Dog question: How to stop Frodo from lunging after cars while on the leash?

Punishment everytime he does it.

Distance, duration and distraction.

Same as you would do for leash reactivity.

Keep the greatest distance from the stimulus, cars, as possible to start thing off.

A car seen and you cut the duration of the incident by heading off in the opposite direction. This can require anticipation of the event and a forestalling move away from the car.

Distract the dog with a treat when the car is spotted, or spot the car before the dog and work that sit/treat action into the mix.

Punishment could be the instant termination of the walk ( a waiting period ensues then before the next walk—10 minutes should do ) if the behavior is evidenced.

Be consistent

Make sure you have a long leash so you don’t go into traffic with him. lol
Seriously….I would get a prong collar in his size and let him make the association on his own. They are a good tool for correcting many problem behaviors on leash.
I used one with a large dog I had years ago that would drag me around. Worked like a charm.

A water squirt gun? Works to keep them off furniture. A choke chain? Stops forward motion. Other people will know better than I.

Take a can with a few beans in it and shake it every time. I read that a tug on the leash works, but my husband tugged too hard and broke a vertebrae in our dog’s neck

@YARNLADY Beans idea is a thought; the tug won’t work, he is tugging as hard as he can and so am I.

Get him into a dog obedience class. They should help a lot with all sorts of struggles you are having.

This could be a good investment:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dog-Pet-Puppy-Bark-Remote-Training-Shock-Collar-Colar-Coller-Electronic-Electric-/281134336174

@snowberry We are. We had our first lesson on Sunday.

@ragingloli I am hoping to use gentler methods if possible.

@Neodarwinian “Punishment could be the instant termination of the walk ( a waiting period ensues then before the next walk—10 minutes should do ) if the behavior is evidenced.”

^ I doubt a dog would make the connection that his behaviour led to this “time-out”.

@janbb I would not get a prong collar, yank on his leash or hurt him in any way: Punishment like that can lead to a nervous dog, the most dangerous kind. Imagine the world through a dog’s eyes…a squirrel, wow. Humans…I love humans… A CAR. Those are SO much fun. What’s that smell?! And now there’s a kid running past!

It is very possible that you end up with your dog lunging at squirrels or kids instead of cars…dogs make the weirdest connections.

For this reason, I would even avoid water guns and loud noises for now. I would start by buying a clicker, if you haven’t already got one. Teaching Frodo that a clicking noise equals food/toys/praise – essentially, paradise – should not take more than three ten minute sessions. Afterwards, you have an instant reward at your disposal, and just a look in your direction can be reinforced. Puppies learn fast, and it is much more fun if you don’t have to be the bad guy.

I would focus on getting Frodo to look at you instead of sitting. It seems more practical, as you won’t have to stop for every single car.

@ragingloli I hope you are not seriously suggesting a shock collar for a puppy with a minor behavioral issue.

You could try a head halter or a front lead harness for a gentler option than a prong collar.

@wildpotato Good suggestions too.

I worked on sitting during our walk tonight while cars were not present.

@janbb Who’s the top dog in the pack? Does he know and accept you are the top dog? That’s the first step. He doesn’t look that strong. Who wins the tug battle?

” ^ I doubt a dog would make the connection that his behavior led to this “time-out”. ”

Doubt it if you will, but you would be wrong. Three strikes and out is common corrective ” punishment ” for announcement barking and extreme barrier frustration on kennel exiting

This is not a problem that yields to clicker training as a clicker is the reinforcement sound one could use in conjunction with the distraction treat. .

I read ’ Don’t Shoot The Dog ’ by Karen whats-her-name and it was promoted at the shelters I have volunteered at ( not at the one I volunteer at now ) but I am no more impressed with this technique than I am impressed with the authors vapid defense of B. F. Skinner. It is not a dichotomy; behaviorism or negative reinforcement. It is a eclectic approach that has the best results. Nothing more dangerous than a dog trainer that is a ” true believer ” in behaviorist technique.

People who make the mistake that dogs are mere automatons, just association machines, denigrate the dog and stifle learning with behaviorist claptrap. Dogs can and will think if allowed to do so.

@wildpotato
Yes, a haltie or a gentle leader can work wonders with some dogs.

Choke chains are nasty. The prong collar is much more humane than old fashioned choke chains. The dog gives a sharp pull it gets a little pinch. It backs off and the pressure is gone instantly.

Choke collars are inhumane in my opinion.
Prong or pinch training collars are the way to go for best results.

@Coloma Some dogs are so insensitive to pain that they can still hurt themselves by pulling with a prong collar. But for dogs that do respond to pain, that collar might do fine. I still prefer the halter because it re-directs a dog’s attention by pulling its head around. A prong collar won’t do that. OP might have to try several options before they find one, or even a combination that works.

@snowberry I had a very large, ( 96. lb. ) hound. I know Frodo is a small dog, but halter or otherwise he definitely needs to stop this dangerous behavior.

People can suggest all kinds of stuff, but the most important element is the owner.
If you’re not giving the right commands at the right time in the right way then a dog isn’t going to learn anything. Everything else is just bells & whistles.

@Neodarwinian Be assured, I am not a “true believer”. I do have a very docile and unproblematic dog, though.
Assuming the OP and her dog don’t spend the entire day in front of the house, I still say…by the time they are back home, Frodo will not be thinking about cars.

And with your “distraction-sit-treat” system, you are advocating positive reinforcement, which is what I am suggesting, too. Consequently… if I am treating dogs as “association machines”, so are you.

Start with obedience class. You and your dog will both learn how to keep his attention on you (“Look”, “Yes!!”, treat). Once he learns the command and the reward for paying attention to you, preemptively draw his attention and then reward for ignoring the car. Eventually, with consistent training, he’ll look at you automatically when a car goes by.

No punishment or equipment necessary (except cookies).

@longgone

” Be assured, I am not a “true believer”. I do have a very docile and unproblematic dog, though. ”

Which is where you started. This is the behaviorist confusion.

” Assuming the OP and her dog don’t spend the entire day in front of the house, I still say…by the time they are back home, Frodo will not be thinking about cars. ”

Really? I suggest you brush up on what is now know about Canid behavior and leave that older thinking about dog memory behind.

Do you know what the word eclectic means? I use some behaviorist technique ( stripped of ” true believer ” ideology ) and I also read the whole comment and try to understand it.

Try to focus on the dog, not the technique, and you will see that one size does not always fit all even if protocol is followed.

I don’t believe in choke collars but some will tell you to use that, but I will use a full body harness for walks, even for my little one (dog).

Also I pull her to the ditch or curb and say “car” so she knows she has to wait a minute before re-starting our walk. It works if you continue it. The harness will keep your dog safe if you keep a firm hold or wrap around your wrist.