Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Click on the question to be taken to the answer. If you have questions that are not answered on this page, please feel free to contact us, via email, at frances@nancys-westies.com.

 

• What is a Westie? Click this link to go to the American Kennel Club site and review the standard for a West Highland White Terrier (aka Westie)
• What is the process I follow to buy a Nancy's Westies Puppy?
• How do you, Nancy's Westies, protect the future of your puppies? Do you have requirements of the new families?
• Do you give any kind of a health guarantee?
• Do the puppies have any sort of health problems?
• Are the puppies registered?
• How about Microchips?
• What's up with those ears?
• How do I make payment for the puppy?
• How do I get my puppy? (Transportation)
• How do I take care of my puppy?
• What dog food should I feed the puppy?
• What about house-breaking?
• How big will my puppy grow to be?

 

 

 

 

What is the process I follow to buy a Nancy's Westies Puppy?

1. We will list available pups on our Puppies page.
2. If you fall in love with one of the pups, you will send us an email requesting the contract for the puppy you want.
3. Please tell us a bit about yourself, your situation, and the pup's future home. We are specifically interested in knowing your experience with pets, your ability to provide for your pet's needs, and your plan for training and exercising your pet.
4. We email you the contract in pdf (Adobe) format. Since it is a pdf, you can open and print it using your web browser (Internet Explorer). Once you have read the contract, print it, sign it and either snail-mail or send back a digital copy of it. At that point, we will ask for a $500 deposit. You can use PayPal (frances@nancys-westies.com), Venmo (@Frances-Roberson-3), or mail a check. Please note: if you use PayPal, you may choose the "Friends and Family" option or if you'd like their added protection, please select the option for you to cover the fees.
5. Once the contract and deposit are 'in the mail', and you have confirmed that you 'for sure, no doubt about it' want the puppy, we will acknowledge you as the new family on the web site.
6. When the puppy nears two months old, and old enough to go to its new home, we will contact you to make arrangements for the puppy exchange.

Contract

1. Any person buying one of our puppies must sign a contract (see example contract) agreeing to maintain the well-being of the puppy.
2. The puppy is being sold as a PET, not a breeder! Read the contract before you sign it! If you breed the puppy without my express, written permission, you can be sued for breach of contract. How will I know? The AKC keeps excellent records and I can easily check those records.
3. The buyer must agree to take the puppy for yearly exams, maintain the vaccination schedule, provide parasite (fleas, ticks, worms, heart worm, etc) preventive, provide the puppy with a high quality dog food, and a loving, comfortable living environment.

AKC Registration

1. Our puppies are registered with, and DNA tested by, the American Kennel Club (AKC).
2. Beware of other registration organizations. There are many other registration organizations, some of which are not reputable.
3. The American Kennel Club is the most prestigious and recognized registration organization in America.

MicroChips

1. Our puppies are microchipped and enrolled with AKCReUnite.org at no cost to the new family.
2. When I send the puppy to their new home, I enroll the puppy in AKCReunite.org pet recovery, so all the new family has to do is go to the AKCReunite.org website and change the puppy's name to the desired name. The needed paperwork will be provided with the puppy.
3. I always list myself as the alternate contact because I want to make sure that none of my puppies are ever, ever, ever, left in an animal shelter with no one to rescue them! It is my understanding that the new family can change the 'alternate contact'. However, if neither the primary contact or the alternate contact can be reached, AKCReunite will contact the original purchaser of the microchip, which is ME!

What's up with those ears?

1. Why do some puppies have erect ears and some floppy?
   1. It's because of the cartlidge in the ears. Most puppies will have erect ears by the time they are 3 or 4 months old. Some puppies never have erect ears, which is considered a fault. It is rare that I have a puppy whose ears do not stand up by the time they are an adult. I have been told that if you trim the hair on the ears and tape them, it will help the ears stand up.
   2. I have noticed that, generally speaking, the smaller puppies' ears become erect at an earlier age, while the larger puppies tend to be laggards in the 'erect ear' department ... and some puppies never have floppy ears.
2. Whoa ... is that a Westie or a donkey? Why are the ears sooooo big?
   1. Puppies go through an awkward, gangly stage, just as children do. When they are between 3 months and a year old, their ears generally appear to be far too big for their bodies. I call it the 'jack-rabbit stage'. Not to fear ... they will grow into those ears.
3. Why is one ear up and the other flopped? Is my puppy deformed?
   1. Naw ... tomorrow they'll be the other way ... then suddenly they will both stand up straight and all those good photo ops are gone for good. Take all the pictures you can while they are in this stage. It is just so darn cute!

