theory re: cars

[kglacer]

So, I've been seeing a lot of posts about dogs chasing cars and I was thinking about it the other day and I wanted to know your opinions on whether this has some truth to it or am I just completely making this up...

I'd be lying if I said Finnigan showed no interest whatsoever in cars or chasing them but it is very subtle and rare. I was thinking that our situation "desensitized" him to cars - my house is right off a road, it's technically a main road...it's a main road OFF of a main road so it's not super busy but there are probably 30-50 houses past our house and then it's a dead end ocean so if that gives you an idea of what kind of traffic. Not to mention the houses down in the "village" probably the people who live there either don't drive or don't go anywhere very often!! Lol anyways, we've always taken him out the front door to do his business so our front lawn is right off the road and he's always had cars driving by as he's peeing or pooping or sniffing around. When I took him on walks on the side of the road when he was young he started out scared of the cars and then I just made him sit as they passed by - mainly for his safety because the first time he jumped into the ditch so getting him to sit and pay attention to me helped. Now we either stop and sit or continue walking and he'll seldomly watch the car as it goes by and show an interest in wanting to go in that direction but by no means does he go crazy over them or anything.

I've had him in parking lots and on sidewalks of busier roads and he could care less about cars! When we go to the pet stores he just books it for the pet store door! Even in a strip mall he seems to know which door....think he can read? wouldn't suprise me! although it's probably just all the dog stuff he can see through the window! lol

He comes from working lines so herding is definitely built in him, so do you think it's possible that cars driving by on a regular basis while he's doing his business or what not in the front yard has caused him to not make a "big deal" out of them? Because I'm feeling very lucky that I'm not having this issue but I will also go knock on every piece of wood I can find!!!!!

[youngK9]

LOL!

Athena has NO intrest in cars what-so-ever. You have seen my Agility videos, there are cars driving by and she doesn't even look at them. She comes from herding lines too. So my opinion is that he is fully mentally and physically stimulated so why should he chase cars? Most dogs chase cars out of frustration of not getting enough exercize or mental stimulation. It just means Finn is getting all the attention, exercize, and mental exercise he needs. Alot of other dogs do it too, not just BC's. I have seen ALOT of Labs doing this. That means your doing a really good job with him!

[lnelson87]

we are the same situation traffic wise but he was still a chaser worked really hard and now he only chases moterbikes lol x

[Fergus10]

I wouldn't be surprised I live in a village that I can take the dogs out for an hour and see 4 or 5 cars. Infact I can leave the house and not see anyone out in the fields for weeks and then happen to bump into someone on the occasion. Fergus tried to chase but I wouldn't have put him at the extreme end of the scale.

Not all collies want to chase cars so it could just be he's not interested?!

[Kieraaa]

That probably helps but only if theyr young imo.When I first took Kara out when she was about 5 months I think it was and we were waiting at the bus stop she was terrified of cars and I had her on the lead and sitting down but when a car went past she would try and leap out to nip it.I knew I had to get this problem sorted not just in case she had an accident or decided to chase the car but for her fear aswell.So I took her to a small park and took her ball (glad she is obsessed with that the most ) and played with her.The park is right next to a road but its fenced off.Everytime I seen a car I went closer to the fence with her and would sometimes throw her ball near the fence or I would make her sit and wait while the car went by and once it did she got her ball.Now she completely ignores cars,she still knows there there but never tries to chase or lunge at them and I always have her leashed when she's near a road even though shes great off leash I would never let her off especially because of her age as well.

[izzysmom]

(01-25-2012 09:56 AM)kglacer Wrote:  So, I've been seeing a lot of posts about dogs chasing cars and I was thinking about it the other day and I wanted to know your opinions on whether this has some truth to it or am I just completely making this up...

I'd be lying if I said Finnigan showed no interest whatsoever in cars or chasing them but it is very subtle and rare. I was thinking that our situation "desensitized" him to cars - my house is right off a road, it's technically a main road...it's a main road OFF of a main road so it's not super busy but there are probably 30-50 houses past our house and then it's a dead end ocean so if that gives you an idea of what kind of traffic. Not to mention the houses down in the "village" probably the people who live there either don't drive or don't go anywhere very often!! Lol anyways, we've always taken him out the front door to do his business so our front lawn is right off the road and he's always had cars driving by as he's peeing or pooping or sniffing around. When I took him on walks on the side of the road when he was young he started out scared of the cars and then I just made him sit as they passed by - mainly for his safety because the first time he jumped into the ditch so getting him to sit and pay attention to me helped. Now we either stop and sit or continue walking and he'll seldomly watch the car as it goes by and show an interest in wanting to go in that direction but by no means does he go crazy over them or anything.

I've had him in parking lots and on sidewalks of busier roads and he could care less about cars! When we go to the pet stores he just books it for the pet store door! Even in a strip mall he seems to know which door....think he can read? wouldn't suprise me! although it's probably just all the dog stuff he can see through the window! lol

He comes from working lines so herding is definitely built in him, so do you think it's possible that cars driving by on a regular basis while he's doing his business or what not in the front yard has caused him to not make a "big deal" out of them? Because I'm feeling very lucky that I'm not having this issue but I will also go knock on every piece of wood I can find!!!!!

