Would A Westie Be Right For Me (west Highland White Terrier?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
I am currently a student and working part time so I am gone about 8 hours a day but then I am home the rest of th evening from 5 on. I am allowed to have a dog and yes I can afford it and please do not turn this into a lecture about leaving a dog alone all day. I have done a lot of research so I do not want websites, just personal experience and opinions. I live in an apartment but it is right next to an extensive path and there are grassy areas for the dog to potty. I do not wanta dog to sit in my apartment abd bark all day as I do have neighbors and do not want to upset them. I know that terriers can be stubborn and spunky, but I like that about the breed. I am just worried about leaving him alone for 8 hours in a crate or pent up in the kitchen when he is a little older and I know he will not chew on the cabinents. Thanks for your answers and please be nice.
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Sounds like you have done the research and are prepared good for you! if you feel that you can have this dog, then go for it. Just know you are responsible for this dog no matter what, and to give it all the attention possible when you ARE home. A suggestion for when you first get the pup, leave the radio on all day (they tend to like human voices), get a alarm clock for under the pillow (a heart beat), and make sure it has food water and toys! best of luc!
What about a maltese …theey are great lap dogs and are loyal…srry i meant to say a yorkie
It wouldnt be fair to leave a puppy alone all day, if you know someone who could take it during the day or if you could pay someone to watch it it would be ok. Terriers tend to bark a lot and can be destructive if bored, you could not possibly be able to tell whether it would chew the cabinets or not, mine chewed holes in the cabinets, walls and doors and he wasn’t left alone for that length of time.
If you’re stubborn about getting a dog, get an older dog ( one to two years) and not a pup. Puppies need more attention than you can currently give at this time. They cannot hold their bowels or bladders that long and need socialization so they don’t develop behavior issues. Adopt from a shelter or buy an older dog from a breeder.
My grandmother bred and raised Westies, and i helped with some of them. They aren’t as bad as some terriers but they do tend to be noisy little things. They need a lot of exercise and tend to be snippy to some people.
If you have the money, leave him at a day care or with a pet sitter, or pay somebody a little bit to come check on him while he’s crated, let him run, pee, etc.
If you make the effort to keep him comfortable while you’re gone, you’ll be fine.
But otherwise, you should think about a cat.
You should look at an older placid dog used to being left. And even then, you will need to plan to have a dogwalker come in to give the dog a toilet break in the middle of the day (how long can YOU go without a wee?!). Terriers are active little dogs, and I suspect that a young westie (i.e. under 6 years old) may be destructive or unhappy when left alone for so long. You simply CANNOT crate ANY dog for 8 hours a day – it’s incredibly cruel.
You’re a student now – what will happen to the dog when you go to work fulltime? You say you don’t want a lecture, but these are questions that you have to ask yourself.
If you want a dog’s company, why not do what I did, and volunteer at a local rescue shelter and walk their dogs? You’ll be doing something wonderful to help dogs in need that way.
When I was working for 8 hours a day I knew it was selfish to get a dog – even though I desperately wanted one. If you can afford a dogwalker, then that’s fine, but please do consider an older dog, and possibly not a terrier. And don’t even think about crating a dog for 8 hours.