Why do dogs bark at cars?
So what’s with all the chasing and barking?
Does your dog bark and try to chase the running cars on his walk?
Ever wonder why he does that?
We all must have seen the stray dogs chasing and barking at the passing by cars, a person riding a cycle or runner, or even the newspaperman. Some of you never give it a serious thought but if you’ll read on you’ll be surprised to know that there is a legit reason behind their behavior.
Car chasing and barking are totally natural behaviors for dogs, but if not corrected early, it can turn out to be a very serious problem more serious than you’ll ever realize. Yes, for your pet dog – if your dog barks and tries to pull on the leash on his walk in an attempt to chase the fast-moving cars, then definitely you need to correct this behavior.
Chasing habits don’t only put your dog at risk of getting hit by a car but also the car’s driver, runners or any other road users are at risk. So I’ve gathered information on the reason behind the dog’s car chasing and barking behavior.
Why do Dogs Bark and Chase after cars?
Dogs chase and bark when they are hunting it is their natural thing. It’s their hunting instinct to chase anything that moves either car, cycle, runner, squirrel or delivery man. Cars are loud fast and it perfectly mimics the behavior of the prey in the wild. Your dog instinctively chases down the intruder with a good old-fashioned hunt. They have their territory.
You must have noticed dogs chasing the cars up to a certain point and stops. That’s because the car which is a perceived threat to the dog has exited its territory. Similarly, when a delivery van approaches your house, your dog starts barking to warn the van not to enter their territory and when it drives away he thinks that it worked.
That is why they love chasing the squirrels in the yard because the house and yard come in their territory. Also, dogs expand their territory by peeing on car tires and trees in their area. They can smell it if the approaching vehicle doesn’t belong to their territory. This enrages them and stimulates chasing. Just like they don’t accept other dogs coming into their territory.
Dog Boredom Busters
Wondering how kids love to run either indoors or outdoors, and your dog is on the loose? Although your dog won’t be chasing them with aggression but his excitement of play can result in serious injuries to kids who may get scared. So it is highly advised not to let your dog loose until he can be controlled by a command from you. Like, hey!! For you barking at cars is one thing, but running after them is deadly dangerous as this can cause accidents.
So here are some tips to help you prevent this behavior.
- Never chase your dog, it will encourage them to run away from you. Call your dog by his name or nickname in a firm and loud noise. You have to be cautious here because he might run away from you. If you won’t be firm at calling his name as he will think that he has done something wrong and he’ll be punished. So getting your dog’s attention as quickly as possible is the first step in the right direction.
- Start training him, leave or stop like simple commands at home get him on a leash and throw a toy in front of him then command him to leave if he doesn’t leave, enforce your command with a firm tug on his leash. That will help him to understand he has to respond quickly and correctly every time. Practice it until he starts to respond properly.
It is very important to reward him every time he did it quickly. Right now that your dog knows these commands or if it already knew it, get your friend to assist you in outdoor training. Ask your friend to run a cycle or drive past you and practice commanding your dog to stop or leave. If it attempts to chase continue practicing until your dog listens to you.
100% of the time when you give him a command, remember to always reward the good behavior instantly and never the failure. Sometimes dogs are full of energy, so try to take long walks whenever you get a chance and take them to the dog park. Play fetch games or let them chase other dogs in the park and if he loves to play with you, get him to chase you it will be a great exercise and bonding option for you.
Also, let your dog drain off that excess energy/chasing whether your dog is protecting his territory or simply has nothing else to do, you may find him barking at and chasing after cars. There are always ways to stop this behavior or luckily prevent it from beginning at all.