A Hint of Things to Come??
We are happy to take Westie crosses, and if a Westie coming to us is part of a pair, the other dog being a different breed we are happy to take that one too to avoid them being separated. We have just taken in a ‘Westiepoo’ and given the current trend for designer crossbreeds and almost anything crossed with a poodle we wonder if we will be getting a lot more in the future.
Lockdown brought about a huge surge in breeding dogs of all breeds to satisfy social isolation, and a very great number of these were crossbreeds. One maybe can’t immediately ‘spot the westie’ in this gorgeous young lady, although we are assured by her fosterer that she is ‘possessed of no small measure of self-esteem’ (Kennel Club Westie Breed Standard) and is fully charged with ‘westitude’!
Mixed breed percentages are something of a lottery and the characteristics of any of the offspring can’t be guaranteed. The process is far too complex to be done precisely, hence the many variations in temperament, colour and type that can result. In theory, a Westie/Poodle cross should be the ultimate in a non-shedding, hypoallergenic (if there is truly such a thing) dog, but this one sheds!
Nonetheless, she is a gorgeous girl and is having a ball in her foster home. We’ve all fallen in love with her.
