How to Catch Your Dog when They Run After Another Dog or Person

Resist the urge to follow your dog., Call them with an enticing voice., Lure them with buzzwords., Run away from your dog., Drop to the ground, and make strange noises., Throw something interesting on the ground., Reward your dog upon their return.

8 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Resist the urge to follow your dog.

    You want to keep your dog in sight, but running after them is likely to make them stray further.

    It will also make them think that you’re joining in the chasing game they're playing, which will only encourage them to continue running away rather than stopping., If your dog has good recall (that is, responds well to "come" commands), it may be enough to tell them to “come” in your calmest, “here’s-a-treat” voice.

    You want your voice to communicate that there will be a reward if they immediately stop their pursuit and return to you.Don’t yell or let panic into your voice since this will very likely only agitate your dog further instead of encouraging their return. , If recall doesn’t work, try enticing them back with words they associate with their favorite things, like “treats” or “dinnertime” or “catch.” Again, keep your voice calm and friendly to make the prospect of returning more attractive.If you are trying to lure them with the promise of treats, you can also try putting your hand in the pocket where you’d normally keep them so it looks to your dog like you’re reaching for delicious rewards. , It might seem counter-intuitive, but if your dog is chasing something, you can encourage them to chase you instead by running in the opposite direction.

    Be sure to make noise and flap your arms up and down as you run to make yourself as distracting as possible.When your dog gets near, simply let yourself be “caught,” and re-leash them when you are. , Since your dog is distracted, you want to re-distract them away from whatever they’re chasing.

    If you behave in a manner that is strikingly out of the ordinary, you will not only recapture their attention but also encourage their immediate return to investigate what’s going on.Dropping to the ground is unusual behavior for humans.

    When you pair that action with an unfamiliar noise, like singing or sobbing, your dog will take note and be curious enough to find out what you’re doing.

    Stay on the ground avoiding eye contact with your dog until your pooch is right next to you.

    Don’t make any sudden motions to capture them, since that might scare them away.

    Just calmly reach out, and grab their collar when they’re within reach. , Try re-routing your dog’s chase by giving them something more fascinating to investigate.

    Call their name and throw something in a direction that will steer their path away from whatever they’re chasing.If you have a ball, frisbee, or other toy on hand, try throwing that to engage your dog in a game of catch or fetch.

    If you don’t have an obvious thing to throw, improvise by throwing their leash, your jacket, or a nearby stick or rock. , Once you have your canine companion under control once more, greet them with love, lavish praise, and treats if you have them.

    That way, your pooch will associate coming back to you with high rewards, making them less likely to be repeat offenders in the future.Never punish or discipline your dog when they come back.

    While you may want to communicate that your dog was wrong to run away, if you scold or punish them upon their return, they will associate that negative treatment with returning to you rather than with running away from you.

    Thus, it will actually have the opposite of the intended effect, making your dog more likely to continue chasing things.
  2. Step 2: Call them with an enticing voice.

  3. Step 3: Lure them with buzzwords.

  4. Step 4: Run away from your dog.

  5. Step 5: Drop to the ground

  6. Step 6: and make strange noises.

  7. Step 7: Throw something interesting on the ground.

  8. Step 8: Reward your dog upon their return.

Detailed Guide

You want to keep your dog in sight, but running after them is likely to make them stray further.

It will also make them think that you’re joining in the chasing game they're playing, which will only encourage them to continue running away rather than stopping., If your dog has good recall (that is, responds well to "come" commands), it may be enough to tell them to “come” in your calmest, “here’s-a-treat” voice.

You want your voice to communicate that there will be a reward if they immediately stop their pursuit and return to you.Don’t yell or let panic into your voice since this will very likely only agitate your dog further instead of encouraging their return. , If recall doesn’t work, try enticing them back with words they associate with their favorite things, like “treats” or “dinnertime” or “catch.” Again, keep your voice calm and friendly to make the prospect of returning more attractive.If you are trying to lure them with the promise of treats, you can also try putting your hand in the pocket where you’d normally keep them so it looks to your dog like you’re reaching for delicious rewards. , It might seem counter-intuitive, but if your dog is chasing something, you can encourage them to chase you instead by running in the opposite direction.

Be sure to make noise and flap your arms up and down as you run to make yourself as distracting as possible.When your dog gets near, simply let yourself be “caught,” and re-leash them when you are. , Since your dog is distracted, you want to re-distract them away from whatever they’re chasing.

If you behave in a manner that is strikingly out of the ordinary, you will not only recapture their attention but also encourage their immediate return to investigate what’s going on.Dropping to the ground is unusual behavior for humans.

When you pair that action with an unfamiliar noise, like singing or sobbing, your dog will take note and be curious enough to find out what you’re doing.

Stay on the ground avoiding eye contact with your dog until your pooch is right next to you.

Don’t make any sudden motions to capture them, since that might scare them away.

Just calmly reach out, and grab their collar when they’re within reach. , Try re-routing your dog’s chase by giving them something more fascinating to investigate.

Call their name and throw something in a direction that will steer their path away from whatever they’re chasing.If you have a ball, frisbee, or other toy on hand, try throwing that to engage your dog in a game of catch or fetch.

If you don’t have an obvious thing to throw, improvise by throwing their leash, your jacket, or a nearby stick or rock. , Once you have your canine companion under control once more, greet them with love, lavish praise, and treats if you have them.

That way, your pooch will associate coming back to you with high rewards, making them less likely to be repeat offenders in the future.Never punish or discipline your dog when they come back.

While you may want to communicate that your dog was wrong to run away, if you scold or punish them upon their return, they will associate that negative treatment with returning to you rather than with running away from you.

Thus, it will actually have the opposite of the intended effect, making your dog more likely to continue chasing things.

About the Author

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Lori Green

Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in pet care and beyond.

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