How do i train my dog about the dangers of the road?

Question

Im trying to get my 2 year old German shepherd to learn that running into the road is dangerous so i can walk with him off the leash and have him stop and sit at every road we come across on our runs and walks.

He knows all the commands, and will perform them fine inside, but when he gets outside he becomes very hyper active and disobeys every command i throw at him even if i stand him there for 5 minutes at the road side telling him to sit, he simply stands there staring into space.

My last dog learnt the hard way when he was clipped by a slow moving car, although he was absolutely fine, he never went back into the road without my permission.

Answer 1

Walking a dog off leash in a heavy traffic area even if well trained is not a good idea.

Even a well trained dog could see something and have an unpredictable response.

However dogs do get off leash or run out the door and do all kind of things where they can run into the streets so teaching a dog some basic road rules can be a very good idea.

Teach your dog to sit or lay down once they come to the road.

Using positive reinforcement teach your dog basic training outdoors first. Use lots and lots of treats..rewarding every command the dog performs. Since it is outdoors you may need to up the treat to something more tasty.

How is your dog with leash training and normal walking? teach leash manners might be something you shoudl look into as well.

Once you can get your dog to listen to you outdoors then you can teach him to sit everytime he comes to a road..again rewarding.

Any training takes time, patience and consistency.

Here are some sites that can give you more info on leash and basic training

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pag...

http://veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx...

Answer 2

I've known people who have tried this, and it just doesn't work reliably.  The way to get your dog to be more obedient outside is to train outside.  There are more distractions out there, so you have to work at it the same way you did inside (like with treats and praise) and then ween them off the treats again.  Every time you come to a street, you do sit before you step off.  

However, a road is a really hard concept for a dog.  You have to think of them as a toddler.  Concepts and abstract ideas can be really hard.  You may get him to learn to sit at every road he's ever sat at, but what happens when he's off leash and comes across a road he's never seen?  Will he realize that he needs to sit at roads, or will he just know that he needs to sit at those specific spots, that happen to be at other roads?  And, if there is any prey (like a rabbit) or extra distractions, all training may go out the window.  I've seen normally well-behaved dogs dash into the street because their BFF was walking across the road or because they saw a bunny.

And here's the kicker for me: friend of my husband's taught her dog to sit and wait at every street corner, and the dog was really good about learning what the road was and not going in it.  So she walked the dog off leash all the time.  It was hit by a train and killed. Seriously.  A *train*.  Please avoid tragedy with your dog... :(

Answer 3

You are being an irresponsible dog owner if you allow your dog out in the public without being leashed. First, it is probably the law in your area, that your dog be leashed when out in public. This is for the dogs safety, your safety, and everyone else's safety. Whether or not your dog may be trained, makes no difference here. Accidents can happen. Not everyone likes dogs. Some people are afraid of dogs. Some dogs, don't like other dogs. Your dog may not hear your command to stop quick enough. I mean anything could happen, and ultimately you would have no control over your dog, which is irresponsible.

For example: Georgia has a leash law, however when I'm out walking my dog, I always see people walking or running with their's without a leash. The problem comes into play in my scenario when their dog tries to come up to my dog. I don't allow other dogs to interact with my dog. And since the owner does not have a leash on their dog, I have to take control of the situation and stop the dog from coming. First I try to tell it no, to make it go away, but that never works. When the dog keeps coming forward, I kick it, and then it runs away. I don't want to kick the dog. I don't want to hurt the dog, as I'm an animal lover myself. But that doesn't mean that I should sacrifice my safety or the safety of my dog because of others being irresponsible. I've had some people get really mad at me, saying there dog would never hurt anybody, which is ridiculous. Even if your dog loved everything, how do you know my dog loves everything. How do you know my dog won't eat your dog if he comes near it. And just because you think your dog won't ever hurt anybody, in reality thats stupid thinking. Would you ever hurt somebody. I'm sure you would under certain circumstances. Well, not every dog is going to get along.

So, it is highly irresponsible of you to try to walk or run with your dog not on a leash, for many different reasons. If you care for your dog, you should always have them leased when out-and-about in public, for your dogs, and everyone else's safety. You should be trying to teach the dog to run on a leash. Stop being lazy!

Answer 4

No responsible dog owner would ever walk their dog off-leash along a road with traffic, even if the dog was perfectly trained.  That and there are leash laws you are violating if you do.  One break in training and your dog is dead.  And your dog's training seems far from secure anyway.

You nearly had your dog killed once. Be responsible and don't do it again.  Use a leash even if his training gets better.

You'll notice the Police K9 dogs are among the best trained animals in the world.  And the handlers keep them on leashes unless they are used to apprehend suspects.

Answer 5

walk him along side of the road and any time he gets closer th the street jerk the leash to the side and show him a sign of disapproval dint jerk it hard enough to hurt him just to get him away then after the leash jerking and he gets further from the street reward him any time he thinks of going in the street and ddoesn'treward him eeventualhe will learn