Grooming Your Westie
Westie's dry coats are a combination of a soft dense undercoat and a rough outer coat. Daily brushing and regular clipping or stripping of the coat is necessary. We like to use a Mars Coat King tool. It does not do everything, but it can do a good job of removing a lot of the dead hair and undercoat. We like the size 16 and 10. Use the 10 for thicker areas, and the 16 for the thinner or finer areas. Brush the dog all over 2 or 3 times a week with the Mars Coat King. After that, use scissors to trim the hair around the anus and between the paw pads.  Then use thinning shears to clean up the chest and rear areas. A daily brush-over with a pin brush or slicker brush and regular nail clipping (every 2-3 weeks) and frequent tooth brushing  should keep your Westie feeling and looking good.

Contrary to popular belief, it will not destroy a terrier's harsh coat to be bathed with water and shampoo. Although a Westie's coat can be "dry cleaned" using chalk or dry shampoo, it can irritate your dog's  skin. The secret is to use a shampoo specially formulated for a terrier's harsh coat. There are plenty available online. (See links below.) If your Westie is not a show dog and you do not want your Westie to have a harsh coat, then you can use a regular dog shampoo and conditioner.
Groomersmall.com and Showdogstore.com are two of the best sites to order grooming tools and supplies from.                              If you have any other questions, feel free to email us at Westies@eastcoastwesties.com