How to Train your Dog

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Bad Habits - Chasing Cars

Changing times affect all living creatures, and the day when the family dog could sun himself safely on the road, only moving home for meals, and lazily turning over to scratch himself, has gone. The road is no longer a safe place for any unescorted dog.

The experienced stray is altogether too car conscious in the wrong way, whilst the pet that has slipped out by mistake is ignorant of the dangers. Both can cause terrible damage to life and property.

The best cure is not to let it happen. Make sure that your dog is never on the street unless walking properly on a lead.

There is no certain cure for car chasing, but here are two methods which have had a certain amount of success.

Find a quiet street where there is little or no traffic. Have a friend drive a car slowly past the dog which, while not strictly controlled, is partly so by a long cord or leash. This is in case he decides to shoot through after getting the treatment. A second friend should sit in the back seat of the car, the window right down, and armed with a bucket of water containing a very mild solution of ammonia. He should throw this in the dog's face if he attempts to rush the car. It will sting without harming the dog, and may act as a deterrent.

The second method calls for careful preparation. Provide yourself with a long lead strong enough to hold your dog when travelling at full speed. The lead should be carefully measured so that when fully extended the dog will still be a foot or so short of the pavement edge. Attach one end to the dog's training collar and coil the rest loosely by his side. (If he is a big dog give the lead a couple of turns around a gatepost or other solid object to save your hands.)

Once again, get a friend to drive the car close to the pavement at a reasonable speed, and when the dog flies out wait until he is nearly at the car, then command him 'NO', and at the same time pull back on the lead with all the strength required to control a dog of his size. If he goes head over heels, all the better. This will do far less harm than being hit by a car.

The two things to watch out for with this lesson are that the lead is too short to reach the car, but is long enough for the dog to get close to it, and that you yourself are strong enough to jerk him back when he is travelling at speed. Surprise, and reaction to results should do the rest.