My Story

Everything started in March 2004, when my life would be changed forever by a small cute white ball that reminded me of a marshmallow. That’s when I acquired my first West Highland White Terrier, and I have been a “Westie” mom ever since. This tiny female Westie was so full of personality and character that I couldn’t resist her! It was love at first sight and the beginning of my passion for this adorable breed. Back then I didn’t know anything about the characteristics and traits of this breed, much less about properly grooming this breed. I only knew I just had to have this little white fur ball.

My husband at the time immediately fell in love with the puppy the moment I brought her home. We named her Daisy, after the white flower. We soon realized neither us knew much about Westies, so I was delighted when my ex-husband bought me the book, West Highland White Terriers: A New Owner’s Guide to West Highland White Terriers.

I started reading the book and learning about this fascinating breed, its origins, basic training, activities, etc. I quickly discovered this was not a toy dog as I originally thought. Westies are very smart, courageous, self-reliant and are not shy when it comes to self-esteem! They require a strong, yet loving Alpha owner, otherwise, like rambunctious children, they’ll try to run the household! I thought, what did I get myself into? I was heartened to also learn how loving and affectionate this breed is, and continually experienced a love from Daisy that I never felt from other breeds. I didn’t just fall in love with Daisy, I became part of a unique family of Westie owners whose lives have also been changed by this loving breed. Like other Westie owners, I came to understand that once you have a Westie, you will always want a Westie in your life. Daisy lived twelve and a half years and was a loving companion with me through so many moments in my life. We shared together happy times. She was a comfort in some sad times and a stabilizing presence during several moves, providing support that’s hard to explain.

During the years I had Daisy, one of the things I was not able to do myself was grooming her. Every 10 – 12 weeks I took her to a commercial groomer hoping that Daisy would have that special Westie look: round head, carrot tail, and nice skirt. I was always so disappointed when I picked her up from the groomer and she ended up looking like a completely different breed. She didn’t look anything like the beautiful Westies I saw in books and magazines.

Daisy crossed the Rainbow Bridge in August 2016, and as I mentioned before, once you have a Westie, you will always want a Westie in your life. After a few months of extensive research, in November 2016, I fell in love with my second Westie when I found a good quality puppy through a Westie breeder. That’s when Pebbles came into my life as an absolutely beautiful and healthy nine weeks old puppy.

Although I was not looking for a Show Westie, like a good Westie mom, I wanted my pet to have that high-quality Westie look. I embarked on a personal research project, so I could learn the right way to groom my new Westie. This time I was not going to leave my beautiful puppy in the hands of a commercial groomer. I made a promise to myself that I would learn the fine art of hand stripping. The more I learned, the more my passion grew when I saw a fluffy puppy coat became a hard, straight coat as the standard calls for.

My confidence grew as my technique steadily improved and I became proficient in the correct way to groom a Westie. Pebbles was receiving more and more compliments on her grooming, even though she isn’t a show dog. In fact, many Westie owners who do show dogs or have shown Westies have complimented my work!

Then in June of 2018, I attended the Alborada Kennel Westie Grooming School, owned by an extremely successful and knowledgeable Westie breeder in Piera, Spain and I perfected the hand stripping technique. I brought home a beautiful show Westie puppy, that shortly and under 2 years old, became an AKC Champion and Grand Champion.

… many Westie pet owners have when they take their Westies to the groomer hoping to get that Westie look and coming home with their hopes dashed. It doesn’t have to be that way anymore. At Pebbies Dog Grooming Studio, your Westie will receive VIP treatment, he/she will feel at home, cared, loved during the grooming sessions and most importantly, will look as a Westie from a dog magazine!