Chasing cars

[iluvmydog]

I asked this question on a different thread but I'd like to get as many opinions on it as I can, so I decided to start a thread on it.
Our Australian Shepherd/Sheltie cross has been having trouble chasing cars and I was wondering what everyone would suggest we do to get him to stop.

[ChessieLvr]

A question..why is the dog in position to chase cars?
My first advice would be to keep the dog leashed or behind a fence at all times.
If you perfect your obedience- Leave it, Stay, Heel- the dog will obey your commands and won't chase cars. But get real..this is a herding breed and chasing is what the dog does best.
If this cannot be accomplished, the best way for her to develop a healthy fear of cars would involve an accomplice- set the dog up. Have two friends (one driver, one passenger) drive by CAREFULLY in the car, when your pup starts the chase, have the passenger dump a pail of water on her or bombard her with water balloons. It won't take long before she's running the other way!
BTW, if you stand on the side of the highway shaking a bottle of rocks, the only thing the dog will have a fear of is empty soda bottles.

[iluvmydog]

A question..why is the dog in position to chase cars?

We live on five acres on a dirt road and we usually have him unleashed when we are outside with him, he usually leaves the cars alone but occasionally he'll decide to chase one. Do you think that giving him something else to chase would keep him from chasing cars? We are thinking about getting sheep.

[p0g03]

Well iluvmydog I know all about living in a rural area. I am also on a large piece of land with a dirt road but I would never let my dogs do something that may harm them or cause someone else harm. Sooner or later your dog will get hit if you let him continue chasing cars and I hope you realize that it may also cause someone to have a wreck trying to avoid your pet. The people down the road from me had a dog that they refused to keep on their own property and let him run all over and chase every car that came by and it got to the point that people would actually try and hit him. I don't know about where you live but here in VA if it is a gravel road and is not posted it is 45mph no matter how narrow or potted the road may be and even the school busses don't go slower. Henry did finally get hit by a car. To bad too since it all could have been avoided with a little time and patience put into teaching him not to do it.

[Taeric]

My grandmother-in-law lives way out in farm country in rural Michigan. Her neighbor has a beautiful black lab pup and decided to invest in an invisible fence. I'm sure it was rather pricey, but it gives the pup lots of room to run while keeping him safe (the two houses are pretty close to being across the street from each other, and he doesn't even try to visit when we have our Golden out up there). Of course, I don't know what portion of the farm they installed the fence on; it may well just be in a relatively small area around the house, which wouldn't work well if you want to give your pup the full run of your property.

[pittiegirl]

I highly, highly recommend Really Reliable Recall for this dog. http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB810&AffiliateID=45638&Method=3

[Cheetah]

My best friend decided to get an Australian Cattle Dog and let it run loose on her 5 acres of property, which I advised against, and she started chasing cars and ended up being hit by a van, which resulted in me sortof making off with the dog and surrendering it to a rescue lol...

I would invest in a fence in your back yard where you can contain this dog away from the cars when it's outside to prevent accidents like the above.

Along with training of course.

[dlambertz]

in my state if your dog gets hit and causes damage to the vehicle or worse...the people in the car, you are held responsible. if the dog was not contained and left to run at large, there is a very high probability you will not be covered for damages.

here my county has a leash law. meaning any animal needs to be contained safely on your property...whether you have a little lot in the city or 500 acres outside the city limits.

i have a running breed... my afghan hound. i don't know what i would do without my fence :)

good luck to you ... i see you have already received some very good advice.

[k8tymem8ty]

i think that if he only does it ocasionaly then you should try the destraction technique what you do is when a car comes when he is off the lead then you should act very exciteing and destract him with somthing a toy or a treat and if he dosent chase the car praise him like mad.

[iluvmydog]

Thank you everyone for the good advice! I really appreciate it!:)

[sandi]

What if a child or adult is riding a bike and said dog chases the person, and peson swerves to avoid dog, is hit by car.

In Mass, you would be in for alot of trouble and a damm good lawsuit.

Recently a person died, due to the above,

Sandi