Health Guarantee

1. Our puppies are current on their vaccinations and worming schedule.
2. We provide a one month health guarantee with each puppy we sale.
3. Our adult dogs are free of genetic disease, to the best of our knowledge.
4. We guarantee our puppies to be free of genetic disease for one year.

Payment

1. We accept personal checks, cashier checks, money orders, cash, PayPal (frances@nancys-westies.com), and Venmo (@Frances-Roberson-3). Please note: if you use PayPal, you may choose the "Friends and Family" option or if you'd like their added protection, please select the option for you to cover the fees.
2. If you wish to use a credit or debit card, please use PayPal or Venmo.
3. If you have paid with a personal check, the check must clear your bank before it will be considered 'paid'.

1. When sending mail, it often takes up to 5 days to get here (the Pony Express can be sorta slow in these parts!). It will then take a personal check at least 5 business days to clear the bank. If you are running short on time, you might consider sending a money order or cashier's check via some sort of express or overnight service.
2. The full price of the puppy must be paid before the puppy can leave our premises.

Deposit

1. If you wish us to hold a puppy for you until it is old enough to wean, a $500 deposit is required.
2. The deposit on a puppy is non-refundable.

Transportation

1. The new owner is responsible for transportation of the puppy after purchase. Please understand that we happily and gladly make travel arrangements as a courtesy. It is not our obligation.
2. You are welcome to pick up your pup in-person at the farm.
3. We are more than happy to meet you at the airport if you would like to fly (or drive) into the Little Rock, Arkansas (LIT) airport. You can then take the puppy back in the airplane cabin as your 'carry-on'.
   1. If you choose to use this option, please be aware that you must arrange your flight during a time we'll already be at the airport (usually very early morning). We can only go once a week (it's a 100 mile one-way drive).
   2. If you are unable to coordinate your flight time within the window of time we will already be at the airport, we can likely arrange transport for the puppy to the airport for a $125 fee.
   3. Also, be sure to check with your airline to see what their requirements are. You usually have to make a *reservation* for the puppy to fly back as your carry on, AND you have to pay an extra fee (~ $125) ! AND you give up a 'carry on* because the puppy counts as your carry on.
4. If feasible, as a courtesy to our new families, we will gladly make arrangements to ship the puppy via airplane.
5. If you would rather have your puppy delivered by car, we work with A-Plus Pet Delivery to safely and comfortably deliver our pups.

