How do I get my dog to stop barking and trying to chase cars while she’s on the leash? I’m afraid she’ll slip out of her harness or collar and get hit. We adopted her 1-1/2 years ago at the age of 4. She used to sit inside the sun porch of her old home and bark at passing trucks & buses. –Donna
Hi Donna,
Barking and chasing cars can often be signs of fear and misunderstanding, generally in the foundation of dog training.
Once a dog gets vested in barking and chasing it’s a time to go back to certain basics of retraining and break down the commands to regain the dog’s attention to focus on you not on the object it gets distracted by.
My first suggestion to anyone adopting a rescue dog, no matter how well trained, is to go through retraining of the dog to solidify the bond and understanding of the chain of command.
In order to assist a dog that goes into a tirade of barking, I suggest using a harness that clips at the front which will give the dog a better awareness of its body. Check out the Walk In Sync™ System as it clips at the front and provides you handles on the leash that provide a clear consistent boundary which will allow you to better help your dog.
I would begin using the Walk In Sync™ System and start with your basic commands of sit, stay, down, come and heel while on leash.
Take each one and work with your dog for no more than 5 minutes on a given day at least 4-5 times.
Once you feel you have more connection with your dog, start venturing out a little more on a walk with passing cars.
As you are on your walk, make your dog sit at certain intervals during the walk so she refocuses on you.
When she loses focus, simply walk in the opposite direction of what she is focusing on.
If she is treat motivated, by all means use treats as it will make it easier for her focus on you.
Every time she does so, praise her with an open handed pat on her side, letting her know she is a good girl.
Practice for a few minutes every day, a few times a day and you will be really pleased with the results.
Paws Up!
Alecia
Alecia Evans is the inventor of The Walk In Sync™ Humane Dog Walking and Training System with her exclusive 5 Minute Manners Makeovers using the Walk In Sync™ Harness and Accu-Grip Leash, along with her Walk In Sync™ 3 Easy Steps to teach any human/dog duos to Walk In Sync in just minutes.
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