My Cairn has a real problem with cars, bicycles and motor bikes driving past him when we are out walking on the country lanes around where we live. He would (if I let him) jump out at them barking and growling furiously and then as they go past chase them. He's great with people, dogs and horses by the way.
I have tried so many things over the last year to try and cure him of this problem, I am almost at a loss now.
I have tried the Aboistop collar.Then a treat if he hadn't reacted
Giving him a treat to distract him.
Asking him to sit and stay as the car goes past, then a treat if he hadn't reacted. None of these things has worked in the long term.
Does anyone have any other ideas?
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Hi Andi,

I have a friend currently experiencing this problem (different breed, but don't think that's necessarily relevant).  With her dog she only ever sees traffic on country lanes as she is not near any main roads heading for their twice daily constitutionals :)  I suggested finding a wide, relatively busy road with good broad pavements on each side and taking her dog daily to sit or walk by literally constant traffic (always oncoming - never from behind). It took only about a week to see a big change in her dog's attitude.  I reckon this works for her dog because a) there are so many cars to get over agitated about he exhausted himself within 5/10 minutes on his first outing and b) continual habituation with the problem - but wide roads and pavements meant he was well enough back from the traffic - meant he had no negative experiences.

You don't say how old your dog is but again this may have a bearing on how well (quickly) he will respond.  Of course please remember that it is also essential to praise him every time he behaves acceptably :P

Sincerely hope this helps, and that others may offer you some additional and alternative suggestions as obviously it can't be much fun for either of you.

Very best wishes, Teri :)    

A couple of things I'#ve picked up in your post -

1) 'If I let him' - does this mean you physically restrain him?  If so, he may well pick up on the tension in the lead and believe you are concerned about the approaching object rather than his behaviour - this will encourage him to be defensive........

2) Nothing has worked - all of the training methods you have described work by showing the dog the reward for NOT barking is better than the reward for barking, BUT, this dog has already learnt he gets a reward for barking, and he probably still is, because the object goes away, which is inevitable in situations which are not set up specifically for training purposes.  Also, there is something called an 'extinction burst' - which drives the dog to bark more if he stops getting the reward (of the retreat of the object) before he finally realises it's not going to happen.

Bearing these in mind, you really need to set up opportunities for the dog to bark, and for you NOT to tighten the lead (tie him to a bench or similar, making sure 100% he can't get loose and into the road) and to get the help of a friend/friends to replicate the situations under which he barks.  THEN you can reward him for not barking.  It is important when training like this that he doesn't get the chance to perform the behaviour NOT under your control (ie, when walking down the road) as this will delay him understanding that things have changed.

Yes digger, I do restrain him otherwise as small as he is and in his apocalyptic reaction to the car (he sounds like he is being murdered) he has the strength to pull us both into the path of the vehicle. I do understand and take on board what you are saying though and I am giving it some thought.
Teri, Hamish is just over a year old. We do actually have a very busy road about a mile away which I could take him too at rush hour. I'll give that a go too and incorporate that idea into what Digger was saying. Thanks folks I'll let you know how I get on.
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