AirTravel

1. Many new families are concerned about flying the puppy. They are afraid it will be too stressful on the puppy. They have read horror stories about the way airlines treated puppies, etc. I am always happy to see a concerned family. That means they will be good care-givers. But lay your concerns aside. Perhaps airlines have treated puppies poorly in the past ... that was before my time, I guess, because ever since I have been flying puppies (since 2005), there have been Federal regulations that ensured the health, safety and comfort of the puppy. The airlines are very concerned that the puppies are safe and comfortable. The new families report that the puppies come off of the plane bouncing and ready to play. It is really pretty hard to intimidate a Westie.
2. The usual cost of shipping the puppy is $500 anywhere within the Continental United States . This includes the airfare, required vet check, certificate of health, travel crate, and our trip to the airport (100 miles each way). Some locations may require departure from airports other than Little Rock. In that case, an additional fee may apply.
   1. Buy two, fly one free! Two puppies can travel for the same cost as one, as long as they are the same age / size, are under 6 months old, and travel in the same crate.
   2. If your puppy is riding with us in the passenger cabin as our 'carry-on', the new family does not get a travel crate. See # 5 under 'transportation', please.
   3. Sometimes a puppy can not fly for the 'usual cost'. There are limited flights on weekends, smaller airports have limited flights, we have to travel to a further airport, etc. If this is the case, we will let you know ahead of time what the additional cost will be.
3. We will not ship a puppy unless we know the puppy can be shipped in relative comfort. When the weather is extreme, shipping puppies via airplane can become problematic. There are Federal regulations to protect the safety of animals during travel. We can not, and will not, ship a puppy if the temperature is below 20 or above 85 anywhere the puppy touches down. However,
4. There are three airlines which have live animal accommodations from the Little Rock Airport: American Airlines , United Airlines, and Delta. ***Note: at this time, American Airlines is our only option. We anticipate United and Delta being options again in the future, but they stopped their pet services after COVID.
   1. American Airlines generally has better flights for puppies going North or West. They have a 'Priority' service which allows the puppy to be checked in through the 'people' terminal ... actually checked in through the same line as people. The new families generally, but not always, pick up the puppies in the luggage department. The new family should call their airport to find out where to pick the puppy up. The puppies are given priority in boarding and unboarding, which means they are the last thing loaded and the first thing unloaded, preventing them from having to spend long periods of time sitting in the plane on the tarmac.
   2. United has a limited number of flights leaving Little Rock which can accommodate live animals in comfort. United requires a reservation.
      1. United has a 'Pet Safe Program', which means that (in particular airports) they have airconditioned holding and transport from terminal-to-airplane for the puppies.
      2. United requires that the puppy be at the airport 2 hours before the flight.
      3. United costs more than the other airlines.
   3. Delta generally has better flights going to the East. They allow reservations up to 7 days prior to the flight. I make the reservations a few days ahead of time, and then I take the puppy to the Delta Cargo facility at the Little Rock Airport. Though this is a 'cargo' facility, these folks are excellent in caring for the puppies. I have been extremely impressed with their attitude. Their personnel keep the puppies in the office until just minutes before the flight leaves, ensuring that the puppies are stressed as little as possible.
      1. Delta requires the puppy be at the airport and checked into the flight two hours before the flight leaves, they require at least two hours at the connecting flight (almost all flights out of Little Rock have a connection!), and they require that the arrival airport be open at least an additional two hours after the puppy arrives. If the puppy's flight can not meet those time constraints, or if you want the puppy to have a faster flight, a DASH flight must be arranged ... for an additional $120. A DASH flight requires the puppy be checked into the flight at least an hour before the flight leaves, have at least an hour to connect, and can usually arrive at the arrival airport after hours. Keep in mind that for the puppy to be 'checked in' I have to get the puppy to the airport about an hour before that 'check in deadline'.
5. The airlines provide an 'Airway Bill Number' which can be used to track the puppy's flight. As soon as I put the puppy on the flight, I call the new family confirming the puppy made the flight and providing the Airway Bill Number so they can keep track of the precious baby across the nation!
6. The puppy will be in a travel crate. (This crate can also be used as the puppy's 'training crate'.) There will be a small bag of the puppy's food strapped on top of the crate. The puppy will have, at the least, a soft blanket for the trip.
   1. IMPORTANT! Also strapped to the top of the crate is the puppy's paperwork! The shot record, vet paperwork, AKC registration paperwork, microchip information, etc, will be in an envelope strapped to the top of the puppy's crate.
7. Here is a suggested check list for when you go to the airport to pick up your puppy:
   1. collar
   2. leash
   3. fresh water
      1. food will be strapped to the top of the crate
      2. a small water / feed dish will either be in the crate, or in the tray on top of the crate
   4. fresh / clean bedding (in case the puppy has had an accident)
   5. puppy wipes or a clean wash cloth
   6. lots of hugs and kisses ... they come out of there ready to play!

 

How Do I Take Care of My Puppy?

