Dog Obedience Training - Stop Your Dog Chasing Cars

Many dog and puppy owners are faced with the problem of a pooch that just cant resist chasing cars. Although this problem can be fixed it is a deep rooted psychological urge that all dogs are born with. Many centuries ago when dogs lived within a pack environment they were genetically predisposed to stalking, chasing and killing their prey. Of course this had its dangers but the ultimate reward was worth the risk - however the reward for running after a car is not only extremely dangerous it is life threatening - consequently we have given some of the reasons why your pooch may exhibit this behavior and what you can do to cure it.

As previously mentioned wild dogs many centuries ago would chase after and kill their prey. This 'chasing' instinct has been passed down through the centuries to the domestic dog. Many people use some of the following dog obedience training techniques to stop their pooch running after cars (or anything else for that matter). We are not saying the techniques are wrong or right we are simply highlighting them...

1. Socializing your dog o puppy with cars by getting a friend to drive around the neighborhood - keeping your pooch attached to a leash so that he cant chase the vehicle - reward and praise when your dog is quiet.
2. Use negative reinforcement techniques (we don't advocate them we are only saying that some people use them). The use of a water spray when your dog chases after the car or a shake of a tin filled with stones may distract your dog for long enough.
3. Use constant training to reinforce your position as pack leader and then use the sit command when you see your pooch about to misbehave.
4. Exercise is always a good method to use - a well exercised pet will often not have the energy to chase after cars or other things.

Dog Obedience Training Techniques that we Recommend.

1. Learn to understand the psychological attachment that a dog has with chasing cars. This is called internal reinforcement - dogs love to run after things - they get a reward from the endorphins that a created when they start the chase. The more endorphins that are released the more your pooch not only wants to run after cars but actually needs to perform this behavior. Basically the urge to run after a car, jogger, horse, cow, bike etc is stronger than the urge your dog has to behave according to your ideals. Imagine if you were asked to stop an activity that you really enjoyed doing - would you stop it? I doubt it! So you need to learn how to control the behavior.
2. If your dog is chasing after specific triggers - walk your pooch elsewhere - remove the temptation - prevention is easier than cure.
3. Divert your dogs attention to a new chase - keep your dog somewhere quiet and start using a toy as the trigger. Hide the toy after play-time so that the toy becomes your dog's focus of attention rather than the cars - a long as your dog's urge is satisfied it doesn't matter what he chases as long as he chases something i.e. the toy!
4. Star teaching your dog to retrieve objects - use a command such as 'Fetch Toy' and hold it up and show it to your dog - put it behind your back and then throw it - the more your dog gets used to this play-time the less he will be focused on running after the odd car, bike or jogger!

Tobias Charles writes on all aspects of dog obedience training, puppy training and dog health care. For more information visit his website for the best dog obedience training tips, health care advice and recipes for homemade dog foods for more great tips and information.

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