Something really unexpected happened today with my 1.5-year-old dachshund. She’s always been friendly, having spent her first year in Manhattan, and for the past 4 months, she’s been with us in the suburbs of Long Island.
Today, while inside, she saw another dog walking past our house through the screen door and started barking like most dogs do. A minute later, as I walked through the screen door, she suddenly sprinted outside. This other dog was already about 6 houses away, around the corner, and before I knew it, my dog was 30 feet ahead of me, sprinting toward the other dog.
She has a decent recall, and we’ve trained it, but when she’s in her ‘hunting’ zone, like chasing something, she doesn’t listen. I chased her and called her name, but she ignored me and made it to the other dog, about 100 yards away.
At first, she didn’t attack the other dog (thankfully the other dog was friendly). She just sniffed him aggressively for a few seconds before I caught up. But when I tried to grab her, she evaded me and then suddenly started attacking the other dog. I’m guessing she didn’t want me to pick her up.
What can I do to make sure this never happens again? I keep thinking if the other dog had been aggressive, my dog could’ve been seriously hurt.
It sounds like a scary situation, but don’t worry. It’s great that neither dog got hurt. You might want to work more on recall training, especially in situations where your dog is excited or distracted. Try practicing with a long leash in a controlled area so she learns to come back no matter what. Also, consider consulting a professional dog trainer who specializes in behavior issues like this. They can help you figure out the best way to manage her instincts. Maybe even look into teaching her a ‘stay’ command when the door is open. You’re doing great though—just keep reinforcing the training!
Luka said:
It sounds like a scary situation, but don’t worry. It’s great that neither dog got hurt. You might want to work more on recall training, especially in situations where your dog is excited or distracted. Try practicing with a long leash in a controlled area so she learns to come back no matter what. Also, consider consulting a professional dog trainer who specializes in behavior issues like this. They can help you figure out the best way to manage her instincts. Maybe even look into teaching her a ‘stay’ command when the door is open. You’re doing great though—just keep reinforcing the training!
I think practicing recall with distractions could really help. Some dogs just have a strong prey drive, and it sounds like your dog gets into a zone when she’s chasing something. Maybe adding more training with treats or toys she loves could grab her attention faster.