Agree with this. Parker is very, very cat predatory and we live in a neighbourhood where a lot of the houses have cats. I have clicker trained him to be calm within a certain distance of cats and he can ignore them then and watch me. However, I cross the road when I get to the houses where they have really mean cats that lie in wait for unsuspecting dogs and attack them (yes this did happen to him) and he gets the chance to exert chase behaviour with his ball on the heath.

The 2 occasions where he has been off-lead and a cat has suddenly appeared in the middle of the heath he has taken off in frantic pursuit and recalled immediately when I have called him (to my surprise!). He then received a "jackpot" of treats.

I don't have anything constructive to add, but I just wanted to thank SB and especially Denise.

It is the first time anyone has ever said to me "some things are so ingrained that they cannot be totally changed", or words to that effect.

Jake is a car chaser. He used to stalk, twirl, lunge bark.. etc.

He still stalks, if not on a head collar. He no longer lunges, twirls or barks. I've achieved that with rewards for good behaviour (or just rewarding a car to start with!). I am under no illusions, if he was off lead, he would chase cars.

The solution is obvious, I never let Jake near a car off lead.

All the books I have read have fluffed this subject. There really is no answer is there?

Er what does that famous poem say? Something about wanting the willpower to change what can be changed and the acceptance for what can't be changed and the wisdom to know the difference.

I've tried for years to change Cherry's fear reactivity to other dogs. People have told me that I was wasting my time and that it was in her genes and I wouldn't get anywhere. Perhaps they were partly right as I will never be able to have her off-lead and mixing with other dogs as I can Parker. BUT she will now happily meet small dogs and familiar large dogs normally and ignore other dogs as long as they don't charge her so to me that is massive progress albeit not the end result I had in mind.

But you can't say that of the author of this book

I agree this would be very difficult, and perhaps not practical in Cloud's particular case, however, the book is not a tailored individual programme, it's a general book for dog owners, after all. One can't cover every eventuality in a book, to be fair. It is, overall, a good book and a good method (IMO!)

The main points are that the target of chasing is altered, and that the dog's mood state is always taken into account so that the dog is fulfilled and doesn't just rely on chasing to produce "feel good" in its life.

I do recall at a seminar, DR was talking about one of his most difficult cases, a beardie that was crazy for chasing but it had really bad hip dysplasia. I cannot remember the resolution for that dog at all, or if indeed there was one.

Wys
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I keep double posting, sorry! Mad morning!

My point being, play instils a bond and trust, and therefore, when you have that, your dog won't chase things it's not supposed to chase IMO!

An interesting opinion, however in my EXPERIENCE this is absolutely untrue!

Just out of interest, have you read the book under discussion? I only ask as you haven't mentioned trying to alter your dog's target of chasing, which is part of what is recommended. Sorry if I'm behind and you've done it and not found it helped

Wys
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and in my experience, being on my 8th german shepherd, it is or it has helped me, to say the least, it can't be dismissed! No, of course I don't have the qualifications for my gsd's like you do (never had the inclination), but I do have experience of having owned, well behaved obedient ones, who have never had the inclination to chase anything because they have me. I can't answer for rescues, because mine have been brought up and trained by me, it's totally different imo with rescues, they have never had the chance of testing my theory perhaps.

No, I haven't read the book in question, but the poster did look up my particular problem, which wasn't really covered. The problem is, it isn't really a chasing thing. That is, I obviously have never let Jake actually chase a car. I'm not even sure if he would chase it, though I presume he would.

I have watched his natural behaviour to cars when we have been down a quiet lane, and you can hear one coming a mile away. He goes and lies in the middle of the road. I'm not sure if he is trying to herd them, chase them, or scared of them. He totally ignores motorbikes and tractors for instance. Maybe it is the sound a car makes? When we have had to pass a stationary oil delivery lorry, he has been really scared by it.

All of which makes it a bit hard to find something similar for him to focus on!

Border collie's tend to herd cars - have you tried agility or herding sheep lessons for him - this tends to work. I thought you meant he chases cars.