Training Issues

[bob the dog]

Hey guys, as you can probably see im new around here and im also from a little country called Wales within the UK. Anyways hello to everyone on here. I was wondering if any of you guys have experienced any of the problems I have had to deal with, with my 9 month old male Border Collie (named bob, in case anyone hadn’t guessed by my username) The first one is that he wants to chase cars if we’re out walking and therefore making it impossible to let him off his lead or leash as you guys across the water call it. The second one is he HATES strangers and children? Although if the stranger is walking with a dog of their own he absolutely LOVES them. Can anybody offer any advice on how to deal with these problems?

[Tassie]

Hey Bob the dog ? welcome to you and your human. I see no-one has answered yet, so I?ll give you my 2 cents worth.

 

On the car-chasing ? it is a major problem (I have one like that). Unless you?re prepared to use major aversives, you just have to accept that you can?t have the dog off-lead where there is traffic. You can moderate the behaviour by asking for incompatible behaviours such as look at me/sit/down ? but you can?t rely on these overcoming the chase drive.

 

I would be working much harder on the dog?s reactions to people. Here you can do quite a lot, though 9 months is later than desirable ? still, better late than never. BTW, what do you mean by ?hates? - what does the dog do?

 

You will need lots of treats, and lots of willing helpers if you can organize them. I would have the dog on lead, for safety?s sake. Have your helper toss the dog a treat from a distance just outside the dog?s discomfort zone. Walk on a little, and then repeat ? many times. (This works better with a hungry dog and really yummy treats ? small ones, though.) You should gradually see the dog?s discomfort zone diminish ? but take it very gradually ? and have the helper not look at the dog initially.

 

If you can?t recruit helpers, then you can do the treating yourself.

 

If your dog knows the clicker, you can click for a calm look at the person, and then treat.

 

I?m not sure if this makes sense ? if not, I?ll try to make it clearer.