There are very few dog traits that are more frustrating and nerve-racking than chasing. To stop Pit Bull chasing is critical because, depending on the location of the event, it can be extremely dangerous to both the chaser and the chase. A squirrel in the woods is one thing–you just walk up to the tree that your pittie is circling and get a hold of her.
A squirrel in a park running among picnickers, and across roadways is entirely different. Plus, a chasing event is certainly disruptive to any plans you might have of a serene walk with your dog. So, unless you want to leave your companion at home all the time, you’ll want to learn how to stop Pitbull chasing.
Training Methods
For whatever reason, your dog has learned to chase everything that moves. What do you do? It is obvious that your Pit Bull has to learn not to chase by going through a training program. We start with the leash to gain and maintain control over the dogs attention, and to keep her safe during the training period.
Keeping Pit Bull attention is very important. Dog needs to recognize you as the pack leader. If she doesn’t respect you and expect from you, then she will not listen to you. What does your Pitbull expect? Leadership and guidance. Once you have your Pitbull full attention, she or he will be ready to listen to commands. Make sure your dog knows that it is you who is in control of the situation. Then you can give dog the okay to start walking.
Leash training is a great way to begin to stop Pitbull chasing. The method itself is reasonably simple, but it can be tedious and frustrating. Once your Pit Bull ‘gets it’ though, it will have been well worth the patience because dog will have a much better understanding of who the control belongs to.
As you walk with your dog and Pitbull begins to pull, stop, bring her to your side, and make her-s sit until she is calm and focused on you. When dog is calm and focused, give the command to walk again. If your Pit Bull pulls again, stop, bring dog to your side, and make your pitty to sit until she is calm and focused, etc… Soon she will associate the sensation of pulling against the leash with stopping.
If your dog is off the leash, and spies a subject worthy of chase, it is a good tactic to distract Pit Bull attention with another object such as a favorite toy. If you notice that something has caught Pitbull attention that may give way to chase, just toss the toy out as a diversion. This can be quite effective.
Another method that works well is aversion. What you do is get a friend, who is also a friend of the dog’s, to ride by on a bicycle or skateboard, or jog by thus stimulating the dog’s desire to chase. To stop Pit Bull chasing here, have the friend halt, firmly say “no!”, and spray them with a water bottle. Many dogs will realize that catching the object of chase is not rewarding. Some dogs may take offense. That’s why it is important that your helper be a friend of the dog.
Things To Avoid
There are really no reasons to go to extremes to stop Pit Bull chasing. If you put in enough effort and patience, you should be able to curb your dog’s chasing habit in a short amount of time. If it just doesn’t seem to be working, you might consider calling on an expert to help. Whichever the case, do not resort to:
- Shock collars, Electric fences
- Hitting
- Yelling
- Choking
These measures are inhumane, and not always effective.
What starts out as amusing or cute when a dog is young can turn into an annoying and dangerous habit as the pup ages. Along with the stopping of biting, barking, jumping, and other undesirable behaviors, it is wise to stop Pit Bull chasing as early as possible in your dog’s development.