• Information, instructions and suggestions for your new puppy:
1. The puppy is used to eating ProPac High Performance Puppy Food. You have been provided with a small bag of ProPac. However, if you cannot find ProPac Performance Puppy Food locally, you do not have to feed the puppy ProPac. If you decide to feed the puppy a different food, please gradually mix it with the small bag of ProPac you have been provided. Please, feed the puppy a good, high-quality (meat as the first ingredient) dry puppy food.
2. If you'd like to continue ProPac but are unable to find the exact formula we use, ProPac makes a very similar formula in their Ultimates line, which is available at Chewy.com.
3. Soft food is not good for your puppy’s teeth. It gunks up on the teeth and doesn’t provide as many nutrients as a good-quality dry food.
4. The puppy has been allowed to eat all it wants all day long (automatic dog feeder). You will probably be trying to house break the puppy, and therefore restrict the puppy’s food intake (puppies go poo within minutes of eating). Please don’t be concerned if the puppy doesn’t eat too well the first few days. Since they are used to the food always being there, they eat a few bites then run to play, then come back for a couple of more bites. After 3 or 4 days of only having food put down twice a day, they’ll figure out to eat all they want while the food is there.
5. Bath time: The puppy / dog should be bathed about once a month. More often than that will dry out their skin. Since the Westie outer coat is *harsh*, it combs out well. Dirt doesn’t stick to it. Let mud dry, then just brush it out! Or you can ‘dry-clean’ a Westie with powder.
• Shampoo: Use either Mal-a-ket Shampoo or Malaseb Shampoo. Follow the directions given, being sure to leave it on for the suggested length of time before rinsing well.
• Cream rinse: VetriMAX AtopiCream HC Leave-On Conditioner
• We have learned to use nothing except Mal-a-Ket or Malaseb shampoo. They are both anti-fungal, anti-bacterial shampoo and work wonders on even the saddest rescue cases. We also often use VetriMAX AtopiCream HC Leave-On cream rinse. It is doubtful that you will find all of these products at the local pet store or your vet’s office, but all of these products can be found on the Internet: Just Google them, or go to Amazon.com to search for the best supplier. We usually shampoo our dogs about once a month, making sure to leave the shampoo on for at least 15 – 20 minutes before we rinse well.
• An exception to the ‘one month bath’ is if you have a dog with itching or skin problems. We’ve had rescues that we had to bathe twice a week until we got their condition under control.
• If we have a dog that is having an itching problem, or their hair looks oily, etc, (usually a rescue) we use the leave-on cream rinse. My favorite method is to take a couple of tablespoons of VetriMAX AtopiCream HC, mix them it about a quart of water, then pour the mixture over the still-wet-from-bath dog. A ‘nipple’ type sports bottle works extra-well for this. Make sure to get the mixture spread evenly across the dog and make extra sure to get the feet and toes. You do NOT rinse off the dog after you apply the cream rinse.
• We do most of our own grooming these days, but if we do take a dog to the groomer, we take OUR SHAMPOO with the dog! Groomers usually use the cheapest shampoo they can find. They always say they use nothing but the best oatmeal / whitening / yadda yadda … whatever! Get Mal-a-ket or Malaseb and take it to the groomer with your dog.
• Dry Cleaning your Westie: Get some sort of powder, such as baby powder or Shower-to-Shower, and sprinkle it on the dog, being sure to sprinkle extra on dirty spots, then brush it out. The dirt comes out with the powder, and the dog actually stays clean longer.
6. Ears: If your puppy has floppy ears, they will probably stand erect on their own by the time the puppy is 3 or 4 months old. However, if the puppy has a lot of hair on the ears, clip it. Cut it short. Get the weight off the ears. The extra weight of long hair on the ears can actually prevent the ears from standing.
7. Microchip: Your puppy has a life-time paid, AKC CAR ID-2000 ISO microchip, manufactured by Trovan Electronic Identification Systems. Microchips are available in 128kHz or 134.2kHz. I have chosen to use the 134.2kHz because they meet International Standards, and can therefore be used / traced across the globe. I will register the microchip with you as the primary contact and myself as the alternate contact. If your puppy is lost, and someone scans and finds the microchip number, they will call AKCCAR, who will call you, and if they can’t reach you, they will call me. You will find extra microchip number labels attached to your paperwork. These can be used for your vet’s records, etc. Please see the provided AKC CAR folder for additional information.
8. Do NOT take your puppy to dog parks, rest areas, gas station dog walks, etc, until the puppy has had a complete series of puppy shots.
9. When your puppy leaves here, it will be current on shots and worming. If the puppy leaves here at 8 weeks old, it will have one shot, and still need 2 more puppy shots and a rabies shot, at a minimum, before it can go into doggie-public.  If you give the puppy all of its shots on schedule, then the puppy will be about 4 months old before it can safely be taken to areas frequented by many dogs.
10. One of the best indicators of a puppy’s health is bowel movements. A normal puppy bowel movement should be dark brown and firm. Puppies very often get tummy problems, especially when they travel. The stress and excitement of travel and the new home can cause the puppy to have a bout of Coccidia or Giardia. Both are parasitic protozoa (teeny, tiny bugs) that take advantage of the puppy’s weakened immune system. In addition, there are many other causes of puppy tummy upset ~ worms, viruses, bacterial infections ~ just like little children, they can get an unlimited number of ailments! Watch for loose or runny bowel movements. Also watch for mucus or blood in the bowel movements, or odd colors (orange, yellow, green). All poo stinks, but sick-puppy poo is usually extra offensive. If your puppy is having abnormal bowel movements, scoop up the poop in a doggy bag and take the puppy and the poo to the vet.
11. The AKC is currently offering a special deal: if you register your puppy (~$30), you get 2 free months pet health insurance. It is my understanding that pet health insurance costs about $10 a month (don’t take my word for it – research).
12. Your puppy has a health guarantee. Please read your contract. It says that if your vet finds the puppy to be other than healthy, you should return the puppy to me and I will give you a full refund. Note that the breeder is not responsible for your vet bills, and the ‘buyer’ is responsible for transportation.
13. If you can’t afford large vet bills then you should take out pet health insurance. Pet health insurance costs approximately the same as providing flea and tick preventative every month. It is a reasonable expense that should be expected by responsible pet owners.
14. If the puppy has a problem that is covered by your health guarantee, you will need to have your vet send me documentation of such, which I will share with my vet. Upon my vet’s approval, I will ask you to send the puppy back to me and I will send you a full refund. I ask that the puppy be sent back to me because I want to insure that it gets proper vet treatment. After the puppy is healthy, I will find it a good home.
15. Discipline: Westie puppies are like two-year old children: They know better, but it’s fun and they want to! Get a squirt bottle and fill it with water. Say ‘NO!’ and squirt them. They HATE to be squirted. You can also slap a newspaper on a table, use a firm voice and show your displeasure, and many other things, but please, don’t hit the puppy. I highly recommend puppy obedience classes (I think they are more for the people than for the puppy!). They are not that expensive and can be found at most major pet store chains.
16. Do not allow the puppy to chew on you or nip at you or others. Teach the puppy very early that biting is not acceptable, not even in play. Westies are hard-headed, determined terriers, and if you let them, they will terrier-ize the house. You must be ‘alpha dog’. Do not allow the puppy to think it is boss. (obedience classes!)
17. I recommend crate training. IT WORKS. And the puppy quickly comes to love the crate. It is a dog’s nature to want a ‘den’ and the puppy sees the crate as their den, their safety zone. There is a tremendous amount of information on the web about crate training. Please research it.
18. Your puppy (at 8 weeks old) will probably want to go to sleep about 9pm, and it will probably wake, wanting to go to the bathroom, about 4am. After going potty, it will probably go back to sleep until about 7am. As the puppy ages, it will need fewer bathroom breaks, and will probably be sleeping through the night by 4 months.

