If you have a dog that likes to chase cars, bikes, buses and squirrels (or any other animal) youre probably exasperated and desperate for information on how to stop dogs chasing things.
Nothing is worse than walking your dog on a leash, when suddenly he yanks away from you to chase after a bird, a jogger, or a bicyclist.
Watching a dog chase something like a ball, is fascinating. However, the danger lies in your dog bolting after a city bus. What's worse is that your dog doesn't come back when you call him. Luckily you can correct this undesirable, naughty behavior.
Unless your dog is 100% trained to come when called, keep him on a leash when you go outside on walks at all times. Using a leash will give you control over your dog if he sees something he'd like to chase. Leash training is the perfect remedy for a dog who won't stop chasing things.
Get The Proper Training Leash
The leash and collar you use to train your dog will be two of the most important tools you'll use in successfully training your dog. Because of its pliability, leather is an excellent material to look for when buying a dog leash. Leather allows you to give a sharper correction, is easier on your hands, and easier on the dog. Professional dog trainers recommend buying a 3/8 to 1/2 inch wide, 6 foot leather leash.
Use The Right Training Collar
In order to get your dog to obey, you need the right collar. A pinch collar works best. The pinch collar looks sinister with all its spikes, but these are not actually spikes. People think the pinch collar is cruel to use because it hurts the dog. The spikes don't dig into your dogs neck, so won't hurt him.
How The Pinch Collar Works
The pinch collar is made to replicate the way the mother dog corrects her puppies or how an alpha dog corrects a subordinate dog in the pack by giving a sharp nip in the neck. Sometimes the correction is given on the ear, muzzle or flank - usually it's on the neck.
Pinch Collars Versus Choke Collars
In actuality, the pinch collar is the best collar to use because when you give the dog a motivational correction when he tries to chase something, the pinching sensation is enough to stop him dead in his tracks.
However, with nylon and choke collars, you actually have to pull and pull and apply more pressure to the dog's neck which can hurt the dogs trachea.
Also, choke collars focus on one area of the dogs neck. It also irritates the dogs skin and can result in hair loss in that one spot. The pinch collar, however, gives motivational correction equally distributed around the whole neck.
So it's better to give a quick sharp correction by slightly pulling the pinch collar and having your dog obey immediately, than to have to repeatedly yank his nylon collar because it doesn't correct him at all.
Refocus Your Dogs Attention
Another way to stop dogs chasing things is to learn techniques that will refocus their attention when they see something they would usually run after.
For example, say your dogs name clearly and loudly as soon as you see them looking at a person, car, or other dog.
When your dog turns to you, give him a treat as a reward for ignoring the stimuli. Repeat this frequently while you're outside, and you'll soon see results.
Distract Him With Toys
Distracting dogs with toys can also be a useful trick to stop dogs chasing after things. Choose a toy that's safe to chew, and take it out with you when you go to the dog park. When you notice something that your dog wants to chase, show your dog the toy and throw it a short distance away in the opposite direction.
Your dog should hopefully be more interested in the toy and go after that instead. Reward your dog with a treat for running after the toy. Do this enough to divert your dog’s attention, and he will eventually lose the urge to chase things.
Spray Water In His Face
If your dog has a particular problem with chasing people, why not get a friend to help you out? Give your friend a water pistol and get her to run or cycle past your dog. If your dog tries to chase her, your friend should squirt your dog with the water pistol.
Your dog will not like this and stop. This kind of trick will soon have your dog thinking twice before chasing people in the future.
