Dogs chasing passerbys

[LINDA RONEY]

We have two 3 year old shelties and live on a golf course.  When they are outside (fenced in) they chase after people/all golf carts and bark.  They are house broken, sit when told, come, and fetch.  What training method do you suggest to break them of this behavior?  We use a sonic device when sitting on the patio, and that works.  However, we cannot be outside with them every minute.  Please help!

  

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi, thank you for your question. It’s very common for herding breeds like Shelties to be highly stimulated by movement, consider they were selectively bred for herding small livestock and chasing or barking at people or golf carts is a natural extension of their instinct to control motion. That said, this behavior can become problematic, so yeah, it's wise that you're addressing it now.

What makes this behavior addicting is the fact that since the behavior is inadvertently reinforced (the “intruder” always moves away), it becomes a self-rewarding habit. Therefore the more they get to practice this, the more habit forming it becomes. 

It is therefore paramount to reduce or totally remove access to visual triggers. This can be done  through the use of privacy fencing, reed rolls, garden privacy screens or tall plants so as to blur the view of the golf coiurse. Even partial visual obstruction can help reduce arousal.

This is the ideal solution, because left to their own devices, the behavior will reoccur considering that it's a breed-specific behavior that is reinforcing of its own. If you only correct/redirect the behavior when you are present, the behavior will continue when you are not around due to its nature. So the choice is usually you either use some type of barrier to reduce arousal levels, or you only keep them outside when you are there to quickly redirect. Left on their own, they will make their own choices. 

In general, i like to use both approaches. In other word, I use some visual barriers, and on top of that i only let the dogs out when in my presence. This way I am always there and don't allow them to rehearse the undesirable behavior over and over. 

To quickly redirect, I like to us a kissing sound and toss high value treats the moment the dogs turn my way to look at me. I usually start this exercise indoors, using the look at that method. If your dogs can see the carts/people from your home, start indoors and the move on to having the dogs on leash (preferable one dog each with a helper) until the learn to pay attention to you and turn your way. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

The goal is to obtain a nice positive conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/

More info on dogs chasing things:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/chasing-things/

While sonic devices may interrupt barking in the moment, they do not address the underlying motivation and can increase anxiety if misused. If they suppress the barking without changing the emotional state (e.g., excitement, frustration), you may see a rebound in behavior when the device is removed or even other behavioral issues.

Often, chasing and barking are made worse by excess energy or boredom. Consider upping your dog's activity levels and mental stimulation through the use of:

Short nosework games, food puzzles, or “find it” games in the yard.

A daily routine of training, fetch, or walks before outdoor time.

Your dogs also benefit from good impulse control training; https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/

This type of behavior won’t resolve overnight, especially since it has likely been reinforced over time. But with a combination of management, structured training, and environmental modification, most dogs improve significantly.

I hope this helps, 

Happy Training!

 

[LINDA RONEY]

Great information.  I didn't associate their herding trait as part of the problem.  We so appreciate all you advice and will work to implement it.  This is so worth the subscription!

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Glad to hear! I am here is you need extra info or have questions.

Best,

Adrienne