Timing is everything! How many times have you heard that? Well, in dog training it’s not everything but it does play a huge part in modifying or eliminating the knee-jerk reaction dogs demonstrate when they see a person, another dog, a squirrel, or even a car. Chasing or lunging at cars is what I want to talk about today. Don’t let this happen to your dog!
When your dog is reactive, you, in turn, also become reactive. Two wrongs don’t make a right. How many times have you heard that? In reality, as an example, let’s say your dog lunges at passing cars. Obviously, this is very dangerous for both you and your dog, and absolutely something you want to stop from happening. Stop being the operative word. No matter what you do to fix this tug-of-war with your dog, both of you pulling in opposite directions, it will always be a struggle to control your dog and redirect him away from the vehicle. You will, unfortunately, experience the same event over and over again.
Preventing a Daredevil Dog’s act of lunging at moving vehicles is the best cure.
Start by taking your dog on a leash down your driveway or on a street with a sidewalk where there isn’t much traffic. If your dog is on your left, where he belongs, have your dog sit next to you, facing the street. When a car is about to pass you, turn your dog to the right by giving him a short, gentle tug on the leash/collar to the right of his neck/head. With this action, call him to come to you and walk back toward your home–away from the street where the vehicle passed. NOT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION of the direction the vehicle is going.
Your goal is to teach your dog to sit for at least ten seconds EVERY time a vehicle passes by. Programming this action of sit/stay every time a vehicle passes your dog is a forever behavior and should be used at every street corner before crossing, or before stepping off the sidewalk into the road. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to teach your dog to sit/stay after coming out of your vehicle in a parking lot, before you begin walking together. All of these extra precautionary steps may save your dog’s precious life.
So, the next step in being proactive is to practice with your dog and with a family member who will drive by you slowly on a quiet side street. As soon as your practice vehicle is within your sight, have your dog sit on your left side, close to the curb, and remind him to stay at sit by using a series of short tugs on his leash a foot from his collar. Use the word NO each time you implement your warning/reminder tug to sit/stay. Try to remain as calm and relaxed as possible. Talk to your dog and tell him how good he is when he follows your lead in this exercise of Impulse Control.
Impulse Control starts at home with sit/stay at the door before going out, sit/stay before eating, sit/stay before putting on a collar and leash, which is called Sit to Dress. Once those training exercises are successful, it’s time to move on to practicing sit/stay before throwing a toy or a ball and then releasing your dog to fetch it. Never release your dog from a distance. (But that information is for another article at another time.)
I never teach or encourage the process of sitting/staying, backing away from the dog, and then saying “come.” It does not enhance your dog’s ability to control his impulses and can be counterproductive.
These simpler sit/stay training exercises at home can save your dog’s life in a sit/stay while walking on a road or parking lot.
Prevention will avoid correction. Proactive will avoid reactive.
