Chasing Cars

Ok here goes I have a 4 month old puppy who has decided that whilst out on a walk she will try and chase each and every vehicle that passes, never having encountered this before to this extent any way, anyone got any suggestions on how to resolve it?

Thanks - Dawn

Sol tried this when he was about the same age and I live on a fairly busy road that I have to use to get to any of the local footpaths. Neither of the other two ever bothered with traffic.

He was pretty determined and used to spin around fast as they approached and lunge out into the road at them. The first thing I did was to teach him a leave command at home. Once out on the roadside I had to "spot" cars coming and make him sit before they got close, he would only go really mad at those on our side but would still try and chase the ones going the other way. I would also position myself between him and the road and have him on a short lead sitting in front of me. A pocket full of food a clicker and sharp "leave it" as soon as he even thought about looking at the approaching car, with sol that first indication was as subtle as a slight flick of his ear or a twitch of his eye as he got ready to look. As long as he sat nicely he was rewarded, if he moved towards the car at all I put him straght back in a sit and told him to leave again. It only took a couple of days for him to work out that if he sat nicely he got something for it (baked sardines and me dancing round like an idiot giving OTT praise) and if he tried to chase cars he got nothing. Sol lives to please so it really depends on your pup as to how long it will take her to work it out. The problem is that it is self rewarding for her, chasing is what collies do and chasing the cars that then "move" means she is getting something from it, she doesn't know that they are going to go past anyway she thinks she is doing it. You have to convince her that it is more rewarding not to try and make them move and also that she has no control over what they do, ie that they will go past even if she doesn't bother "making" them. Does that make sense?

If you are worried about her getting into the road or she is particularly bad then start from a little further away and gradually get closer. HTH!

Dawn
how is she with bikes and skateboards?
can you enlist the help of some kids to see if you can set it up so you can reward her without having to use the road?
Tonka will chase cars (dont laugh) she chased a lorry up the road once...heaven knows what got into her, but she did! Very scary!
I think with Alice is more likely to be movement obsession and herding isnt it...although I dont think you can blame the bolton bit for that....

with a name like tonka is it any wonder that she chased a lorry? Weren't poodles bred to be water retrievers originally so perhaps she thought that she could bring you back something? I'm not going to tell you what my next one is going to be called......

Hi Both

Thanks for your suggestions will try both, have plenty of kids in the street so wont have any problem enlisting their help.

And will get Alice out on her own she does want to please so your suggestion Julie does make sense.

Will keep you posted.

Dawn