Monday - Friday 9AM - 6PM: November - March
Monday - Friday 9AM - 7PM: April - October
Saturday 9AM - 3PM: All Year
Heading
To some degree, most dogs enjoy chasing things that move. Dogs are a predatory species, which means that they possess some genetic tendency to pursue prey. The willingness to pursue moving targets has been purposely bred into many dog breeds. For example, herding dogs chase livestock, terriers chase rodents, and guard dogs chase intruders.
Dogs are naturally rewarded when their behavior “causes” a target to move away. They don’t realize that the car or jogger was going to move away anyway; from the dog’s perspective, their chase created the movement. Over time, with repeated encounters, this self-rewarding behavior typically gets stronger, especially because it is reinforced in a variable manner. That is, some of the things they chase move slowly while others move quickly. An observant dog thus learns to bark and chase with a greater and greater intensity to ensure that every pursued target moves as quickly as possible.
"Over time, with repeated encounters, this self-rewarding behavior typically gets stronger."
Sometimes, dogs chase people, particularly children, who are running around in the house or yard. The behavior sometimes resembles herding, though it does not actually serve any organized purpose. Still, dogs are rewarded, particularly when the recipient runs faster, shouts, or wiggles their legs wildly to shoo the dog away.
A dog’s personality can affect the intensity of the behavior. A fearful dog that is frightened by a person or moving vehicle will be highly motivated to make sure the scary stimulus does not linger. The intensity of the behavior may increase quickly. Scolding a fearful dog to stop this behavior can increase the level of fear and make the behavior worse.
A low frustration tolerance can also support a high level of chasing, as these dogs are very eager to reach their goal. Even if the dog is motivated to engage with the target appropriately - perhaps to meet the person or dog, or to hop into the car - he may become frustrated when his effort to get closer causes the target to retreat instead. He will learn to run forward with greater and greater speed, only to become even more frustrated as the target always remains ahead of him.
Trying to stop a highly motivated, easily frustrated dog by quickly pulling him away or by administering a correction (e.g., snapping the leash) can make the behavior worse. Some aroused dogs react to being corrected by exhibiting aggression towards the person who is trying to block them.
If your dog is just beginning to chase moving things, do not delay implementing an intervention. The behavior will not go away on its own, and the best time to help your dog is before he has had multiple opportunities to experience the innate reward of the chase.
It is never helpful to simply try to stop an undesirable behavior without first considering the dog’s underlying motivation. In many cases, the best solution is to replace the unwanted behavior with a more suitable and incompatible alternative. For instance, if you can ask your dog to sit for great treats before he even starts the pursuit, he can learn to automatically offer a “sit” upon seeing one of his triggers for chasing. This is known as response substitution.
Training should begin when your dog is calm and there are no distractions. An important skill is “sit, stay”. There are many variations, but here are two that are very useful.
Option one: This “sit, stay” is useful for dogs that are rewarded by the chase but are not very fearful or frustrated.
Option two: This “sit, stay, relax” is useful for dogs that are highly aroused or fearful and will benefit from systematic desensitization and counterconditioning.
It is often helpful to be able to continue walking, even in the face of a runner or bicycle. Coming to a full stop is not always practical. You can teach your dog to walk next to you when asked. The behavior, often called “heel” or “with me”, involves training your dog to walk very close by your side. You may choose whichever side is most comfortable for you.
If your dog is very highly aroused, then once you have taught him to walk with you in a quiet environment, you can apply the skill in a desensitization and counterconditioning session as you did with the “sit, stay, relax”. That is, you make sure that the trigger is far enough away that your dog can easily follow your guidance.
Training steps for "walk with me":
Until you have done some training, you and your dog may not be ready to face a trigger for a chase. It is best to avoid triggers, but if that is not possible, you may be able to turn around and walk in the opposite direction. Using a cue such as “let’s go” can be helpful. The goal of this exercise is to teach the dog to turn 180 degrees and go in the opposite direction.
It is important that you feel safe when walking your dog. The leash is not meant for pulling your dog, but for an emergency in which you need to move away quickly. A harness can be helpful, as your dog will not injure his neck if he pulls you or vice versa. A flat collar can be safe if it is snug enough that your dog cannot escape. Head halters such as the Gentle Leader® offer a little more control as they allow you to steer your dog’s neck with minimal strength required. However, it is very important that you do not attempt to jerk the leash when your dog is wearing a head halter (or any neck collar). Any dog can suffer a neck injury if he either lunges forward or is snapped back while wearing a head halter or neck collar.
