I have read so many articles regarding Westie grooming. Everyone has their own opinion and their own way of doing things. I decided to research as much as I could and then do what I thought would work for Sophie and myself.  These tips work for us:

I get Sophie groomed every 6 weeks by a professional groomer. The groomer gives her a bath and a haircut. She also gets her nails cut, her ears cleaned and her anal glands expressed.  During the summer, she gets a “Summer Cut” which is just a little shorter and keeps her more comfortable during the heat and humidity of an East Coast Summer.

In between her grooming appointments, I brush her 2 to 3 times a week. You do not need to brush your Westie every day. Sophie has never had any matted hair with me brushing her at least twice a week. She does not like being brushed even though I started when she was a puppy. Particularly, she does not enjoy her feet or her hair around her mouth being brushed.  All dogs are different and some love to be brushed!

I have tried so many brushes over the past 3 years. I think I have finally found the ones that Sophie seems to like the best.  I start out by using a regular Bristle Brush to brush through her coat. After that, I use a Pin Brush (not a slicker brush) to really give her a good brush and get any tangles out.  The best Pin Brush I have found is the Con Air Pin Brush with Memory Gel Grip. It seems to be the most comfortable for Sophie. The medium is a good size. For her face, I use the Top Paw Easy Grip Dog Comb and the Li’l Pals Double Sided Comb. The Li’l Pals comb is for puppies but it works around Sophie’s eye and mouth area.

I always thought that having a white dog would mean a lot more work keeping them clean. It is not true! As  long as I brush Sophie 2 to 3 times a week and have her groomed every 6 weeks, she stays snow white. It is amazing.  People in our neighborhood can’t believe how white she stays. Brushing her seems to brush away the dirt. I was also told about using baby powder. I sprinkle some baby powder on her back and brush it through her hair. I also sprinkle baby powder on the bottom half of each of her feet while I am brushing her. It whitens her coat and keeps her smelling fresh. It really works!

I hope these tips have been helpful. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.