How to Stop a Dog or Puppy Chasing

This is one of the hardest obedience issues that many dog owners face, and often dogs are given up because their owners can’t stop them from chasing things. To discover how to stop your dog from chasing, you need to determine what your dog is getting out of the act of chasing. The motivation behind the chase needs to be known to devise a plan to stop it.

Since each motivation is different, each fix will be different. If the chasing is true predatory behavior, then it needs to be known so that it can be fixed. Some of the signs that your dog is chasing out of predatory reasons are:

1.       Many times more than one thing will be the target, such as cars, rabbits, cats, joggers, and bicycles.

2.       Dogs will go all over looking for something to chase

3.       Dogs will be very excited when they see any prey, sometimes making small noises at the sight or smell.

4.       They may chase after they have searched or stalked something.

5.       They do it anywhere.

6.       It is enhanced when something moves.

If your dog does two or any of these things, they are probably predatory chasing. This is something that dogs are ingrained with, and it teaches canines how to catch prey for them to survive. Dogs are usually trained using external reinforcement, via a biscuit and pat when they behave correctly. Internal reinforcement is the brain giving the body a sense of enjoyment.

The inherited hunting in dogs is internally reinforcing. Dogs do it for the pleasure they receive from it. Chasing is a motor pattern that they have inherited. When dogs chase, they are being internally reinforced whenever they do it. Since dogs become so immersed in the act, owners cannot recall their dogs, simply because the dogs focus is totally on what they are doing. Dogs that have high chase drives are extremely difficult to stop through external reinforcement. There is no way to punish them into stopping for good either.

It is easier to stop dogs with a lower chase drive, although more than likely the internal reinforcement will win over the biscuit or punishment. When we understand that dogs chase not to disobey, but because they are hardwired to do it, it makes it easier to understand how to control it, since you cannot train a dog not to chase as you can train them to sit.

The first step in dealing with a chase problem that has been there for a while isn’t through isolation. If they are denied an opportunity to improve their emotions, they can become anxious and over stressed. You first have to take out things in your dog’s life that cause anxiety, and give them as many emotional improvers as possible. Things that cause anxiety can be noise, social issues, or separation issues. Things that improve emotion are a dog walker, chew toys, and things like that. This should be done since things that cause anxiety make the dog long for the chase even more. By talking these things out of their environment, they will feel the need to get a high from chasing less.

Another way to stop your dog from chasing is by using a toy as a substitution for something they like to chase. If they consider playing with the toy great fun, they can be effectively distracted when they feel the need to chase. It takes time and patience, but you can teach your dog to stop chasing.