HELP!!! This 8 mth old Lab/Border Collie mix of mine just will NOT stop trying to chase cars. I live on a dead end street thank goodness, so not that many cars come down the road. But, even with the few that do, he nearly pulls my arms out. I have him on the leash and have tried EVERYTHING I know to try. He still wants to pull and try to chase them. He weighs a ton, to me, and I have to ground myself when a car does come by and even then he pulls me forward. It takes all I have not to go with him. Any suggestions?

He needs some thing else to chase for most of the day like say sheep or geese.

That be the collie in him.

I appreciate that. I have thought the same thing, but nothing much here to chase, lol. Odd, Chase is his name. One thing that doesn't help I know is my inability to get out and really run him, let him play, get it out of his system. I'm doing what I can in that area and feel I'm cheating the dog big time. I do what I can though and push myself to give him the exercise he needs.

I am trying to give him some freedom off leash, but being his young age, he still tries me and tests me in that area at times also. So I'm a little afraid he'll get too far out of reach or away and it come to an all out chase. So far though he's done pretty good about coming back, just not always when I call him, lol.

T'is a habit that you don't need me to tell you needs stopping asap!

My youngest developed the same problem when she were about the same age as your dog - and for us it was dead easy to curb! Infact we managed it in a couple of afternoons!

We were at the coast at the time, and the roads were quite busy. I took milly out on her own along a busyish road! every car that passed she was barking and lungeing at! obviously trying to kill! I waslked up and down that strtch of road wtih the traffic coming towards us, as a car approached I would make her sit and hold a treat in front of er initially - guess you call it diversion tactics, as the afternoon went on I was asking her to sit, telling her to leave (as the cars approached) then giving her a treat immediately after then had passed! Took us a couple of afternoons in which time we completely cracked it!
DT

I tried the "sit" command also. Believe it or not it started working after awhile. But then he got "selective hearing" and would listen and sit, then next time, the lunging. I kept at it, wouldn't give up and neither would he, lol. It seems to be a battle of wits with him.

Not a battle of wits (or a battle of wills) he simply needs more motivation. What do you reward him with when he sits?

This is the tactic I've used to avoid the desire to chase developing. I use "Ignore!" on things that tend to get special attention, frightening things as well as ersatz prey. Very quickly the habit to look back at me for a reward was conditioned. I can also distract with a well liked toy.

As this is now a habit and likely self rewarding, I suspect the OP might have more luck beginning further away from the road in park or set back on a verge say, where the cars are less riveting, and your reward relatively higher value. Then gradually get closer, till finally you can walk comfortably in your own street.

Thinking about this, having the dog sit, doesn't really reduce the time it has to anticipate the car. I try to keep my pups mind busy on something else, and then show him the "bandit" as late as possible.

Just to broaden! I as not emphasizing the sit but the leave! it was the leave that was rewarded. I would keep saying 'leave' until the vehicle had passed, during this this time you need to have the dog focus on you, a high value treat did the trick ith mine - Also - as you say you live in a cul - de - sac I would not initially try this there - but on a road that he is not used to.

This is EXACTLY what i did with Alfie and as you say DT with in a couple of days, CRACKED IT, even now if a bus or hgv comes a bit close i will make him sit and watch me command, also the fresh roasted garlic chicken helps

suex

Collies are born chasers so if your dog has collie in him then this is exactly what he wants to do - 24/7.

Cars, bikes, birds, cats, rabbits, balls, paper blowing in the wind are all fair game as they all move and therefore they need to be chased.

The desire to chase is there in the dog all of the time, you can't stop it, just redirect it onto suitable objects to chase.

Teach a collie how to play fetch and you have a game, a treat, a form of control and the most desirable thing in the world to a collie. You can start in the home with just a ball whilst you are sat watching the tv.

You will need:

A ball or toy equivalent.
Treats - these can be little bits of food or the toy itself.

The command to give for every stage is the word you want to use or you can just reward the action itself until the dog gets it. This is best done indoors without distractions to begin with until the dog is an expert.

1). Command. Dog sniffs the object to retrieve. Reward.

2). Command. Dog takes the object from your hand. Reward given.

3). Command. Object dropped and dog sniffs it. Reward given.

4). Command. Object dropped and dog picks it up. Reward given.

5). Command. Object thrown 1m away. Dog sniffs and you move towards dog. Reward given.

6). Command. Object thrown 1m away. Dog picks object up you move towards the dog. Reward given.

7). Command. Object thrown 1m away. Dog picks up the ball and comes to you for treat. Reward given.

8). Command. Distance increased.

9). Job done.

Depending how much the dog learns from each step depends on how fast the learning snowball effect will be. After the command you must wait for the dog to work it out though as this gets the snowball rolling a lot quicker.

Move it into the garden if you have one or a secure area where the dog can be off leash - if the dog is keen as mustard (sound slike it if it is lunging at cars) then just having the ball in your hand will keep the dog's attention.

If you use a rag toy as a reward or fetch toy then you can carry this on walks. As soon as a car starts to approach you can show the dog the toy - you have it;s attention, wait for the car to pass and the dog to remain focussed on the toy and then you can play about with the dog and reward it for giving you it's attention.

If possible stand so that the dog is between you and the car on the pavement but make sure there is not enough lead to take the dog intot he road. This will allow you to see the dog change it's gaze if it does to the car and give you plenty of time to unlock the tracking sight of it's eyes rather than having the dog facing the car where all it has to do is change it's line of sight. Having the dog there also doesn't allow it to gather much speed and pace which could end with you or the dog getting injured.

Control the chase control the dog.