How to Prevent Chasing or Running Away
The dog chases another dog or another animal.
The dog chases a child or an adult.
The dog chases a car.
The dog chases a bicycle, a jogger, etc...
In order to determine the cause of his running away, ask yourself the following questions:
- What does the dog do when he leaves his territory? Does he stay around the house?
- Does he visit the neighbor's dog?
- Does he travel considerable distances?
- Does he chase people?
- Does he chase animals?
- Does he display other behavior? Which one(s)?
- Does the running away occur in the master's absence?
- Does the dog escape as often when the master is present as when he's absent?
- Could the running away have been caused by a change in the family's schedule or habit patterns?
- As far 'as sporadic running away is concerned, could it be caused by fear of a noise or a person?
- Does the problem show up in a precise pattern, or is it unpredictable?
- How often does the problem occur - once a month? Once a week, or more?
- When the dog returns after running away, is he punished for it?
- How is he punished? Is he verbally reprimanded?
- Is he struck? Do you use other punishment techniques?
- Does the dog get any exercise? Do you play with your dog?
Chasing: In their natural habitat, dogs must sometimes chase to survive. The instinct of chasing is deeply ingrained in the dog's subconscious. Though certain dogs were trained to work with herds of animals, all dogs possess this trait to a degree. In the wild, a terrified moving target that is flying away awakens the instinct to chase. A domestic dog with these same strong tendencies will react in a similar fashion, no matter what the moving target is : another dog, a cat, a squirrel, or even a car. A dog unable to spend excess energy will find a way to sublimate it.
Dogs chase either to get rid of an invader on his territory, by pure instinct to chase, or to play. For example, you are outside and you want to take a walk with your dog. He will be
obedient until a bicycle passes by and disturbs him; his urge to chase will be stronger than his will to obey your command. Because of unfortunate consequences which can result from a dog that chases and is completely out of control, such as someone (or the dog himself) getting hurt, the behavior must be modified.
Running away: The running away issue must be addressed. As in the case of destruction, a dog that runs away is not necessarily disobedient. He does not act this way to defy your authority. It could very well be that the dog runs away because he is afraid of somebody or something, or that he is just plain anxious. Where these dogs are concerned, the fear must be identified and eliminated. The dog, without necessarily running away, could develop behavior patterns in reaction to these fears, such as barking and wailing, even destruction. No matter why the dog runs away, it is imperative that you not scold him when he returns home. Nothing will be solved in this way, and catching the dog will become more difficult. In order to obtain a precise diagnosis, you must discover why the dog runs away.