What Dog Food Should I Feed the Puppy?

1. All of our dogs eat ProPac Performance (30%) Puppy Food, even the adults. I want to make sure that they have plenty of everything they need, and the mamas especially need extra calcium, so they all get this excellent puppy food. I believe it is one reason why we have such large and healthy litters.
2. There are other excellent dog / puppy feeds available. If you are unable to get ProPac in a convenient location, then please be sure to get an equally high quality puppy food. Examples are Iams, Eukenubia, Science Diet ... Gradually mix the new food in with the food that was supplied with the puppy, to give the baby's tummy time to adjust to the new food.
3. Many Westie breeders suggest that Westies should eat Lamb and Rice formula, since the Lamb and Rice formula is generally considered better for allergies. I'm sure this is fine, if you want to purchase it. However, we have not had any allergy problems with this food, so we don't feed the Lamb and Rice formula. As a matter of fact, every time I have tried it, it gives my dogs the 'back door trots'.

What About House-Breaking?

1. CRATE TRAINING IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO. It is the most humane, effective, and least stressful (for pup and owner) method. The Humane Society does an excellent job of detailing safe crate training techniques on their website. Do yourself and your puppy a favor and give it a try!

How Big Will My Puppy Be As An Adult?

1. This is always of great interest! My best suggestion is for you to Google 'Puppy Growth Chart'. Here is a link to one that I really like: http://www.puppychart.com/