months, once he is out of adolescence, I would recommend you obtain a crate (dog cage) for him and teach him that there may be times when he will sleep in there rather than the bed. Dogs are den animals, like wolves and foxes and having a place they can curl up in and call their own is very reassuring to them. That doesn't mean he has to totally stop sleeping with your daughter but he must learn that his crate is a sleeping place too. Just like parents of young children who often get frustrated and plead "how can I get my child to sleep through the night in his own bed?", so it is the same with dogs, especially puppies.

It is fine to change the rules in mid-stream, Rudy will learn to adjust. You, on the other hand, may have to endure a couple of sleepless nights while he adjusts but believe me it is worth it in the long run. Just be consistant.

Start by buying a crate just large enough for him to stand up and turn around in. If you already own a crate, that's wonderful. Next, practice putting him in it a few times a day, preferrably while you go out to run errands so you don't have to deal with whatever barking he is likely to do. Leave some treats in there with him, but nothing he could choke or hurt himself on. DO NOT make a big deal about putting him in or letting him out. Remember he is not in prison, but his cozy den. When you do let him out, even if it's only been five or ten minutes, take him outside to potty.

As far as the middle of the night awakening, puppies awaken quite easily when they hear someone stir or get up. He will outgrow that as long as the habit isn't turned into an integral part of his late night ritual. Many bad habits extinguish themselves when ignored; albeit through gritted teeth!

I hope this helps.
~Jane

Copyright © 2001 Jane Fink and Westie World.