My abused dog chases cars and nipped someone. What should I do?

Zeke is a very handsome guy! I see that he looks like an Australian Shepherd or a Border Collie. It's very common for herding breeds to try and chase fast-moving objects like cars. To address this problem, you will need to start with Zeke on a leash at a distance from the road. You need to be far enough away that is able to notice the cars going by without reacting - this may mean you need a *lot* of distance at first, depending on how sensitive he is. Each time a car goes by, praise and reward him with a treat for staying calm. When he's doing well with this, you can gradually begin moving closer to the road, one step at a time. If he gets too excited and tries to chase, just move further away until he can be calm, and work your way closer again. Eventually, with practice, he should be able to stand calmly with you on the sidewalk even with cars driving by a few feet away. It's also important to keep Zeke on-leash or in a safely enclosed area at all times, to prevent him from practicing his car chasing behavior outside of training sessions. It can be challenging to do this on your own in some cases, so if you're still having trouble, I would recommend finding a good reward-based trainer who can work with you in person. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

Hi there! Many dogs are highly aroused by movement and have a tendency to chase cars. What your trainer recommended - teaching your dog to do something else, such as sit or look at you, for a treat instead of lunging after the car - is indeed the best approach, and it's what I recommend as well. I would NOT use a shock collar, as this has a high risk of causing other behavioral issues such as aggression or anxiety, and will not do anything to teach your dog what you want him to do instead. Practice at a distance at first where he can be successful (which may need to be a long way from the road, at first), and praise and reward him with a treat for sitting calmly or looking up at you whenever a car passes by. As he gets better at this, you will be able to gradually move closer to the road until eventually he can do it even when the cars are very close by. You could also consider a Gentle Leader head halter to give you better physical control of him and help prevent lunging, if you need something that will work quickly while you're still working on training him.

I would highly recommend keeping him on a leas for a while until he is better trained. I would recommend starting with basic commands like come, sit and play. I would take him some place not crowded and keep him attached to a leash and start with the above commands. once he starts responding you can add length to his leash. Once he starts coming to you on a really long leash you can start to remove the leash. It will take a while but you can teach him to listen to you in a crowded area.

Unfortunately nipping/lashing out/aggression is a very complex topic and one that may be difficult to fix without a trainer. Because it is multifactoral- Bernie’s temperament, your temperament, Bernie’s experiences, your experiences, the environment- your surest, fastest and safest bet is to work with a trainer or behaviorist. Basically, the trainer will watch you and Bernie, paying attention to how you react to each other and the environmental stimulus. The trainer will then work with both of you to modify both of your behaviors to meet a common goal. The humane society can often recommend a trainer/behaviorist. Otherwise go online and read ratings and reviews. There are several different training methods so you will need to find the one that works best for you and your pup. You should also stop by the library and pick up a few books about dog behavior and dog training so that you can learn to recognize Bernie’s body language. By knowing what he is saying, you be better able to react before he nips. You have to step in at level 2, by the time he nips he’s already at level 10. I hope this at least points you in the right direction. Please post again with any further questions.

Poor Bandit! It does sound like he's very fearful of new people - this is a fairly common problem in dogs, and can be due to genetics, inadequate socialization as a puppy, and/or negative experiences with strangers in the past. The good news is, most dogs with this problem are able to improve tremendously with some help from a professional. I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Bandit in person and help you put together a detailed treatment plan for him - this would normally include management recommendations to help keep him from being put in situations that are overwhelming for him, a training plan to teach him to associate new people with good things (usually treats!), and possibly also medication depending on the severity of his anxiety. It can be very challenging to try and do this on your own if you don't have any experience working on this problem, so I would definitely recommend having a behaviorist help you - especially since he does sometimes try to bite. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

GSD are already very high strung and skittish dogs so you really need to get a handle on this before it gets worse. Most often GSDs will resort to fear biting if they are uncomfortable around people. You need to get a trainer to work with you at your house, in her environment. Behavior issues are not a quick fix - they take a lot of time, training and dedication. There is nothing magical I can tell you over the internet to fix this. With a GSD you need professional intervention with a trainer in your home so they can see how she interacts with people, what her triggers are, etc. Here is a trainer in your area. I am not endorsing her as I do not know her in any way. I suggest you contact her and see if she can help you. If not, maybe she can refer you to someone who can. https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/Debi_Buchholz Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I am sorry to hear about your dog. I would recommend asking your veterinarian if there is a veterinary behaviorist near you, or consulting https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709 to find a veterinary behaviorist who may be able to help you. These vets are specially trained in behavior issues of this type and may use a combination of specialized training/behavior modification as well as medications if deemed necessary.