Ask Ruffian
Ruffian loves to hang out on the couch after a hard day of reading your emails.Commentary, fun, and practical advice for living the Westie life.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are not those of his owners. Due to the large number of emails and letters he receives, and his inability to type quickly, Ruffian will only be able to answer a few questions per week. Please send your questions to Ruffian@BalinbraeWesties.com.
Ruffian does read every email he receives but may not post a response to every letter on BalibraeWesties.com. To expedite the reading of your email or letter, certain phrases or keywords in the text would help. These include "Wizzer", "He's a good boy", "Inky", "Toy", and the classic "Cookie".
Now onto your questions…
Dear Ruffian,
Great if you could answer these:
I have heard that Westies have a tenancy to snap if their irritated, is this true?
Also I have two dogs each different genders if I add another female will the female that I had before get jealous?
Thanks,
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Sorry for the delay. You may have heard about the "bee" incident (see home page). Anyway, I'm feeling much better now, thank you.
Yes. Westies do "snap" if irritated. They also "crackle" and "pop." A little humor for breakfast. LOL. Anyway, you may have heard that it's never good to irritate a dog (or a cat!) , or even a human. Most living creatures all have a breaking point. Even though we try to use good sense, occasionally, our emotions get the best of us. Lesson: Best to not irritate.
As for the question of jealousy.. .If everyone isl spayed or neutered, you shouldn't have a problem. If the new female is a puppy, the first one will usually come to love it in time. Jealousy in the beginning is fairly normal, so it's always best to pet, feed, etc. the older one who might be jealous first. It's kind of like humans..you know when mom brings the new baby home and the older kid feels like it's not getting the same amount of attention. In time, it all works out. There's enough love to go around for everybody.
Love,
Ruffy ; 0)
Hey Ruffian:
WIZZER WIZZER WIZZER. Now did I get your undivided attention yet?
My human sis stumbled upon your page when she was looking for pictures of my ancestors including my great-grandpa Charlie/Playboy O'Peterpan. What a fine looking Westie just like myself! Did you ever play with Charlie? Was he as playful as I am with other dogs? Well actually, I prefer playing with big breeds. The bigger the better. I generally ignore toy breeds during my walks unless it's a cute looking poodle. And so I digressed.
Anyway, I'm my sis's first dog and she didn't have any expectations of what having a Westie is like. One of the things she noticed from looking at other Westies is that they all seem to have pink ears. I'm a black-eared puppy and my sis is wondering if that has anything to do with where my ancestors were from or is it something that has to do with my age. Will my ears turn pink when I'm older? I personally find myself quite good looking as it is and don't care either way but Sis is vain and would like to know. I'm a 11 months old pup, by the way.
Hope you'll have lots of Wizzer,
Much love coming my way from California,
Sammie (woof woof!)
Wassup Sammie?
Easy on the "Wizzer" words. Unless, of course, you are sending one...
Dark pigment is very desirable in a westie - those black ears, along with a black nose & dark eyes, make for a great expression with that white fur background. You'll notice that I have some beautiful black ears, too - that's why I am considered movie star handsome!
Oh...and Chuck was a great guy. We enjoyed hangin' (Of course, we did have a little sibling rivalry going once or twice...but whaddya gonna do?)
Thanks for the letter. Congrats on being 11 months, and on your approaching "adult" doghood. What do you think about life so far? Pretty wild trip being down here, huh? It's fun. Later, Sammie!
I am a Westie who came to live with my person last November; Barb Krotts raised me until then. I am 8 months old. I am beautiful, talented & very smart (that's what they tell me in the "finishing school" that I attend), and I have a great body. How to I break into show business (for the big bucks) or at least get a date with you?
Love and Kisses,
Carly Williams
Hi Carly,
Thanks for sending the "hot" picture. I like the way your white fur contrasts with your black nose. It's very unique. The best way to break into show business is to get some more pics taken, get an agent, and get yourself in front of the right people. Do what you love, and the big bucks will follow. That's what I heard a person say once. Having ambition is what separates the dogs from the puppies in this world. As for getting a date with me, send me your cell phone number in a private email and we'll talk. Or put me on your buddy list and I'll instant message you. WOOF!
I have a 4 1/2 month old Westie. Both of her ears were standing up for a couple of weeks, but now only one is. When will both of them stand up for good?
Addie Bjornsen
Hi Addie,
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, Addie. This past week was a busy one for me but things are finally settling down a bit. To answer your question about the ear, it will eventually stand up - You could try putting a bit of adhesive tape on it for a week or so. Or try playing the National Anthem. That could make the ear stand up just out of respect. If you have any more questions, I'm all ears! Aarf.
I RECENTLY OBTAINED A WESTIE AND WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE EARS. MY PUPPY HAS VERY LARGE EARS WHICH I THINK ARE ADORABLE. IN LOOKING AT THE INTERNET I FIND SOME DOGS WITH LARGE EARS AND SOME WITH VERY SMALL EARS. DO THEY HAVE THEM DOCKED?
Jay Carlson
HELLO JAY,
First of all, there's no reason to *SHOUT* I can hear ya just fine! When humans type in all capital letters, I assume they are yelling. Which brings me to your question about ears. The answer is "no," Westie ears are never docked. And if it's a well bred Westie, they will grow into their ears and they will not be BIG. Check out my ears. Now those are adorable! I was thinking about getting an earring. Whaddya think? WOOF!!!!