I suspect that by having him sit and look at you as cars were passing, it probably helped to teach him that he was supposed to ignore them. I'd guess that all dogs are different; some might present hard challenges to overcome herding vehicles while others grasp the idea when they are shown - esp. if it's caught while they are quite young. Izzy comes from a line of herders as well, and when he was young he did try to give chase to a car once he'd overcome his initial fear of them. I only had to remind him a couple of times to pay attention to me and not look at the cars, and ever since he hasn't given one a second glance (exposure to traffic on a daily basis also helped). So he was easy to train in that respect; yet another pup might not be as easy and may need more repeated lessons and reinforcement. But I wouldn't be a bit surprised that the commands you were giving to Finn to sit and watch you were the initial lessons in his overcoming wanting to herd cars.

[emzilouu]

i had a thought the other day and i think milo just helped me out with it in the garden 5 mins ago....i wonder if dogs chasing cars is the same as the postman, obviously dogs who bark at the "evil postman" always win cause the postman comes, dog barks, postman goes away well is it the same with cars? car comes into sight, dog chases/stares at/barks at car, car goes away? i just had milo in the garden to go to the toilet and our neighbour came home he drove all the way past the house and garden and milo laid down staring at it and as soon as he pulled into his drive and reversed right next to our hedge milo ran off in the other direction

[katy_harvey]

(01-25-2012 11:14 AM)emzilouu Wrote:  i had a thought the other day and i think milo just helped me out with it in the garden 5 mins ago....i wonder if dogs chasing cars is the same as the postman, obviously dogs who bark at the "evil postman" always win cause the postman comes, dog barks, postman goes away well is it the same with cars? car comes into sight, dog chases/stares at/barks at car, car goes away? i just had milo in the garden to go to the toilet and our neighbour came home he drove all the way past the house and garden and milo laid down staring at it and as soon as he pulled into his drive and reversed right next to our hedge milo ran off in the other direction

Thats EXACTLY what i think. Harvey isn't so much herding cars we have discovered, he is terrified of them, and runs after them to chase them away, and obviously, they aren't going to hang around and taunt Harvey. So he wins everytime. When they are parking or whatever, he stares at them, then tries to run away.
However today, a workers van was driving round the park (dumbass grr) so I put Harvey on a lead, and as I am still working on his loose lead walking (he hardly pulls but sometimes needs a reminder) I turned him around everytime he pulled in the direction of the car, but he would moan everytime I did it, even so much as to bark at me because he WANTED to get at the car. I have been doing desensitisation with him so do you think his fear has gone and now he wants to herd? Haha. I have been redirecting his herding instinct onto balls, and letting him chase birds LOL.

But I am in the same traffic situation as you Katrina, and I have always had to walk him near cars "/ but unlike Finn, I cant grasp his attention away from cars AT ALL. Until I started doing desensitisation anyway... he is getting better at looking at me. Might try the "watch me" around cars see if it works .

I just think all dogs are different, and its probably the way we handle the situation to. Glad Finn hasn't got car troubles, its much safer!

[Toddsmom]

The cars go away which makes the dog "win". But all dogs, of all breeds and ages can be taught to ignore cars. When I brought Manny home from rescue he was just 7 months old. He had spent the first part of his life locked in a fenced in yard chasing cars as they drove by on the road. He has no interest in cars. I walk him around town off leash and he stays right with me doing nothing more than glancing at the vehicles as they go by. I dont' give them time to fixate on the cars though. When we are out for a walk, our job is to go for a walk. Not sniff everything, or visit everyone, but ot walk together. So we just ignore and continue walking. I've had no problems with any of my dogs or any breeds, or ages chasing cars this way.

I did have a golden retriever years ago when we lived on the farm who got hit by a car. But, in his defense it was a neighbor who had it out for him since the first time he chased one of their mangy cats out of your yard, and they actually swung in to our yard to hit him. On the downside, he ran along the side of the road (in the yard, but only be a few feet) along side of cars. Turned our backs on him one day and that was all that it took. And he was a 2 year old dog who had a terrible upbringing. It was much harder to break him of it than any of or border collies. And ultimately, we weren't able to and like I said, all it took was one time of turning our backs. Completely and utterly our fault that we weren't watching him.

[jossiemarie]

Ludo shows no interest in cars, but Harley is terrible for chasing big things like van's or tractors and i worry he'll rub off on Ludo. I've worked hard to stop harley doing it but he still gets tempted from time to time.

[emzilouu]

im not sure if milo is trying to herd cars or is scared of them he lays down and stares at them and i try everything to get his attention, he isnt treat orientated outside so treats dont work, his ball doesnt work, tried blocking his view, tried to get him to focus on me and only me, when a car isnt around "this way milo" always works for him to come to me or the direction im going but that doesnt work, we say his name a million times over in a low toned voice, high playful voice and nothing works he will not move or listen until that car is out of his sight. holly is alot older then milo so im not worried about it rubbing off on her but they both pull and when holly is trying to pull to go home and milos pulling in the other direction to get to a car i look like some idiot who cant control her dogs to anyone who doesnt know them. i wish he wasnt scared of or trying to herd cars whichever of the 2 he is actually doing cause it scares me.

