Stop  Dog’s Chasing Habit

Does your dog have a very bad chasing habit? A dog that has a habit of chasing cars, rabbits and squirrels places itself in extreme danger on a daily basis. It’s very hard to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing walk with your dog when they are constantly trying to chase everything that moves. A dog’s chasing habit has been the death for many dogs and should be attended to immediately.

Basic Retraining to Stop the Dog’s Chasing Habit

Some retraining is called for in order to stop this dangerous chasing habit. If this habit is not too deeply ingrained, then it shouldn’t take but a matter of a few days or a couple of weeks to retrain your dog. A leash will provide a controlled way to keep your dog safe during this retraining period.

Make sure that your dog’s central point of focus is you. For some reason, most people avoid establishing an Alpha relationship with their dog. The Alpha relationship puts you in control of the dog, not the other way around. You have to have complete control or any form of training is useless. Don’t let the dog walk until his attention is completely on you.

The Trick to Leash Training

If your dog is still pulling on the leash during your walks, then it will take just a little more time and effort to get the dog to obey. Make the dog sit and wait by your side until you are ready to start moving. If they start pulling again, stop and make the dog sit again until you are ready to walk again. It won’t be long before the dog understands that pulling on the leash means stopping.

Distraction as a Distraction

Carry a dog’s toy with you when walking your dog. If the dog tries to pull on the leash to go chase something, just show him the toy. Have the dog chase the toy instead of something he is fixated on. You can also invite a friend out on your walks to help. Have them ride a bike alongside to stimulate the dog’s desire to chase. Then have the friend tell the dog “no” and spray them with a water bottle. This will make sure that the dog understands that what it is chasing is a bad thing.

Avoiding the Need for Extreme Measures

A lot of pet owners will take rather extreme measures to stop their dog from chasing objects. These can include electric fences, collars that shock or other methods that keep the dog in line. But not only are these cruel and ineffective, they are also illegal. Bring in an expert if you cannot stop your dog’s chasing habit.

Chasing may just be an irritation to you for now, but soon it will become dangerous for your pet. You love your pet and you want to keep it safe from harm so you need to stop your dog’s chasing habit before something bad happens.