As the topic suggests, I have two terriers. Neither one is car savvy. They are always leashed.
If a car goes by too fast, one will lunge at it like it's trying to bite the tires.
I make them stop and sit at intersections if there is traffic and warn them, "car!", then when it's OK to proceed I tell them good dog and we cross.
I'm quite sure if they were off lead they would run out into traffic and get squashed immediately.
Any additional tips on turning on their brains about the dangers of traffic, without making them afraid to approach their own car to go for a ride?. (which they love)
Thanks for any advice.
"If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves." - Lane Kirkland
A lot of dogs can't resist wheels going past at a fast clip...often to their demise. They seem particularly alluring to a herding-breed dog, for obvious reasons. I stopped my Cattle Dog from chasing after wheels with a well-timed correction from an electronic collar; and that surely does the trick! (In an episode of the Dog Whisperer, Cesar uses one to stop a Cattle Dog who chased the family tractor, even though the dog had been injured by it several times)
Without an e-collar, I'd simply stop the action with a snap of the leash and a firm "NO!" I really doubt scaring your dog about the outside of a car will affect their wanting to ride in YOUR car, where they are "Inside" and not chasing. It's the motion your dogs want to chase, not the vehicle.
Be diligent - this is one of those things that can save your dogs' lives.
Dogs don't understand traffic. They do, however, understand things like "I am not allowed to step off the curb without permission" or "I have to stay right here in heel position unless I am given permission to leave"
The dog needs a reliable Stay command. A dog does not truly understand "Stay" until he can stay in spite of distractions or temptations. These include moving objects, people and other dogs walking by, loud noises, food, toys, you name it.
If you don't know how to teach a Stay like this, there are plenty of books and resources, or you could take your dogs to a reputable trainer.
Samantha (the poster)
Tim, spouse and driver of the Corgi-Bus
Beth, Buddy, and Pippin - Pembroke Welsh Corgis
1988 Bounder Ford 460
Terriers chase anything that moves. The only solutions for keeping your dogs safe are keep them leashed or in a fenced yard.
Ken
KE5DFR
Vintage 1979 Silver Streak Supreme Rocket toted by a 2002 F350, crewcab dually, 7.3L,4.10 axle,SCMT. Travel with two miniature Schnauzers and one African Gray parrot. Practicing for retirement!
corgi-traveler wrote: Dogs don't understand traffic. They do, however, understand things like "I am not allowed to step off the curb without permission" or "I have to stay right here in heel position unless I am given permission to leave"
The dog needs a reliable Stay command. A dog does not truly understand "Stay" until he can stay in spite of distractions or temptations. These include moving objects, people and other dogs walking by, loud noises, food, toys, you name it.
If you don't know how to teach a Stay like this, there are plenty of books and resources, or you could take your dogs to a reputable trainer.
Amen. Dogs do not understand traffic. "Keeping them on leash at all times" is not a solution, as when the leash gets dropped (and sooner or later it will) the inevitable will happen. Training is their best protection. First things first, they need to learn how to walk on a leash, and that they may not pull, lunge, or IN ANY WAY react to a car.
That last is important. They have to learn that they need to remain calm and obedient around cars. Correcting for the reaction BEFORE it gets to lunging, when the dog first starts to react to the car, is where you need to be, and watching some Dog Whisperer, including that episode in particular (you can research that on his website) would be interesting and worthwhile from that perspective alone. I do not, however, recommend that you go the e-collar route. That is something that is appropriate in a few cases, but not this one.
One other thing you can learn from Dog Whisperer, any episode, would be some ideas on how to correct, different corrections to try, he has some very good ideas and you really need to try out a few to find out what works for you and each of your dogs.
A good trainer would be a big help, if you can find one and if resources allow. Although finding a "good" trainer and defining that can be a challenge.
Once you get past the basics of how they can and cannot behave on a leash, and in the presence of a car, more advanced things can occur.
I work with my dogs constantly off-leash.... that's our most common walking formation. We have a rule, the dogs stop at the curb as I step into the street. They've been known to stop me as I walk forward, those times when they are on the leash. They wait until I give the order to "cross." If we go into the bike lane to pass someone (lots of people walk out here!) I use a different command to enter and leave the street. By doing this, they do get the idea.... slowly, and over time... that they aren't supposed to be in the street. It is no absolute insurance, but it is one more little layer of protection, and the process of teaching those kinds of things is a great way to build pack structure and discipline. Off-leash work is a long way off and you may never get there, but its worth considering what rules you might create and how you'd teach them.
susan
What I want to know is, when are they going to start selling Comfort Zone for HUMANS????? 'Cause some days...
I think my first area to correction is to train one dog at a time. My Welsh terrier is very eager to please and learns easily, (male 5 year old) My other terrier is a Lakeland (4 year old female)
She is totally off the hook. She absolutely quakes with enthusiasm and drive. She is half the size of the Welsh, but dominant over him. She always takes twice the correction to get the idea of what I want her to achieve, and has a problem with retention.
I love both dogs dearly, but I would not recommend a Lakeland terrier to anyone that does not want a challenge. (think of a hyper Jack Russell terrier and multiply by two fold!)
I get that the main focus is the "stay," command here, and I will try to separate these critters and work with them on an individual basis. My training get sidetracked when they are walked together, and the competition begins. Is there a teqnuqie to get these dogs to work as a unit, and not as adversaries? It sure would make my life easier!
Thank you for your comments and suggestions, they are appreciated.
Best,
Arborist
My dogs are well-trained. The Cattle Dog has a bomb-proof recall that most Obedience competitors would drool over - I can call him off a "squirrel-chase".
But chasing cars/tractors/mowers, etc is an activity that can maim a dog (if he's lucky enough to live through the chase). My experience has been that ONE well-timed correction does the trick. Removes any desire they may have ever had to chase that particular object again because it "bites". And it surely seemed to work that way when Cesar used it to stop a dog from chasing the family's tractor - the dog had lost it's eye, and some teeth, and had its jaw broken in previous encounters with the tractor tires. One would *think* the dog would have learned after the first injury - but didn't. Only the e-collar stopped the behavior - probably because most animals (and humans) HATE being shocked ;-)
I cringe when I push the button on the transmitter - I've hit electric fences enough times to know what it feels like - but I'd rather shock once than risk a dead dog.
A good obedience class would remedy that. And please do not resort to electrically shocking your dog for something he was never 'taught' not to do.
So, if you don't have a good solid obedience training in your dog and he is in danger of being hurt or god forbid the drivers swerve and hit someone, here is tip how to stop it right now.
Find a safe parking lot or empty street.
One car
One friend
One squirt bottle filled with 'water'.Super shooters are even better.
You dog and you..........
Set the situation up. And not just walking up to you friends car.
Have your friend be down the street or parking lot out of view and THEN take your dog for a walk. Dogs aren't stupid you need to make the set up situation impersonnal just as if it were a strange car passing by.
Have your friend 'drive by you' and if and only if your dog lunges at the car they squirt him with the water bottle and it is important that they 'continue' to drive on.
In 20 years I have yet to have a 'car lunging/chasing dog' take more than 2 drive-by's to decide it wasn't any fun chasing cars that net a face bath!
And no it will not ruin him of wanting to go for a fun ride with you in the car.....because to him it was a 'strange person' in the bad water gun car!
* This post was
edited 10/03/08 03:58pm by rockhillmanor *
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