[katy_harvey]

(01-25-2012 12:36 PM)emzilouu Wrote:  im not sure if milo is trying to herd cars or is scared of them he lays down and stares at them and i try everything to get his attention, he isnt treat orientated outside so treats dont work, his ball doesnt work, tried blocking his view, tried to get him to focus on me and only me, when a car isnt around "this way milo" always works for him to come to me or the direction im going but that doesnt work, we say his name a million times over in a low toned voice, high playful voice and nothing works he will not move or listen until that car is out of his sight. holly is alot older then milo so im not worried about it rubbing off on her but they both pull and when holly is trying to pull to go home and milos pulling in the other direction to get to a car i look like some idiot who cant control her dogs to anyone who doesnt know them. i wish he wasnt scared of or trying to herd cars whichever of the 2 he is actually doing cause it scares me.

Harvey when he sees a car sometimes will lie FLAT on the pavement so that you can't move him, until the car goes away, or he lunges at it after it drives past... Fear based me thinks! Other times he will stalk them... so I dunoo... he isn't treat orientated on the lead but off he is.. obviously I can't train him off the lead near cars LOL. But I have started to be able to get his attention, I just stick the clicker RIGHT near his ear if he is showing me no signs of running towards the car, just having a look is fine, then he will be like "oh treat " but if I were to say his name or praise him he would ignore it. Sometimes he ignores the clicker and I have to stick a treat in his face lmao! He doesn't seem too interested in it though, he eats it really fast and goes back to looking at the car "/. I know we will get past it one way or another

[katy_harvey]

(01-25-2012 12:17 PM)Toddsmom Wrote:  I did have a golden retriever years ago when we lived on the farm who got hit by a car. But, in his defense it was a neighbor who had it out for him since the first time he chased one of their mangy cats out of your yard, and they actually swung in to our yard to hit him. On the downside, he ran along the side of the road (in the yard, but only be a few feet) along side of cars. Turned our backs on him one day and that was all that it took. And he was a 2 year old dog who had a terrible upbringing. It was much harder to break him of it than any of or border collies. And ultimately, we weren't able to and like I said, all it took was one time of turning our backs. Completely and utterly our fault that we weren't watching him.

Did he survive? :O

[emzilouu]

(01-25-2012 01:15 PM)katy_harvey Wrote:  

(01-25-2012 12:36 PM)emzilouu Wrote:  im not sure if milo is trying to herd cars or is scared of them he lays down and stares at them and i try everything to get his attention, he isnt treat orientated outside so treats dont work, his ball doesnt work, tried blocking his view, tried to get him to focus on me and only me, when a car isnt around "this way milo" always works for him to come to me or the direction im going but that doesnt work, we say his name a million times over in a low toned voice, high playful voice and nothing works he will not move or listen until that car is out of his sight. holly is alot older then milo so im not worried about it rubbing off on her but they both pull and when holly is trying to pull to go home and milos pulling in the other direction to get to a car i look like some idiot who cant control her dogs to anyone who doesnt know them. i wish he wasnt scared of or trying to herd cars whichever of the 2 he is actually doing cause it scares me.

Harvey when he sees a car sometimes will lie FLAT on the pavement so that you can't move him, until the car goes away, or he lunges at it after it drives past... Fear based me thinks! Other times he will stalk them... so I dunoo... he isn't treat orientated on the lead but off he is.. obviously I can't train him off the lead near cars LOL. But I have started to be able to get his attention, I just stick the clicker RIGHT near his ear if he is showing me no signs of running towards the car, just having a look is fine, then he will be like "oh treat " but if I were to say his name or praise him he would ignore it. Sometimes he ignores the clicker and I have to stick a treat in his face lmao! He doesn't seem too interested in it though, he eats it really fast and goes back to looking at the car "/. I know we will get past it one way or another

iv lost my clicker and milo is really good towards the clicker. milo lies flat to the pavement too and will only sometimes lunge at it but when a car comes i get him as far into the side as i can so hes nowhere near the edge of the road....its just a pain cause hes my left-hand dog and hollys my right cause i cant handle her in the left cause she pulls onto the road on my left and sometimes walks infront of me and ends up tripping me up but walks good as gold on my right and milo is good on my left apart from when a car comes. i will have to get another clicker and give it a try with that

[Hollythebc]

Holly doesn't chase cars, but i did notice that she is scared of lorries and buses, she would try and get away from them, then she got scared of all traffic, and the other day she actually refused to move for me!, it only seems to be when they come from behind her, she is not herding them at all, i ignore her and just carry on walking, well try!, she has not had anything happen to her, i walk her down a lane and cars go past and she is fine!, on the playing fields cars go past on the track and she ignores them, it's just when she is on the pavement and they come up from behind her.