Hehe. How is she when you get out the broom?

The only way that I found to fix the problem with the cars was to set myself up to be able to consistently deal with it. She would not eat or play when the cars were involved, so I had no choice but to use strong corrections. There was no other way to train her out of it. I experimented for a few weeks and nothing was working.

Because of the frequency of the lunging I didn't even use "leave it". The problem was bordering on an obsession, and I found that it was almost as if she couldn't hear me. Physically blocking didn't work either. She would try to get around me to get them.

It was dangerous.

Like Randy said, this was a place for an avoidance correction.

Marcia, for the stairs: I have my dogs sit until released while I go up or down.I don't want them tripping me & risk my falling. No different then going thru doors, I go first,unless I tell the dogs otherwise.

They also get plenty of time to be dogs in the yard. Anything that enters my fenced yard is fair game. They chase birds, squirels etc. The squirels run along the top of the fence checking to see if the dogs are out before they dare to jump into the yard. But out of the yard or when working no matter where that might be, it doesn't even enter their minds to think about chasing anything. Well, maybe they think about it, but don't act upon it. I down my dogs on the field & chase geese off while they wait. Sometimes I send them to chase the birds off. They get plenty of time chasing balls for retreives. I incorporate OB during retreiving: they are asked to sit or down & I toss balls & they have to wait to be released to get them. Sometimes they are downed part of the way out to the ball & called back to a formal front position & then released to get the ball. My dogs learn self-control with these exercises. It will trasefer if you practice this in multiple venues & with other animals,(horses or other livestock)if you wish to & cars.

I have kids that are at the school fields that I train on help me by riding bikes & scateboards by my dogs while they have to sit, down, or heel or just walk with me, as they pass. I start this piece of it when they are young pups as part of socialization. MY dogs had great desire to chase cars or anything that moved, leaves or piece of paper blowing by, anything moving as young pups & still do. You just harness that prey drive by teaching the dog self-control.

And yes, at some point in training(way down the road) when & if necessary, corrections are used. Especially so in cases where allowing a behavior is dangerous to you or your dog.

Just what has worked for me.

We did our OB yesterday next to a kids soccer game. A ball came over the fence and she didn't break her down. Major victory!

I have also used softball and flag football games as distractions.

People look at you a little weird, but whatever to them.

 Quote: Anne Jones

I incorporate OB during retreiving: they are asked to sit or down & I toss balls & they have to wait to be released to get them. Sometimes they are downed part of the way out to the ball & called back to a formal front position & then released to get the ball. My dogs learn self-control with these exercises. It will trasefer if you practice this in multiple venues & with other animals,(horses or other livestock)if you wish to & cars.

Thanks, Anne. I've been working on the self-control activities with Maggie, and I like your suggestions to add to what we are doing. She waits at the bottom or top of the stairs for me (not for my husband, tho, but I have given him the information he needs long ago). She waits for her food. I also do OB with the kong game. I have just started working on calling her off the fetch - I find this very difficult - but working on it.

At least she can play along side the lacrosse and softball games in our park without losing focus! We are learning! You are right, it takes diligence and she is still young so her self control is in its infancy.

You gotta love their enthusiasm.

It can be more difficult if everyone in the house that associates with the dog is not on the same page. Dogs see things as black & white, no grey areas. It makes it harder for the dog if things are not consistant. Tell hubby that he is sabatoging the dog's success in training by not being on board. You want to set the dog up for success all the time.

Stick with it, it will come.

Who cares what people think. You will have a well trained dog.

I use the games on the sport fields from when my dogs are pups. They learn to see it all as just 'background/white noise' & ignore it all.

Good work. Keep it up.