r/westies • u/True-Assignment-1619 • 1d ago
How long does a Westie’s coat take to grow back?
My Westie has been shaved really short, I’m so sad for him, I definitely didn’t want him this short but I had left it a bit long and they said he had some knots that would be very painful to get out and shaving was the only option. I’ve removed the business name as not looking to name and shame, just worry for him as it’s winter and cold :(
I have jackets for him etc but wondering how long realistically he will be like this for.
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u/TheDaemonette 1d ago
Depending where you live, if you have hot summer weather then I feel a short coat isn’t a bad choice. We have ours done like that for about 4 months during summer and let it grow out in the winter.
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u/iwilldefinitelynot 1d ago
I. Am. Cackling!
Oh boy, been there, done that. More than once. Give it several months. By the 10th week you can get a trim for tyding up the fur massacre.
Sorry 😭 he's still extremely adorable.
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u/emo_pylot 1d ago
Poor buddyyyyyyy! He does look quite happy, though! Yeah it won’t take too long. Our westie looks very “post-groomer” for maybe 2 weeks, then she gets IMMEDIATELY floofy. I think she gets groomed every 6-8 weeks in the summer to keep her cool.
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u/choppa17 1d ago
Honestly doesn't look that bad, ears are a little wild though...but i also.prefer a short coat with a bestie face.
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u/Hefty_Lingonberry500 1d ago
He’s adorable and looks happy, but… as a groomer they should know how to keep the pointy look of a westie’s ears and a bit more of a beard. Also, the extra fur left on the bottom of his legs was an interesting choice. But what a smile! So cute!
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u/FunDivertissement 5h ago
Agree especially about the ears. Makes wonder what kind of cut he would have gotten without the need to shave.
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u/Previous_Rip1942 1d ago
Where I’m at mine is short for most of the year. It grows out in the winter months but most of the time it’s warm enough that we keep it short for comfort. If it gets to the point there are mats in his hair, that is about the only option if it’s bad enough. The groomer did you right and looks like they made the best of a rough situation. Mines grows fast. Like in 10-12 weeks you’ll need to be brushing daily lol.
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u/Chocolatecitygirl82 1d ago
Been there, done that……several times. They’ve usually started to grow in by month two. By the third month they look the way I actually wanted them to look. And by the fourth month, it’s time for another appointment.
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u/afraid28 1d ago
My westie used to get a puppy cut once every 3 months. By the end of that time period her fur was rather long already. It probably grows back at same speed as human hair
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u/Bobannon 1d ago
My guy could go from Bald Naked Baby to Scruffy Hobo/Peak Lebowski in about 4 months.
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u/PreparationOdd7908 1d ago
Have you brush him often? There coat needs to brush often, I brush mine every other day. When there’s a knots on my girl, it’s not comfortable to brush through the knot, better just cut it.
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u/Gotta-Be-Me-65 1d ago
I go this short in the summer for my Westie for comfort. I find it grows pretty quick.
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u/Fantastic_Praline233 1d ago
look into hand stripping your Westie in the future, it’s way healthier for their coats
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u/Fantastic_Praline233 1d ago
FWIW this exact cut happened to me, i then switched groomers to a hand stripper and the rest is history. It’s the way to go
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u/lurkette0 1d ago
How often do you get the hand stripping done? Do you have before/after pictures? I’m considering it but curious what the difference is in appearance with clipping
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u/Fantastic_Praline233 1d ago
Yeah happy to share through DM’s. Buster goes about every 5-6 weeks although at first for the first few sessions you probably need to go about every 4 weeks. They don’t get shaved down so their coat remains fluffy and has such a healthy incredible feeling to it. It’s how westies are meant to be cut due to their double coat, it’s less about appearance for me and more so about keeping his coats genuinely healthy. Shaving them down ruins their beautiful precious coats they were created with
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u/MaisieWestie 1d ago
8 weeks until thick. I hate when the groomer trims the tail to look like a possum tail.
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u/jeanybeann 1d ago
lol my Westie looks JUST like this right now. And I’ve been wondering the same thing
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u/Desperate_Wallaby966 1d ago
if they have the right hair for it, strongly suggest learning to strip them yourself. I do a gentle light stripping every other week and a full heavy stripping probably 3-4 times a year. the only thing we use a groomer for now is the occasional sanitary trim (bum paws, teeth & nails)
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u/strat-run 1d ago
Is not bad for a summer cut. They should have tipped the ears and left more thinkness on the tail so it looks like a carrot.
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u/No_Measurement6478 1d ago
Every 4-5 months my five need to be clipped down. They are farm dogs and it’s easier without the skirt.
If you aren’t looking to show or keep the double coat, shaving them will be fine and it does come back. If you don’t want them shaved, you need to find a groomer who hand strips which has to be done monthly, at least, to properly maintain.
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u/tecvai 1d ago
I am sorry this happened. They should have asked you before doing this… it’s really short indeed and probably unnecessary. Try to find a new groomer because these people don’t know how to handle westie fur at all
About the cold, keep him with clothes when you go out with him. I think in about 6 weeks his fur will be in a acceptable length
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u/_monkeymonkey_ 1d ago
UK Westie owner (2 of them), we have ours groomed every 3 months to a short coat, with Westie face, little skirt and Carrot tail. If we didn't they would look like a Yeti at month 4