Dog chase car.

Question:
I have a13-month-old rescue Labrador X Collie. He is fine until it comes to roads.
Firstly, when he sees cars he attempts to chase them. Even when we are at home he watches them. In the car he is the same; we have tried fitting a dog guard and travelling him in his cage- but neither method works. When we take him for a walk we cannot avoid roads. As he is getting older he is getting stronger so it's harder to control him.

We have tried a few things: a choke chain, a water pistol and a whistle. When on the choke chain he doesn't seem to care how tight it is. Using the water pistol or whistle works for a while but then he gets used to it and goes back to his normal self.

Laura Johnstone, Inverness.

Answer:
Your problem in the car can be resolved quite easily. Go back to using your cage and coverit completely as, if your dog cannot see the cars, then he should be calmer.

The problem of walking him should be improved by using a head collar, which will control your dog's head. It is easier to control the dog this way. Having got the head collar, you may also want to
try some gentle desensitization.

For example, I often go to a local car park where the cars have to move very slowly because of speed bumps; it's best to take the dog when he is hungry. I then sit on a bench not too close to the traffic but near enough. Then it is a matter of waiting and being patient. Every time your dog looks at you, reward him with tasty treats and gentle praise. This takes time but it really does help.

Other options could be dog training discs or a remote-controlled spray collar. If you are really struggling then it may be worth calling in a trainer who can offer some hands-on help with this problem.

_{source Your Dog Mag.}