How to Groom a Westiepoo

Westiepoos are what is known as a designer dog breed: They are a cross between two breeds, the West Highland terrier (Westie) and the miniature poodle. The Westie is white and has a medium-length two-layered coat, an undercoat that is soft and short, and an overcoat that is long and wiry. Show dogs are not clipped; their coat is stripped rather than clipped. The miniature poodle has a thicker, longer curly and wiry coat that does not shed. Poodles are clipped in a variety of styles. Westiepoos can have either type of coat, and their coats should be groomed accordingly.

Bathe the dog with a gentle shampoo. Use conditioner lightly. Too much conditioner will make the coat heavy and difficult to clip. Brush the hair outward to stand out away from the skin while blow drying.

Hand strip gently but thoroughly with a stripping tool, a brush with metal teeth. Brushing the dog by hand with the tool will remove all the dead hair. Use a stripping blade on your clippers if you prefer. Finish off by trimming any stray long hairs with scissors. If your Westiepoo is close in appearance and coat type to a Westie, this may be all that is needed to groom and maintain its coat.

Clip the coat in a "Westie cut." If your dog has long hair, use a No. 5 blade to clip the back short. Blend the short hair into a "skirt," which should be three-quarters of the leg length and tapered upward toward the back legs. Clip the tail short so that it resembles a carrot. Leave the leg hair long, and trim the head with the scissors to create a rounded look without making it too short.

Use the "puppy" clip if your dog resembles a poodle. This is the simplest poodle cut. Use a No. 3 blade for a longer coat in winter or a No. 5 blade in summer, and clip the coat evenly all over. Switch to a No. 15 blade for the legs, tail and genital area, and graduate the cut from the longer body hair to the shorter hair. Cut the hair on the head with the scissors in a rounded style, a little shorter than you would for a Westie cut.