Tips to Stop Your Dog Chasing

Why do dogs chase?

Chasing is a natural instinct in dogs and the degree to which your dog will want to chase depends a lot on breed. Some dogs have been bred to chase animals and round up stock. However if your dog is not a working dog on a farm then you will want to train it to know the difference between chasing when it sees something interesting or on impulse and chasing with your permission. Chasing can become a symptom of a neurotic dog or a dog who simply doesn't know the rules.

Prevention

Of course you may decide that you will never let your dog outside off a leash to stop your dog from chasing. This is one way of dealing with this problem but your dog will not know how to react in a situation outside the confines of the yard. A much more positive way to stop your dog from chasing is to train your dog to respond to your commands anytime, anywhere.

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This will take consistent and regular leash training before you try these exercises off the leash. Leash control is what you will need before your allow your dog to be in unfamiliar territory, off the leash.

Once you and your dog have mastered commands such as 'stay' or 'drop' on the leash, try these off-the-leash in the safety of your backyard. Once your dog is responsive to these commands off the leash in your yard, try them in a local park well away from roads. This will reduce the chances of your dog reacting impulsively to something it sees such as another dog or people in the park.

If your dog does have a sudden impulse to chase after something you will need to act quickly to stop it from continuing. If your dog respects you as the leader of the pack you will be able to get your dog to drop or sit when you tell it to. Thus averting a potentially dangerous situation.

Remember that to reinforce this behaviour you will need to reward and praise your dog. If you want to consistently stop your dog from chasing, your dog will need to know that it's doing the right thing by the praise and reward you offer it. Eventually the chase response will cause your dog to relax instead of acting on impulse and looking to you for permission before acting.

Is my dog chasing because it's neurotic?

If your dog is chasing things in an obsessive way, chances are you have a neurotic dog. You will need to look at other factors in your dogs life that may be out of balance.

• Are you spending much time at home with your dog?
• Do you work long and late hours?
• Is your dog getting enough exercise (at least an hour of walking per day)?
• Does your dog have anything to play with while you're out?

If you answered no to any of these it's likely that this is the underlying cause of your dogs neurosis. These factors are also likely to be causing other behavioural problems in your dog such as chewing, barking, biting, digging. These problems need to be addressed before you make progress in stopping your dog from chasing.  For further information about these and other behavioural problems in your dog we recommend you visit the Dog Training Zone.

But don't just take our word for it. Click the play button to watch an unsolicited video testimonial for Dog Training Secrets from Charlie Lafave's Dog Training Zone.