I am very very new to showing. Puppy Westie 5 1/2 months old.

Looking for good groomer and anyone who shows westies in scotland fife area.

Please, please please speak to someone who shows the breed especially about the grooming side of things. Some grooming parlours will just get the clippers to the coat and not do it properly. Unf. I don't know anybody but I'm sure a certain person on this site will be able to help you.

I hope that you have great fun with your puppy and who knows, you may catch the showing bug.

Hi, I am sure Irene will know about groomers in your area - are you far from her? If not I am sure she would help you with it. If you join the breed clubs, I and others you know can propose and second you for membership. You will get a year book, full of photos of the current winning dogs all in "show trim", together with all the names and addresses of members, some of whom may be near you. I used to prop up my fave picture behind the grooming table and try and copy it. One tip is to comb rather than brush as daily combing will remove the excess undercoat better than brushing, and get right down to the skin, rather than just brushing over the top coat. The coat often comes out easier, when hand stripping, just after or during a season, and it usually needs to be taken out then as you "cant do a thing with it" as a rule, - its called a "blown coat" - unless she was stripped out very shortly before the season. Have a go yourself, as if she has never been handstripped you will have to take the whole coat off at least once - head, legs, tummy,tail as well as the top of the back and flanks, so its not really a questioned of doing a bit here and a bit there, it will all have to go! Wait until she is dog tired after a really good walk, and dry fed and content. Chalk her well. Either do it on a table or on your lap on the sofa is how I start my puppies off. I put a sheet on the sofa so I dont get black looks from my nearest and dearest ( well, when he's around!) and pick up a section of hair - like a hairdresser does, and hold the section quite taught between your first and middle finger, with the top of the hairs poking out of the top. With your right hand forefinger and thumb take hold of no more than about half a dozen of the hairs, and pull them with a quick movement , a bit like plucking your eyebrows, in the direction that they grow. Have the chalk handy so you can dip your finger tips into it to give you good grip as you go along. Do about 10 minutes a day - every day, starting at the base of the neck going towards the tail. I would do the neck, head and legs next. If you are going to have a go, you really should get it all done within a fortnight at the most as otherwise where you have stripped will be growing new coat before you have finished taking all of the old coat out, and you will end up with a coat of many lengths. Go on - have a go!!