Ask Ethel: Dog Chases After Cars!

Hi Ethel!

We adopted Max about a year ago. He is now a 2-year-old pooch. We think he is half flat-coated retriever, half border collie.

He is unique in that he is super affectionate but also like Indiana Jones: loves to explore when we go hiking. The longer we are with him, the better he has become at picking up cues and being more of a team with us.

However, there is a big challenge that scares us. He chases cars. And sometimes he chases bicycles and joggers. In the case of the cars, we are scared he will be hurt. In the case of the bicycles and joggers, we are concerned he will scare someone or hurt them. He has nipped the heels of some bicyclists and joggers.

Sigh. How do we train him out of this? It usually happens when he is away from us. But, sometimes he will just bolt. I wonder if he is bored? Motion-sensitive?

—Bolter Collie

Dear BC,

Ah, if only we could go chasing after cars and joggers and cyclists all day and never get hurt. That would be the life.

Reality check: life isn't fair. But don't worry — help is ahead!

You were right to mention Max's breed first, because therein lies the clue. He's a dog with huge energy needs, and he's going to get bored and need lots of exercise, which you're rightly trying to give him.

But he's a herding dog, and he's sensitive to motion and wants to move his targets around. In Max's case, he's picked cars, bikes and runners as his targets.

Jeff Millman, dog trainer and behavior counselor at Chicago Paws, has three of his own herding dogs and says that this behavior is actually super common and normal. Here's how to change Max's behavior pattern.

Millman uses positive reinforcement techniques, and suggests using a clicker or saying "yes" to mark the moment when Max sees his target, let's say a jogger.

With Max next to you on a leash, position yourself in a place where you'll get some jogger traffic. When you see him notice a jogger (important: has to be the moment Max sees his target), acknowledge that with a click or a yes, then reward him with a great treat.

"Chicken falls from the sky," Millman says, "and eventually, he will see that jogger, then realize that if he turns around, there's chicken. The behavior pattern diminishes and changes."

Repeat this exercise until Max starts to see a jogger, then turns around to look at you before you even get a chance to click or say yes.

You're trying to desensitize your highly-sensitive pooch, so don't get too close to the targets at the start. If he's too close, his prey drive will kick in faster than you can stop him from running. If the exercise proves too challenging with strangers, get a friend to act as your jogger and have her run back and forth in front of Max until he gets bored.

Another thing — make sure that Max has good off-leash control. Millman encourages you to work toward having rock-solid stop, come and leave it commands. That way, Max will be able to get the exercise you want him to have, but most important — you'll know he can play safe!

—Ethel

Got a thorny pet (any pet!) problem that you can't figure out? Try Ethel — she'll do her best to help. Send your questions to helin@peoplepets.com or send us a message on Twitter or Facebook.

Previously in Ask Ethel:
Ask Ethel: Ethel Meets the Dog Whisperer
Ask Ethel: Gentle Giant Turns Psycho on a Leash

Helin Jung, helin@peoplepets.com