Hello! I'm curious about how dogs learn to be safe around cars. Sully is never off leash on walks but I realize we have an artificial living situation that has put my dog in jeapordy. I live in a very small elderly/disabled housing program (4 houses) set very far off a main route on a private road in town. It is a very small town and most residents are not even aware that we are back here. The only vehicles that come down this road are residents, deliveries, and the occasional visitor. It is a very small town with one fairly new, hotly contested, stoplight and no sidewalks, so I never walk on the main road.

The cars that do come down our private road tend to travel slowly, thank God, and the occupants all know Sully. As a result, Sully has learned to see cars as carriers of fun and cuddles, rather than potential killing machines. The other day she and I were socializing with a neighbor, a younger disabled man who is strong but in a wheelchair. He and I were both right with her but she took off after a car and the leash slipped from both our fingers. He and I are both pretty calm and soft-spoken but we both freaked, especially since Sully was in front of the car and we couldn't even see her. Certainly Sully and I will need to spend even more time working on recall as Sully ignored both of us calling her. I am sure she was also well out of sight of the driver who wasn't even someone we recognized.

Worse, by the time we got to them Sully was already getting lots of attention and patting from the driver who must have seen her, thank God!! On walks in general I have always been made her stop at the edge of the road and not let her step off the grass onto the road without permission, but clearly that is not nearly enough, especially in a place where we don't have typical roads and the grass is often obscured by snow. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Drivers on the main rural routes are certainly not expecting dog and pedestrian traffic and I don't have a way to get Sully to other areas for practice. I know my best hope for good corgi advice is to ask you all. Thanks!