# can you break a dog from chasing tires



## Southpaw (Jan 2, 2003)

we live rural but do have occasional traffic and our 5 year old terrier mix dog will chase pickups, etc. I am worried for him. How can we break him from this habit? Tia


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

SP, it is a built in instinct to chase moving things, I am afraid. in some dogs, it is more instictual than others; add a headstrong personality that is not afraid of big objects to the mix and you have a recipe for a tragedy. It isn't as important to break the habit as it is to keep the pup safe from any opportunity to do it. If I were you and a fenced in yard isn't an option, and calling him back once he starts towards the cars is impossible, I would price an invisible fence or a zap collar. You MUST protect the pup from his own instinctive stupidity. Tying him out is another thought, though one most of us don't like to consider. He simply can't be left with access to the road or something awful WILL happen; it isn't if, it is when.  I have a chow, instinctive runner, and I can't break that out of him, so I know how you feel.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

It's a tough one.
My dog learned it from his brother, (lives right across from us) who learned it from the little dog he lived with - who was hit and killed a couple of months ago. Dead end dirt road, it just takes one car.

I chose fencing, since it needed done anyway. Problem solved.
Otherwise, I have an e-collar. Which WILL NOT WORK unless you do it right!!!
By the time the dog is chasing, it is *too late*. A correction then will do more harm then good. 

The ONLY time to correct, is just before the dog starts to chase. When his head turns to the sound of the car, when his ears prick - that is the time, the only time, it will work.
You can keep the dog on a leash and correct it at the same time. Immediately after correcting, tell the dog what you want it to do, then praise it. Make it his job to come to you and sit when he hears a car, don't leave him hanging with one wrong answer and no right ones.

Please, please, please do not get an invisible fence. It will NOT stop a dog in chase mode, it just won't. What will happen is the dog will be so excited about the chase that it will run right through and not even get or feel the shock until it is across. There is not the same level of adrenaline and excitement to get them home - they are then penned out. You don't want your dog to be shocked out of it's own yard. I have personally known dogs killed that way.

Some people have had success with "booby trapping" cars. This is where you arm someone in the back seat with a bucket of water to dump on him or something. I never have. It's impossible to get people to time it right and even though it's not the driver doing it, I don't know why but the person driving will nearly always swerve - I don't want any swerving cars by my dog!
Not to mention, dogs can identify an individual vehicle by it's sound.
When Deacon first started chasing cars, I'd scold him. Which made DD think she could scream at him if I wasn't outside - but she'd do it while he was already running. A neighbor, seeing this and trying to be helpful, decided that every time they drove past my house, they'd slow down and yell at the dog and slap the side of the car.
Guess which car ALL of my dogs get excited about and want to chase when they can hear it slow down to start to turn onto our road, nearly a half mile away?
Yup, they are all waiting for it at the corner of the fence.
If they hear it pull out of their own driveway, they race down to the other corner of the fence.
So I, personally, wouldn't enlist any help.
My favorite solution is still fencing.


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## machinistmike (Oct 16, 2011)

get yourself an electric shock collar. They are pricey but when you think about the vet bills and possibly the cost of fixing the damage done to the persons vehicle, the collar is a pretty cheap alternative. Some people might scream the collars are mean and inhumane but I would rather see my dog get a couple corrective zaps than see it splattered on the road.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

machinistmike said:


> get yourself an electric shock collar. They are pricey but when you think about the vet bills and possibly the cost of fixing the damage done to the persons vehicle, the collar is a pretty cheap alternative. Some people might scream the collars are mean and inhumane but I would rather see my dog get a couple corrective zaps than see it splattered on the road.


This. I have one that I have used on my LGD to teach him not to pounce on the goats. I've also broken my house dog from counter surfing with it. It doesn't take much power (at least it hasn't on mine) and not many times till they figure out that it just feels better not to do those behaviors.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

Shock collars are awesome if used correctly. I broke one of my LGD pups from chasing sheep with just two little zaps.


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## lauriej57 (Nov 20, 2008)

Chasing cars is why I went to shock collars. 

