Tired of your dog bolting behind any car that drives by? It’s vital to stop a dog from chasing cars for a number of reasons, starting with the incredibly real danger to the dog. A moving car can lead a dog to situations that can be extremely dangerous to their health. Not only that, but if you don’t stop your dog from chasing cars, it can be incredibly difficult to have a nice, calm walk. So, instead of simply keeping them tied up all the time, you should learn to stop a dog from chasing cars before it becomes a major issue.
The Basic Retraining Methods
If your dog has severe chasing problems, the primary thing you should do is some basic retraining. In numerous cases, if the fixation is not too intense, the retraining will help to decrease the negative behaviours. The leash should be your best friend in these instances, providing a controlled, easy technique to keep your dog secure while you train them.
Focusing on You - To begin with, make sure your dog learns to keep its attention focused on you. This is a big one that many people avoid. You’ll require to have established a solid alpha leadership control of the dog to stop a dog from chasing cars in this technique. Then, when you are walking, make certain your dog is constantly looking at you before you start moving. Don’t allow the dog to walk unless its attention is directly focused on you.
Leash Training - If your dog likes to pull on the leash and will not focus on you, it might take a bit more time to teach them the right path. To begin with, make them sit and wait for you whenever you begin moving. If they pull at all, stop and make them sit beside you. Soon, they will connect the sensation of pulling against the leash with stopping.
Distraction - To stop a dog from chasing cars off a leash, you can use a gadget to distract the dog. Many times, if your dog is about to get fixated and go after cars, you can shift their concentration to a toy or other object that they are equally excited about. Throw it out and they will chase after it as an alternative.
Aversion - You can also have a friend help you out. Have them drive by and simulate whatever stimulates the dog’s desire to chase. To stop a dog from chasing cars here, have the friend stop, firmly say “no” and spray them with a water bottle. For many dogs this will teach them that catching the thing they are chasing is NOT a good thing. A note - this does not work for all dogs. Some will just grow angry at the water bottle.
Avoiding Extreme Measures
Many people will turn to extreme measures to stop a dog from chasing cars - using electric fences, shock collars, or other measures to keep a dog in line. These are not good for a number of reasons. They’re inhumane to start with, and they’re not always effective. If your dog truly will not stop their chasing behaviour, consider bringing in an expert to help out.