If you could play any part in a movie, what part would you play? In which movie?
Jordan Powell, Phoenix, AZ
Hi JP! I've been catchin' up on my movie watching. (I had to have my Mom rent several DVDs at Blockbuster so I could give you a good answer. It's called "research" or something. Woof!!)
To answer your question, hmmm...I think I would play Clint Eastwood's role in In The Line of Fire. In this movie, he gets the girl, gets to chase cars, and is the hero who saves the day. (I think this might be rated "R" because of bad language. Because I'm old enough, my Mom let me watch it.) I give this movie 4 paws. Here are my reviews of other movies I watched:
Wag the Dog. This one features one of my favorite actors–Robert Deniro. Very funny movie, but I didn't understand all of it. Plus there were no dogs in it, which I thought was confusing. 
The Shaggy Dog. Anything Disney puts out is fun. This is an oldie but goodie. And I like goodies. (Especially Beggin Strips...or Milk Bones!)
Cujo. This is one of those Stephen King scary movies. I don't like it when dogs are portrayed as mean. Mom says it's called "exploitation" or something like that. I told her it was only a movie and the dog was just an actor.
My Dog Skip. This made me sad. Cute dog in it. Don't watch it unless you want to have a good cry.
Monsters, Inc. I loved this movie. Fun for the whole family.
The Land Before Time. Another good movie. There were really big lizards in this one.
Thank you very much for your question. By the way, what is your favorite movie?
Hey Ruffian, hi! We are two Cavalier KCS (neutered, sigh...) boys who are very nice and easy to get along with. Mom wants a little girl Westie puppy so we can have a sister and she can have another girl in the house. We are a bit concerned that a Westie might try to take over our house and not let us be alphas. Do you think there is a Westie girl that could fit into our house? By the way, one of us also stands in the dishwasher to clean up the plates - mom calls him the pre-wash cycle!
Thanks!
Dear Whomever,
Thanks for the question. In the future, please sign your email and let me know what part of the country you are in. As for your fear that a girl will "take over the house" and not let you be "alphas"...what are you a couple of wimps? Having a lady in the house shouldn't be a threat to your masculinity. Most girls want to take over the house. That's their nature. You have to act like it's no big deal. Here's a thought though: Alpha means first in order of importance; "the alpha male in the group of chimpanzees"; "the alpha star in a constellation is the brightest or main star" etc. There are two of you writing this letter to me, but only one of you can be alpha. Have you discussed this and figured out which of you is the true "alpha?"
Question: I noticed your official name is “Toddcrest Balinbrae Ruffian.” What's up with that?
JK, Houston, TX
Answer: Well, JK, although everybody's got a first, middle, and last name, can you imagine if every time my mom called me to come in the house, she said “Here Toddcrest Balinbrae Ruffian!” Woof. My goodness, this would be embarrassing. The only time it is appropriate to use a complete name is if I've been bad or if I'm winning some award. For example: “TODDCREST BALINBRAE RUFFIAN YOU GET IN THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW.” Or, better yet, “Ladies and Gentleman of Westminster, we'd like to present ‘Toddcrest Balinbrae Ruffian.’” Woof Woof.
Question: How did you learn to do the dishes?
Bill S., Marmora, NJ
Answer: You know, it may appear that I'm “doing the dishes,” but in reality I'm just licking the plates. I mean, every dog enjoys table scraps. I'm just making sure that nothing goes to waste. When I was a puppy, my mom would talk about how you should never go to bed hungry or angry. (by the way, those are the only two words in English that end in GRY) By licking plates, I accomplish both--not hungry, and not angry. This prewashing actually helps conserve water, because you don't have to run the dishwasher twice. In the picture, you can see that I'm actually schooling a pup on the finer technique of prewashing.
I understand you have a thing for lizards, which you call "Wizzers". Can you tell me about it?
JB, Key West, FL
Answer: Well, when you live in the desert, your choice of playtoys is limited. Mom found these plastic lizards at a store somewhere in Phoenix. They are the closet thing to real lizards that I've seen. It must be something is wired wrong in my brain. None of the other dogs here seem to have an interest in plastic lizards. But they drive me bonkers. I can't get enough of them. If you know of a good source, please email me as soon as possible: Ruffian@BalinbraeWesties.com
What's the deal with Movie Dog school?
TC, Los Angeles
Answer: In 1999, my mom thought I was so good looking that maybe I could be a star. These huge salaries actors make these days… imagine all the wizzers I could buy. Anyway, I trained for a few weeks. Learned some cool stunts. Then I auditioned for a role. I didn't get the part. But, hey, that's how it goes in the movie biz. There's a lot of rejection. You get used to it. But you stay in the game. That's the secret of life. Because eventually, something wonderful happens, you get the part, a new wizzer arrives, you dig up something interesting. You have fun and don't expect anything and everything eventually falls into place. Every dog has his day. Woof. Top
Please send your questions to Ruffian@BalinbraeWesties.com. Now I'm off to see the Wizzer. The Wonderful Wizzer of Oz.
