Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My ex had a dog that she would take for a walk in the parking lot of the college library. I noted that the dog would sniff the tires of every car, and once out of a dozen or so, would pay a great deal of attention. I checked the registration stickers, and every "interesting" car was from out-of-county, and was driven a lot on the highway, where there is a lot more exposure to road kill. The conclusion was easy to draw.
I grew up in those days. Another trick to break a dog from chasing cars was to wait until the dog got alongside the car, and then push open the door. Time it right and the dog would go rolling. If you did that today, you're car would sustain 5 thousand dollars in body repairs, and you would get 5 years in the slammer for animal cruelty.
Bagster, I knew a man who was a rural mail carrier many years ago. This was when an M-80s were powerful. Something like 5 equaled a stick of dynamite. This mail carrier had a dog who would run down the hill from the house to the road when he heard the mail car coming, jump off the bank, and actually land ON the hood of the car. My friend was one of those who always had a cigar in his mouth chewing and puffing on it. I gave him a couple of these M-80s. He took one on the route. Just before getting to where the dog was, he puffed on his cigar to get it nice and hot. As the dog ran down the hill he lit the M-80 and threw it out the window. It went off just as the dog jumped for the car. He said he wished he'd had a video camera. That dog was trying to figure out how to turn around in mid air. All four legs were flailing around. He hit the car, jumped up and ran back up to the house. Never bothered him again.
Bagster, I knew a man who was a rural mail carrier many years ago. This was when an M-80s were powerful. Something like 5 equaled a stick of dynamite. This mail carrier had a dog who would run down the hill from the house to the road when he heard the mail car coming, jump off the bank, and actually land ON the hood of the car. My friend was one of those who always had a cigar in his mouth chewing and puffing on it. I gave him a couple of these M-80s. He took one on the route. Just before getting to where the dog was, he puffed on his cigar to get it nice and hot. As the dog ran down the hill he lit the M-80 and threw it out the window. It went off just as the dog jumped for the car. He said he wished he'd had a video camera. That dog was trying to figure out how to turn around in mid air. All four legs were flailing around. He hit the car, jumped up and ran back up to the house. Never bothered him again.
We keep trying to ponder that he might have hurt a passing biker by biting a tire or have acted out aggressively in some way in the future. The sister pup is not interested in tires and the other sister pups that went to friends and neighbors do not seem to have this issue so maybe it was a male tendency to be more aggressive. We feel we could have trained him not to do this but we ran out of time and are heartbroken. Never have raised a sweet pup and watched it die . . .
You don't need to "wait" for some magical time to teach this lesson. Right off the bat, your dogs shouldn't even be loose or out of your control in the first place. As for when to train, get started when any pup shows interest in a moving car. Consider that even if you have a fence, your dogs could still chase a car along it and whip themselves into a frenzy. They haven't learned the more important lesson. Don't chase CARS at all.
Its not aggression, territoriality, nor does it have anything to do with gender. It's prey drive; an instinctive compulsion to chase something moving. Individual dogs will have more or less. A high prey-drive dog isn't necessarily less friendly or loving...they are just more inclined to chase instead of watch. Herding dogs were bred for this trait but they were also bred for incredible intelligence and desire to please, so it isn't that hard to train them WHAT and WHAT NOT to chase. It is your responsibility to teach them what is acceptable (and BTW safe). You can channel that drive by teaching them fetch, disc, or even sport lure coursing.
A fellow heeler owner has taught his dogs to leave cars alone in several ways. It takes time and two people to do it efficiently, but plan your "attack" session ahead of time. First, figure out when and in what way the dog tends to chase. They often go for one side, the front or rear tires. Then plan your "attack" and put a passenger on that side, front or back seat.
Set the dog up. They often prepare and plot their attack, so one thing that works is to learn what little give aways they show prior to chasing. THEN STOP IT!!
Drive slowly past the dog's driveway or wherever it tends to want to go after something. Windows open, passenger ready and watching. As the dog gets close to the car, barks, or goes for the tires, have the passenger use a giant water squirter out the window, or throw a water balloon, bucket, or other container filled with vinegar at the dog's face. Or, when the dog goes after the car, stop suddenly, have the passenger jump out of the car and go after the dog, making a fuss; yelling, banging metal pots or some other loud sudden noise, throw the water balloon, squirter, something. Rinse and repeat over a short period of time until the dog starts to get cautious about the car. Then, praise the heck out of the dog (huge high value treats) when it does NOT chase.
As for joggers or cyclists, set the dog up with a cyclist or runner it doesn't know. Every time the dog makes a move toward them, have the person use the balloon or squirt gun.
The other important thing to do is give that dog something else to do; a job, a game, a sport. You want to replace car chasing with something even more fun.
Last edited by Parnassia; 02-16-2019 at 01:59 PM..
Not a good companion dog in my opinion and for the dog to be satisfied it needs to be working. I can't imagine one on a leash. I would just creep down the driveway very slowly until the dog lost interest and then speed up. I think that can be managed. Might even be able to train them with a shock collar not to go after vehicles.
