HELP!! Puppy trying to chase cars. Enough is enough

[nessiemac]

Guys,

I'm at my wits end at the moment with my puppy pulling on the lead but more importantly trying to chase very bloody car that he sees driving past.

Mack is a 6 month old (today!) border collie who we have had since 9 weeks. We are going through the usual puppy stuff at the moment, chewing everything, swallowing socks.... and normal crazy puppy behaviour!

House trained since day one, sleeps all night, eats well and take him to the park or woods and off the lead he is fantastic. Recalls great, never runs away and better than some fully grown dogs i see. But getting there is a different story......

Since the first walk a few months ago he has pulled on the lead. We had puppy classes and read loads and have tried the stopping when pulling thing since day one. Turning around in the opposite direction, taking his favourite ball to distract him, treats, everything but here we are and he still does it but much stronger now.

We had a trainer come to the house for the last 6 weeks who has showed us some great techniques in the house but she can't get him to behave like her 2 collies.

I bought a Halti collar and have been using that with a Halti double ended lead and that improved things quite considerably until recently as he now just holds his head straight ahead and pulls hard anyway.

But, it's the cars. Every car driving past he is desperate to get!! Up on his back legs, straining at the lead, scrabbling on the floor. Walking in one direction and hears a car behind and he spins round nearly knocking you over. Just awful and now it's got to the point where my wife is afraid to walk him in case he gets away and nothing but nothing would stop him.

Now when is sitting at the side and cars go past he is not too bad but as soon as you move away he goes. As i said he is only 6 months but he is bloody strong and it's just getting so dangerous.

Help me please.......!

[otolith]

Parker used to do this - I started sitting on a bench near the road and getting his attention with a treat whenever a car was coming, and then treating him on the lead when he ignored cars, and then he just seemed to lose interest in them.

[bexVN]

Collies and Jack Russell's notorious for this kind of obsessive behaviours and it is not easy to get them out of it.

It may be worth seeking a different behaviourist and poss even looking into medication as a combined treatment butvthat will need a vet to assess and decide.

Where are you based?

[nessiemac]

I am in Camberley in Surrey.

I have taken him to the main road and sat in a bus stop but when he stops he will lie or sit down and he's not that bothered as such but as soon as you move.....he's off!!

Butter wouldn't melt eh?

Edited by nessiemac on Thursday 19th March 18:59

[bexVN]

Farm collies are renowned for car chasing. The problem is as they see it they chase/bark at the car and it goes away!! They don't know that the car will go away whether they bark/chase or not! (lead pulling also a real collie behaviour, they are far better off lead usually!!)

I know of an excellent dog trainer etc (ex police dog handler) but he is Devon based. I could always ask if he travels if you want. If I ask really nicely he may offer online advice.


ETA I have messaged him to see if he is happy to offer a bit of online advice, no promises though.

Edited by bexVN on Thursday 19th March 19:32

[ReaderScars]

You might not like the sound of this method but a few years ago a TV presenter was asking a farmer how he trained dogs not to go after cars.

At puppy age he would grasp the dog, make aggressive growling noises and hold it near or thrust it towards a vehicle exhaust pipe as the engine was running but stationary.

He said it worked for him with all his dogs, the combination of the movements, the fumes and the aggressive noises got the message across to the dogs that cars were not to be fked with - but he had them all from pups, so don't know if it would work with an older one.

[nessiemac]

Thanks all for advice, hopefully find something that will help as the situation is pretty dangerous at the moment and not good for puppy or the family!

[nessiemac]

bexVN said:

Farm collies are renowned for car chasing. The problem is as they see it they chase/bark at the car and it goes away!! They don't know that the car will go away whether they bark/chase or not! (lead pulling also a real collie behaviour, they are far better off lead usually!!)

I know of an excellent dog trainer etc (ex police dog handler) but he is Devon based. I could always ask if he travels if you want. If I ask really nicely he may offer online advice.


ETA I have messaged him to see if he is happy to offer a bit of online advice, no promises though.

Edited by bexVN on Thursday 19th March 19:32

Thanks very much Becky. I have replied to your email.

[Andy Zarse]

This behaviour is hardwired into the breed; some are wired harder than others though. It's important to nip it in the bud NOW so hats off to you for your efforts. Don't give up or you'll spend the next decade despairing. Something will work, so do not give up.

Re the pulling on the lead, every time he pulls, make him stop and sit and wait for the command to move. Then move away... rinse and repeat about a million times! It works eventually even if it's deeply deeply tedious.

Keep us posted over the coming weeks!

[Spiffing]

My old collie used to do this as a puppy. I spent ages just getting him bored with cars. At first I used to go to roads which had no traffic on and get friends to drive past me very slowly, if they saw the dog lunge they stopped the car. Gradually they built up the speed until they were doing a normal speed for that road. You have to make yourself more interesting and fun than your environment. It took a lot of work and I looked like a right weirdo, but he was safe. After my first dog got killed by being hit by a car (Dad walked it off lead, and he chased a cat) I did everything to ensure it wouldn't happen to him.