Are you thinking about adopting a new puppy or dog into your life?
Are you wondering if it’s a good idea to adopt a sweet Westie that needs a new home or bring a puppy from this playful breed into your life?
Once upon a time, we had the same struggle, and that’s how Sami came into our lives!
We’re so happy that we have this cutie to spend time with and to travel with, but it wasn’t a decision that we took lightly.
Before committing to a Westie adoption, you need to decide why you want to adopt, how you will go about adopting, and when you will be truly ready to have a new member of the family around.
Today, we’ll share our insights into each of these areas to help you to become more prepared and make the right choice with your future.
Westie Adoption
Adopting a dog is a big step, so you want to make sure that you are prepared.
Here are questions you might want to ask yourself before you decide to bring home a Westie to be a part of your family:
Why?
The first thing that you will want to think about is why you want to adopt a Westie pup into your life.
Before you can decide where to adopt from or when to adopt, you need to be realistic about your expectations.
For example, we wanted a fun dog that would play with us, but we might not have been fully prepared for just how playfully rambunctious Sami can get at times!
We had a lot of reasons for adopting Sami, but now that we’ve been his owner for a while, we can say with certainty that there are even more good reasons for adopting than we had ever realized.
Not all of our reasons will apply to everyone else, but we do believe that these are some pretty good reasons to adopt a Westie.
Here are some of the reasons why we specifically wanted to get a Westie puppy:
- They’re too stinkin’ adorable to ignore.
- They remain small even when grown up.
- They’re cuddly and lovable.
- They are smart and can be trained with relative ease.
- They will provide the companionship.
- They are adaptable and can travel well.
- They like to be active and can exercise and explore.
As we said, these are just some of the reasons why we wanted to get Sami.
He’s really overperformed in all of these areas, and we’re so thankful that we followed through with our Westie adoption plan.
Now, make a list of why you want to get a Westie.
Are your reasons for wanting to adopt one realistic?
Are they reasonable?
Think through each one to decide if you truly want to permanently adopt a dog or you just want to see how adorable they are for a short time.
How?
Now it’s time to consider how you would go about adopting a Westie.
As with all dogs, there are a few different routes that you could take.
Due to where we live and our determination to adopt a Westie and not another breed, we decided to get our dog from a reliable breeder.
It’s up to you to decide where you want to get a Westie from; there is no right answer so long as you adopt your Westie from a reliable source.
Additionally, the information and availability for each of these adoption routes are going to differ depending on where you live, so keep that in mind.
1. Rescue Centers
One way to adopt a Westie is to research whether or not there are any adoption centers or rescue groups that specialize in helping you to find Westies.
This is one of the most direct ways to find a Westie if you don’t want to buy from a breeder, and these groups are often helping to rehome Westies that need a new home.
2. Shelters
You might come across a Westie at your local pet shelter, but it can be hard to know for sure if any dogs at the shelter are 100% Westie or not.
If you’re less concerned about your pup being a pure-bred Westie and more concerned about rehoming a dog that needs some love, this is a great option.
3. Breeders
Of course, there are many Westie breeders out there who work hard to raise happy, healthy puppies that you can bring into your home.
There are both pros and cons to buying from breeders, but generally, this is one of the most direct ways to get a Westie depending on where you live.
When?
It’s also important to consider when it is going to be the right time to adopt a puppy or dog.
If you have a huge work deadline coming up and won’t be able to dedicate time to learning about the dog and training them, you will want to postpone your plans to adopt until you know you will have enough time for them.
If you have a lot of free time and feel like it is time to bring some new blood into the family, it might be a great time to adopt.
The key point is to make sure that you have “enough.”
What is enough?
This means enough time, money, energy, love, and knowledge to care for another living being.
Bringing a dog into a home that is not prepared isn’t fair to you or the dog, so you want to be sure that you wait to adopt until you are fully committed and prepared.
Of course, you’re never going to know every single thing that there is to know about Westies, but you do want to be sure that you have covered all of the basics.
Final Words
After you’ve worked out the why, how, and when, you’ll know when is the right time to adopt and be able to move forward with that process with ease.
Adopting our Sami, our little Westie, was easily one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.
Still, we’re so glad that it is a decision we made with patience and care.
We think our lives are much happier because of this, and we recommend that all of those who are interested in getting their own Westie keep this in mind during their planning.
Having a Westie is one of the best parts of our lives, and it can be one of the best parts of yours, too, if you prepare properly.
