Dogs And Vehicles In Motion

You are driving around in your car when, suddenly, a dog jumps out and rushes towards your car. You get scared, you brake and the dog continues to stay there, barking like a madman. Why do dogs behave this way? Is there any way to avoid it? Unfortunately, this canine behavior has caused more than one car accident, especially in motorcyclists, and not only endangers the lives of others, but also that of the dog itself. If you want to prevent your dog from chasing every vehicle he sees passing, don’t miss this article.

As always, when a problem arises, the first thing you need to do is try to identify the causes, before trying to fix it. In this specific case, you will first have to understand why your four-legged friend chases moving vehicles, to prevent him from continuing to do so.

Because your dog chases moving vehicles

To understand the reason for this behavior, we need to take a leap into the past, going back to the origin of the dog. We have already had the opportunity to explain, in several articles, that the dog is descended from the wolf, a hunter par excellence, used to always running after anything in motion.

Generation after generation, this behavior has been passed down to dogs, even if these, once they have become pets, have quite calmed their innate instinct to hunt, since in the home it is the master who provides to satisfy this need. Despite everything, however, something remains in his unconscious that drives him to chase anything that moves. This is, therefore, the main cause of your furry friend’s chases behind moving vehicles.

This is an explanation that to most of you will seem the most logical and founded, but if you are a lover of legends, here’s one that explains, in its own way, why dogs chase moving vehicles.

The legend

Legend has it that a cow, a dog and a goat decided to go for a ride in a taxi, each with a different destination. When they arrived at the destination chosen by the cow, she asked the taxi driver how much the ride had cost him and he replied that the total was three thousand francs. The cow, without batting an eye, paid and got out of the taxi.

Arriving at the destination of the goat, this also asked the taxi driver for the fare and the taxi driver told her the same thing he had said to the cow: “three thousand francs”. The goat, however, taking advantage of a moment of distraction from the taxi driver, ran away without paying. The taxi driver, surprised, decided to continue his ride with the dog.

When they finally arrived at the dog’s destination, the taxi driver asked him for three thousand francs, as usual, but unfortunately the dog only had a five thousand franc note: he gave it to the taxi driver and got out of the car forgetting to take the change. Before the animal knew it, the taxi had already left, taking its rest with it as well. They say that this legend explains three salient characteristics of these animals:

• The cow: he paid and therefore has a clear conscience. It goes its own way, calm and undaunted.
• The goat: restless, it always goes up and down like crazy, probably to avoid getting caught and having to pay three thousand francs.
• The dog: runs after taxis to get change. Could it be that all the dogs in the world are still chasing their rest? Maybe!

How to avoid it

Whatever the explanation, the reality is that dogs are always chasing moving vehicles. If you want to prevent your dog from continuing to do this, here are some tips.

Do some tests with your dog and your car. Proceed with the vehicle for a short distance and stop, as soon as your friend starts chasing your vehicle : since it is his movement that stimulates your dog’s instinct, stop the car, stop the stimulus.

Evidently this is something momentary, as your dog will resume doing the same thing at the next vehicle he sees passing. For this reason, it is important that you do this exercise every day, with your four-legged friend, so that he or she realizes that there is no point in running after cars.

Another way to avoid these chases is to always walk the dog on a leash: let him stay close to you, with the help of a short leash, and every time he tries to chase a car, a motorcycle, a bike or even a scooter, pull the leash a little towards you and let him know that he shouldn’t do that. He must learn that it is forbidden to chase cars, as is getting on the bed or peeing in the house.

As we always advise you, combine perseverance, love and affection to be able to get rid of these bad habits from your dog.