The bigger, the louder, the more Buster liked to chase them! I swear he heard them a mile away, ears would perk up, then just at the right moment, at least to him, he was on it. 

Other than chasing cars, he was wonderful, never left the yard, behaved well, listened to commands. No stopping him once he decided the chase was on.

The collars we bought, (we bought a pair) had 10 levels, plus a warning beep. We read the directions, we watched the video. The first time, it took level 10 to stop him, he had no clue where the shock came from and came running home. By the third time we were down to level 3, a few times later, only the warning beep. Then we never had to shock again to stop him. 

Fencing was not an option, cost wise. It was either he was going to get hit, or cause an accident, keep him tied, or do something. 

They do not work for all dogs. We did care for a deceased friends terrier for a year, and boy she liked to chase the chickens and whatever else she could find to chase. One low zap, with the collar that was to big on her, and she was almost cured. If she started chasing again, I put a heavier puppy collar on her, and she thought she had the shock collar on, and she was the perfect lady.

My boxer shepherd mix is scared to death of it. If she even she's the collar or the remote, she's done in, she won't even go outside. She was only zapped one time, on number one. 

My 2 year old boxer, luckily he's mostly well behaved because it doesn't matter how high he is zapped, when is adrenalin is flowing, it doesn't phase him.

If they don't react well do it, like my boxer/shepherd, then you don't use it. 

Overall, training is the best thing. But when it comes to chasing cars, something has to be done. If you have the time, and patience, the best thing would be to tie them on a long lead, wait for a car to come by, then hold them back when he tries to run.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I used a shock collar to stop Boris from chasing my truck as I leave the property. I was on my way to work one day...happened to look in the rear view mirror, and there was Boris! Running down the center of the hwy trying to catch up with me! Eee-gads!

ETA: I haven't posted a pic of Boris (without Rocky) in a while! He is such a great dog


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

A terrier with five years behind him of chasing cars is not going to be easy. If you want to use the shock collar, practice with it first. When you are ready, put a harness on him and a really long line (drapery cord works well- hardware store). Clip the cord on the harness, put a cord loop around a pole, wear gloves. Let your dog pull out the loop to a comfortable spot. Your helper then drives by. Zap at the appropriate second, the cord is to stop the dog if the zap doesn't. Don't yell at the dog when you do this. Using the el collar is a specific training method in itself. If you wish to put the _stop chasing car_ on a cue, then use the cue (behave) when he alerts, before you zap.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

We have three dogs, all will go towards the rare car that travels our front road....with one command, two will freeze. The other little Pug is just scooped up by our son. We have been able to train two of ours to stop at our command so they do, even with cars. The other guy, well he is scooped up to protect him. Some dogs will never stop until tragedy strikes. Best to figure out a way of restraining the dog if voice commands fail or a corrective collar may be of some use.


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## Patrick (Sep 13, 2011)

Southpaw said:


> we live rural but do have occasional traffic and our 5 year old terrier mix dog will chase pickups, etc. I am worried for him. How can we break him from this habit? Tia


They have this thing. It works every time. It's called a leash.


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## Shygal (May 26, 2003)

No it doesn't. My Joe was on a leash when he pulled suddenly and it went flying out of my daughters hand, and he ran straight into the road and was killed.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Had leashes break too. No reason for such a snippy reply either, people discount your opinion instantly.


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## Rock (Jan 5, 2009)

Certain dogs have a higher pain threshold than other (could be inter changed with the work stubborn. I have seen some APBT & ABD not only ignore the pain, but use it to fuel their intensity. 
First I suggest you put the shock collar against your neck so you know what it feels like_ (Yes I have done it, it hurts and I still use it in certain situations)_
Then decide if it is what you want to use.
*Here is another way*, get an experinced motorcycle rider. Have them come past and let the dog take after them. The rider goes slow enough to be just out of reach of the dog (dog may chase for a couple miles), after the dog comes draggin butt home. Next day do it again, it dont take many of these before the dog wises up, the dog will run out towards the road, then just stop "He knows that game and aint playin"_ (Also saves from $400-$800 dollars from buying the very best shock collars with mile plus range)_


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