






OUR MISSION STATEMENT
To ensure that all Westies in need (whatever their pedigree/disability) receive the care most appropriate to their circumstances and to raise awareness of West Highland White Terrier welfare.
A REHOMING UPDATE
As the Covid restrictions are being eased we have had an incredibly busy couple of weeks. Some of the dogs that have needed to be worked with before being rehabilitated have been eased into a new home with people already known to us, that we were confident would carry on taking them forward to their maximum potential. This naturally eliminated the need for a home check too which was a bonus. There are still some dogs that are a work in progress.

Timmy, a Westie ReHoming westie
In rescue shelters there is a trend for the older dogs to often be passed by in favour of a younger dog. There is a common misconception that the older the dog, the less you can teach it but the reality is that any dog can learn at any age. In fact older dogs are often easier to train than young ones as they have a longer attention span and more self-control. Westies, being a highly intelligent breed are very quick to learn but can learn bad habits just as quickly as good ones and so it is up to you to decide what you want to train them to do.
The level of success you achieve depends of course on the methods you choose to train them. Reward based training means that they will be far more likely to repeat the good behaviour again. The key to training is the relationship you have with your dog. If there is a mutual respect your Westie will be more inclined to want to work with you but remember that you can’t force your dog to respect you, you must earn his respect and then there is no limit to what he will do for you.
Timmy, an eleven year old westie rehomed by Westie ReHoming is a typical example of what can be achieved with an older dog using patience, understanding, mutual respect and a liberal sprinkling of love. Timmy took to his training like a duck to water, just loving to please and enjoying every moment. He soon worked his way through the Kennel Club Good Citizen Award Scheme and they planned to ‘go for Gold’ until Covid-19 brought the competitions to a halt.
Just before lockdown Timmy’s proud ‘mum’ booked a photographic session for her boy with award winning Craig Cantwell who was voted ‘Scotland’s Best Pet Photographer’ no less, and here he is seen posing proudly by Broughty Ferry Castle.
This remarkable lad is just an example of what can be achieved with an older dog and should be an inspiration to anyone considering adopting a westie. What a wonderful partnership he and his owner have, which is surely what rehoming is all about.


