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Permalink Reply by Kyle, Megan and Loki on December 8, 2009 at 3:48pm

Loki likes to bark at passing loud cars, mostly broken him of it by holding him close when you hear them coming and telling him "no chase" . Just prevent them from chasing the vehicle and or getting worked up, and when they don't praise them. The earlier you start these things the better.

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Permalink Reply by Carlie on December 8, 2009 at 4:49pm

We have worked with our puppy, who's now 8 months old, consistently. It's taken us a very long time, but it is paying off. When we know that there's a car coming we stand in front of him, say his name and make him sit, hold a treat in front of his face and keep his attention while the car drives by. We praise him and then tell him ok and give him the treat after the car is down the street. Like I said, it has taken some consistent training, but he is MUCH better than he was. He used to bark and try to attack them when they drove by. Now he might bark but he knows when he hears his name to look at us and he'll normally get a treat. Keep with it, I promise it can be done, it just has to be treated as a positive thing. She should associate cars with treats...that way she'll be less fearful each time. Also, you might want to try some high value treats in the beginning, i.e. chicken, peanut butter, or something she doesn't ALWAYS get...that way she'll associate the high value treats with the cars. Good luck with it!! I hope it works for you :). You definitely won't need to get a shock collar...

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on December 8, 2009 at 6:37pm

I did not have this problem with cars but encountered a similar situation with the trails we walk in the park behind us. My corgis are very social but not every jogger or walker wants a greeting when they pass. So I carried good treats with me and when we encountered someone I used the "look" command and when I had their attention they got a treat. Then I tapered off to having a little kibble with me and now nothing. (a good treat would be Zukes or hotdog pieces etc) They are great now when we walk and really don't pay attention to strangers unless they stop and invite a greeting. Mine are very food motivated so that helps. Another thing to try would be a firm no and a tug of the leash (not too hard) but it depends on how excited she is. Teaching look or watch is a really good beginning thing to train. Just hold a great treat by your face with one hand and say the command. As soon as she looks up at you give her the treat. You can practice it several times a day and it really helps with other things you try to train her.

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Permalink Reply by Sunni A. on December 8, 2009 at 9:45pm

I just kept walking, pulling him along. I didn't want him to think the sight of a car meant a treat or a scold....... I didn't want him to think anything at all would happen. Eddy could now care less about cars, bikes, skateboards, etc. I also thought it wasn't "working" for like a month, but it did. This is just me, though. We've corrected multiple problems by ignoring. He still likes joggers because most of them stop!

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Permalink Reply by Beth on December 8, 2009 at 10:42pm

If she is still young, you might try ignoring the behavior as Sunni A suggests by making her keep walking and see if she outgrows it. Jack used to bark at flowerpots and stuff when he was a puppy, and just gave up on them as he matured.

Redirecting is also good, as is teaching "look" or an alternative (I snap my fingers, but that's just me.... Jack is so intense at looking at my face that I really didn't need to direct him there, but every dog is different). I think everything suggested here sounds like good advice!

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