As dog owners, we are left with the necessary task of finding a way to educate our pet to let it know that chasing cars and bicycles, however thrilling, simply will not be tolerated.
Because we cannot appeal to our pet’s intellect and discuss the problem of car chasing, we must ensure that each and every instance of chasing culminates in a displeasing (and very humiliating) experience for the dog.
No two dogs are alike in personality and temperament; neither can there be just a single method to accomplish educational lessons for all dogs. Your dog may respond to one particular method and get the message quickly, or you may have to use a combination of several methods, with the schooling taking up to four days. This is because it takes the average dog approximately four to five days to learn one thing.
Consistency is the key and it doesn’t mean selecting one method and sticking to it. Consistency is desired so that each instance of car chasing culminates in an unpleasant consequence, which the dog must be able to relate to its action of chasing the car.
You can’t run out the door, after the fact, or even during the actual chasing, call your dog to you and beat it senseless and expect them to learn anything. If that type of action resulted in learning, it would learn that your command “come” means getting beaten. The dog must be able to relate the consequences to the act of car chasing and nothing else!
Tackling this problem will require time, effort and perhaps some creativity on your part. If you truly love your dog and are concerned for its safety, the safety of others and your personal liability, you’ll devote the next four to five days convincing your dog that car chasing will always end with unpleasant consequences.
Day 1
Tie a length of clothesline rope to your dog’s standard slip-chain training collar. About 35 feet of line will do just fine. Allow the dog to drag the line around the yard. Position yourself close to the end of the dragging line and wait for your “opportunity”.
Act relaxed, but keep one eye on the dog and the other on the end of that line. Do not give any attention to your dog when an automobile approaches, watch for the moment it starts its barking charge. You want your dog’s attention focused entirely on the car during that specific moment.
When that moment has arrived, pick up the end of the line and jerk it as hard as you can, giving it everything you’ve got. This jerk should put a shock into your dog as it is stopped in mid-air. Pull the line and when your dog is at your feet, give the animal an abrupt shaking, enough to give it the message. Verbally shock it as well, with loud, angry words, showing your complete and total displeasure.
The foregoing procedure must be fast accomplished. Remember, the dog must be able to relate this displeasing series of events with its act of chasing the car. If you’re too slow to jerk the line, then the dog’s mind will sidetrack to something else. Just as the timing of the pull is important, so is the importance of your verbal assault, ensuring that it knows you are unhappy with its decision to chase the car.
Read Part 2: How To Stop Your Dog Chasing Cars Part 2
Read Part 3: How To Stop Your Dog Chasing Cars Part 3
Dog Care and Training for Beginners
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