Written by someone who's never been around a cattledog. They are fantastic companion dogs generally, very devoted and "velcro" to their people. Some that are "ranch raised", not part of the family, and not socialized can be standoffish, but often the ranch owners wanted them that way. They are often extremely easy to train because they really care what their "boss" (you) wants them to do. They see the two of you as a team. They certainly need work, but work can be a game or an organized sport. Fetch, hide and seek, mind puzzles, disk, dock diving, agility, lure coursing, tracking. You have to work their busy little minds, not just the body. Too smart to be content with that. Of course they can be fine on a leash; it's up to the owner to train them. If you don't direct the dog's energy they'll interpret what they think you want to amuse themselves. Don't leave it up to the dog to figure it out. Show them from day one. Not the dog's fault they end up with a ignorant or stupid owner.
BTW, shock collars backfire. Cattledogs, like most herding breeds have heavier fur around their necks so the buzz often doesn't even affect anything but fur. Even if it does, by the time someone shocks the dog they are already engaged in the game and may not even notice. The time to distract or dissuade a dog from doing something is to preempt it entirely. Stop them before they get going. Most dogs give themselves away before they do something. THAT'S when to distract or engage them to something you do want. Cattledogs are extremely brave and ignore most twinges or injuries. They were bred to be brave and not back down from a fight; outback free ranging cattle fight back. The "work" (the unwanted behavior) is more important than pain. A shock collar isn't a very good tool for teaching a dog much unless the person with the buzzer knows exactly what they are doing and has really quick reflexes. If someone trains a dog correctly the unwanted behavior gets stopped before it even starts.
BTW, if you have a local dog that chases your car, slowing to a crawl as you get near it can be effective. The game ends. But, that will only work if every other car does the same thing. If you are the only one to do it, the dog will learn to ignore your fun police car and wait for the next one. The dog has only learned that you are no fun. Everyone else still is.
Last edited by Parnassia; 02-16-2019 at 02:04 PM..
Written by someone who's never been around a cattledog. They are fantastic companion dogs generally, very devoted and "velcro" to their people. Some that are "ranch raised", not part of the family, and not socialized can be standoffish, but often the ranch owners wanted them that way. They are often extremely easy to train because they really care what their "boss" (you) wants them to do. They see the two of you as a team. They certainly need work, but work can be a game or an organized sport. Fetch, hide and seek, mind puzzles, disk, dock diving, agility, lure coursing, tracking. You have to work their busy little minds, not just the body. Too smart to be content with that. Of course they can be fine on a leash; it's up to the owner to train them. If you don't direct the dog's energy they'll interpret what they think you want to amuse themselves. Don't leave it up to the dog to figure it out. Show them from day one. Not the dog's fault they end up with a ignorant or stupid owner.
BTW, shock collars backfire. Cattledogs, like most herding breeds have heavier fur around their necks so the buzz often doesn't even affect anything but fur. Even if it does, by the time someone shocks the dog they are already engaged in the game and may not even notice. The time to distract or dissuade a dog from doing something is to preempt it entirely. Stop them before they get going. Most dogs give themselves away before they do something. THAT'S when to distract or engage them to something you do want. Cattledogs are extremely brave and ignore most twinges or injuries. They were bred to be brave and not back down from a fight; outback free ranging cattle fight back. The "work" (the unwanted behavior) is more important than pain. A shock collar isn't a very good tool for teaching a dog much unless the person with the buzzer knows exactly what they are doing and has really quick reflexes. If someone trains a dog correctly the unwanted behavior gets stopped before it even starts.
BTW, if you have a local dog that chases your car, slowing to a crawl as you get near it can be effective. The game ends. But, that will only work if every other car does the same thing. If you are the only one to do it, the dog will learn to ignore your fun police car and wait for the next one. The dog has only learned that you are no fun. Everyone else still is.
Absolutely incorrect. I have had Australian Shepards and they are good companion dogs, good with people and cattle. I have had one Blue Heeler and my family has had several. They can be aggressive and nutty. Also, Border Collies are excellent and smart.
it sounds like you have very little experience with cattle dogs. Stick to something you know about.
Absolutely incorrect. I have had Australian Shepards and they are good companion dogs, good with people and cattle. I have had one Blue Heeler and my family has had several. They can be aggressive and nutty. Also, Border Collies are excellent and smart.
it sounds like you have very little experience with cattle dogs. Stick to something you know about.
Well, I'm on my 6th cattledog. Lived with them for the past 25 years. All rescues from different backgrounds. Some were more "aggressive" (usually the issue isn't aggression) than others. You handle the dog accordingly. None were "nutty" whatever that means.
Just where did I write that Aussies or border collies don't make good companions, or that they are stupid?
I have a friend who had his tire bitten through by a Rottweiler when he surprised it by backing up onto his brother's front lawn to unload a television some years ago.
The dog knew the brother, the car, and was used to seeing the car--they figured the dog bit the tire because he was either surprised or threatened by it pulling up on the grass because cars didn't usually park on the lawn.
My ex had a dog that she would take for a walk in the parking lot of the college library. I noted that the dog would sniff the tires of every car, and once out of a dozen or so, would pay a great deal of attention. I checked the registration stickers, and every "interesting" car was from out-of-county, and was driven a lot on the highway, where there is a lot more exposure to road kill. The conclusion was easy to draw.
Many other dogs have cocked their legs up to take a peace on the wheels and that is why dog took a sniff jiff.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
