We have all seen dogs chasing after everything that seems to be moving- our own dog, on yourtube, memes. Be it a car or another pet; the dog does not seem to resist. Some dogs will lie low in a ditch until they see a car approaching. Afterward, they hop and start chasing after the car until the car disappears or the dog gets tired. In the process, such dogs get injured or killed during the chase. In addition to this, the car owners may cause accidents on the roads as they swerve to the wrong side to avoid hitting the dogs. In the process, other road users get injured or lose a life.
The chasing behaviour is a dangerous game to the dog, owner, and the road users. However, the dog thinks that it is a fun game. As a pet owner, you should take professional steps to stop your dog from this dangerous game. If this is a common hobby for your dog, visit a specialist since the behavior is hard to stop. Always stop the action as soon as they show their first chasing signs. These tips will help you on how to engage your dog in the training process.
Use treats to redirect attention when a car passes.
As we walk the dogs, we may notice that it stops to look at a passing vehicle. When such a thing happens, never give the dog the satisfaction to watch the car to the end of the road. Always call the dog by its name and capture the dog’s attention to your direction. Always praise the dog and pamper it with snacks or toys. When you make this a daily routine, the dog will always look at you whenever a car passes expecting treats from its master. By so doing, you will have prevented this behaviour before it even starts.
Keep your dog inside a fenced area
Some dogs chase cars or other moving things while still in their cages. Some dogs will climb up against the fence or bark fiercely whenever they see cars, pets or even skateboards. This is a sign that such a dog is capable of running after such things whenever it gets loose from its cage. To prevent this, you could use tarps on your wall to prevent your dog from seeing traffic on the other side of the fence. This will suppress the chasing behaviour in your dog. However, your dog should remain busy behind those walls by having some exercises and enrichment.
Correct your dog
The best way to bring up a young one, even the human child, is correcting them whenever they do something wrong. This is because the child will grow up knowing that they got punished for doing something specific. As an obedient child, they will always remember the punishment before they repeat the mistake. This is the same case with your dog whenever they chase after moving objects.
When your dog begins the chase, always run after it, and make use of your voice to correct him. Make him understand that he made a mistake by chasing the car or the cat. Once you get home, show it no emotions to let it know that the situation was severe. You could decide to leave it in a closed room alone, or back into its kennel. When he repeats the chase, let it stay alone until it learns that it is bad behavior. A great way to practice this recall is in your local dog park! Remember to keep moving around and have ample high value treats so that your pup can’t wait to be called over by you!
Basic obedience training
As a dog owner, take it upon yourself to have your dog trained at an early age. You can have your dog trained at a professional training center either as a group or individually. Use basic communication signs to let your dog understand. Some simple terms such as, ‘come here’ and ‘stop’, are easy for a dog to understand. In case this does not seem to work, you could use a dog leash to restrain a dog from moving a step further whenever it is aroused to chase. To make the dog gets less confined to you; you can get the best retractable dog leash at authentic dogs. With this, you can regulate the dog’s movement.
Conclusion
Owning a dog with a chasing behaviour is very stressful. You are always worried that the dog might hurt or get hurt in the process. However, you can still tame your dog to distance yourself from such behaviours. With the above tips, you will always be comfortable with your dog being amongst your other pets such as cats.
This guest post was submitted by Alex Merashi. To be a guest blogger, please email cynthia@Newyorkdognanny.com.
