As a dog owner, it is your responsibility to find out which Westie training strategy works best for your dog. Whether it’s solving problems related to his Westie or introducing him to new fun tricks, Westie training is the way to go. Having this breed with a distinctive white coat as part of the family can be life changing: a friend, travel companion, watchdog and playmate all in one package. Possessing a reputation for chasing (particularly cats) for fun, it wouldn’t be surprising if one day you saw your precious dog running after a speeding car.
But even if you seem to be enjoying the behavior, it is of the utmost importance that you stop doing it for the sake of your safety. And since you can’t literally tell him what he’s supposed to do, all you need to do is start Westie training.
To begin training, you will naturally need to take your Westie out into the yard. Be sure to tie a 35-foot rope to his training collar. Let him circle the yard, but stay close to the end of the rope so it’s easy to pick him up when the time comes. Just stay calm and act like nothing is happening. As soon as a vehicle approaches, watch for him to start barking and take the end of the line the moment you notice his attention is fully on the vehicle. When he’s about to do so, pull the rope as hard as you can to surprise him and interrupt him from his current setup. If the strategy doesn’t seem to affect your pet’s behavior, another method you can try is to ask someone, a friend or family member, to drive by. Tell your friend that as soon as Whitey starts chasing the car, he should throw water balloons or soda/tin cans (with about ten coins inside) at the dog. This is not meant to hurt his pet but to scare him away so he won’t chase cars anymore. You can also resort to using an above ground or underground electric fence to prevent your dog from chasing what he is not supposed to chase.
While others find the above strategies effective, still nothing bets on Westie training for obedience. Training his dog to reliably obey commands like stay, sit, sit, and wait may not help him with this problem. However, he must be constantly attentive to be able to give the appropriate order; otherwise, he will have to experience the terror of seeing his furry friend chasing a car or other vehicle that he passes.