[CountryDogs]

I live on a dead end rural dirt road. There are only two houses past mine. I have an adult German Shepherd (he literally showed up on my doorstep one day). The problem is that he chases, lunges at, and bites the neighbors' cars when they pass by. He has almost been hit numerous times by one neighbor that just drives through as fast as possible to get by him. While he seems to be doing his job of canvassing and protecting the property, I do not want him to get injured. Does anyone have any tips to correct this behavior?

Side note: I have a dog door, so be comes and goes as he pleases, unless I block the dog door access. However, it isn't possible to predict when a car will drive by the property. Also, I have a fenced yard, but he can jump over the fence without difficulty. Any tips to help change this behavior are appreciated.

 

[unfortunatefoster]

I would certainly work on keeping your dog in your fenced yard. If he causes injury, you will be liable. If he is clearing a 4 foot fence in a single bound, you can run an interior fence a couple of feet inside the existing one or add an extension on top. If he is climbing, there are roller bars (that you can diy) that are placed on top of the fence that prevents them from getting a grip. Google 'how to stop a dog from jumping the fence' and you will find 100's of ideas to assist you.

As far as stopping the chasing, you can't do that unless you are with him. It's training, but I don't think it can be reliable unless you are present with a fail proof recall.

 

[sebrench]

One of my GSDs jumps our 5-foot-fence, so I know how frustrating that can be. He won't jump it if I'm outside with him, so I just don't leave him outside unsupervised. If it was me, I'd either find a way to keep him in the fence or not allow him outside alone. The easiest fix might be buying him a secure outdoor kennel because he's going to get hurt if he keeps chasing cars.

 

[Aly]

This is one of those instances in which I don't believe that you'll be successful in changing his behavior. I may be wrong, but I don't think so. More to the point, why continue the risk by attempting to change it? I think that your task will always and only be about management. That is, the dog can't be outside offleash or unfenced, and without your direct supervision.

I like @unfortunatefoster's suggestions for beefing up the security of your fencing. I also would suggest that you (a) secure the dog door whenever you're not home and (b) keep the dog inside whenever you're not home or are at home and occupied with something else.

I say this for three reasons. First, there is the awful pain of losing a dog to an accident that is entirely preventable; dog vs. car rarely ends well. Second, depending on where you live, if anyone is injured because of his car chasing proclivities, you could risk strict liability and could lose everything. Finally, your dog is creating a hazardous nuisance to your neighbors, their visitors and delivery people. I can't see why you'd want that to continue.

You have my sympathies, but you've got to take steps now to protect your dog, yourself and your neighbors.

Aly

 

[Nurse Bishop]

All the neighbors, dogs I have ever known that chased cars were eventually found dead on the side of the road.

 

[dogma13]

A higher fence,coyote rollers,electrify the fence with a battery powered system are all options.I agree with Aly that he will never be trustworthy out on the property on his own.

 

[Magwart]

You can raise the fence through many methods that cost less than re-installing a new fence -- my favorite is attaching framed lattice panels and planting flowering vines (or bamboo). We've had several adopters who did this with low chain-link, with the nice benefit of creating a privacy barrier. It can look quite pretty...and the dog won't want to chase what it can't see. It might help him relax.

 

[LuvShepherds]

If you plan to keep him, you need to break him of chasing. I fostered a purebred rare breed hound that was a wheel chaser. She even wanted to chase strollers, skateboards and wheeled backpacks. I had her a month and was just starting to make progress on stopping her when she was adopted. It’s a very difficult habit to break because it is self reinforcing. The dog barks and chases, and the car drives away. In his mind, he has chased off an intruder. The dog I had was very responsive to a training collar, so I put her in one on a 6’ leash. When she rushed a wheel, she reached the end of the leash and stopped short. I rewarded her for coming back to me. My plan was to work her at 6’, then move her to a long line and work at a greater distance from me. I don’t know if I would have been successful. In the month I worked with her, I didn’t stop her chasing but she knew to stop when she reached 6’.

 

[Aly]

I like @Magwart's idea about improving the visible height of your fencing, OP. Just wanted to note that the few dedicated chasers that I've known were equally aroused by the sight and sound of vehicles (e.g., bikes, cars, wagons, etc). Something to keep in mind.

Aly

 

[huntergreen]

I would do all the above and use a prong collar with a long line leash so you give a correction to stop the car chasing.

 

[clipke]

I recommend tying an e-collar possibly. Great deterrent for any negative behavior really. I only use the vibration setting on mine, electricity I don't feel comfortable with. GSDs are an extremely smart breed, he'll get the message and connect the two. Annoying vibration when I do this? I guess I won't do it anymore. I rarely need my e-collars as my dogs get the picture after less than a few minutes of use. I'd get an e-collar and a long leash. Keep some control of the long leash and expose him to whatever you want to prevent so he doesn't get hit(keep him 10 feet away or so, just wait for the lungeing), and then use the e-collar and whatever command you use for no, he'll get pick it up fast.