If your dog bolts after everything that moves, you could have a serious problem on your hands, which needs to be stopped dead in its tracks as quickly as possible.

You need to stop your dog from chasing for a variety of reasons, including their own safety. Its sad to see a dog run over from chasing a car, and your neighbor will really be upset if he finally catches that cat. There are a lot of inherent dangers when your dog bolts after everything under the sun.

It can also be extremely difficult to have a nice, fun walk with your dog, if you don’t get it under control. So, rather than keeping them tied up all the time (which can often cause loads of other problems..) you should learn to stop your dog’s chasing habits before it becomes a major problem.

Basic Retraining Techniques

The fact is that your dog needs some simple retraining in order to get under control. If you want to stop when your dog bolts off, you need to retrain them to following your commands, and limit the fixation that they have on moving objects.

Leash training is a great way to do this, but you can’t just slap on a leash and expect the problem to go away. However, with a little training, you can virtually eliminate the dog chasing problem for good

Leash Training

Often, your dog will want to drag you along as they pull on their leash trying to chase after something. In order to properly leash train a dog, you should teach them to focus on you whenever they are on the lead. Make them stop and start at your commands. Whenever they get rowdy, or try to bolt after a squirrel or another dog, make them stop, sit, and calm down before your walk continues.

Focus on YOU

When your dog bolts after other moving objects, one of the first things that you need to do is teach your dog to focus its attention on you rather than the object he is trying to chase. Most of the time, this is the step that people miss when training their dog, and it is often the most important step.

In order for this to work, you need to establish strong powerful leadership. Once you have done that, when you walk your dog make sure that they are looking at you before they start moving. If they get distracted, force them to stop sit down calmly, and focused attention on you before continuing.

Redirecting Their Attention

one of my favorite tricks is to redirect their attention. Rather than just telling them “NO”, you can redirect their attention by giving them a chew toy to chase after. When you see that they are about to be distracted, throw their favorite toy and left them chase that instead of the moving object.

Aversion Training

Another way to stop your dog chasing problem is through aversion. You will need help from a friend to do this. Have them write a bicycle, jogged by, or slowly drive by in a car. Use whatever your dog likes to chase. When your dog bolts after them, stop in spray them with the water bottle. For most dogs, this will teach them that it is not as much fun to chase. Notice: this will not work on all dogs! Some dogs will simply get angry at the water bottle, and could grow aggressive if you do it too much.

Avoid Extreme Measures

Often, people will turn to extreme measures in order to retrain their dogs. When your dog bolts after moving objects, extreme measures can often cause more harm than good. Avoid using shock collars, electric fences, and other extreme measures. These are often inhumane, and they can often lead to aggressive behavior from your dog. If your dog does not stop chasing, you should consider consulting a professional dog trainer instead.

Remember, if your dog bolts after cats, cars, or other people, it could be an annoying habit that could really turn dangerous for them as well as for others. Get your dog bolting problem under control now before it is too late.