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Dogs have a natural instinct to chase things like cats, other dogs, and cars. And your dog likely has fallen victim to this. You know the routine. You’re minding your own business, walking your dog along your public sidewalk. When the ears perk and suddenly a cat is spotted off about 200 feet away. And then... it’s off to the races. There’s no stopping your dog, even if it’s on a leash. She’ll pull you until she gets her way, and the next thing you know you’re sniffing the cat right along with your pet.
But you can stop this behavior. It just takes knowing how and some practice. Your dog’s ears are great sensors of noise in just about any direction. The slightest movement and your dog knows when something is awry. The worst thing you can do when a cat, another dog or a car has caught your dog’s attention is to look in the direction of the other object. That’s acknowledging to your dog that that other object is something interesting and is worth pursuing. The best thing you can do if you see your dog’s ears perk up is to instantly tell it “no,” so it won’t be tempted to go after it.
If the “no” doesn’t do the trick, the next thing you need to do is to start walking in the direction away from the object that’s oh-so-interesting in the other direction. Then sharply jerk your dog’s leash. Jerk it once and then wait for it to adjust to walk by your side. Perhaps you need to say “heel.”
Many people feel they should drag their dogs away from the cat or dog. But this won’t solve the problem as well as a swift jerk and then a “heel.” Do this as many times as is necessary until your dog has corrected the situation and you have her attention once again.
If it’s a car that your dog is interested in, be sure to tell your dog “no,” if it even so much as looks in the direction of the car. Then run to the curb, and have your dog by your side.
It’s important that you train your dog to not be so interested in chasing. If you can do this, it may at some point save your dog’s life.
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