running

Question
We have a Sheltie approx. 2 yrs old. We live in the country, and he (Carson) is a nearly perfect family dog....EXCEPT, whenever he hears thunder, or a gunshot, he takes off to chase it. Other than that, he never leaves the yard. What is the reason for this behavior and how do you break him of this?

Thank you for any help or suggestions you might be able to provide.

Sam Norton

Answer
Hey Sam!

I'd be lying if I said I was absolutely sure of this answer, but I'll give it my best shot.

A sheltie is bred to be a herding dog.  This instills instincts of protection, even in dogs that aren't good at herding.  All I can say is he is aggressively trying to "chase off" the big mean evil noise that is near his family.

A good fence would be the only cure for this.  Not one of those "invisible" fences in this case.  Carson would likely run right through any minor shock to his neck to do his percieved duty of chasing off that big evil noise.

My suggestion would be to put Carson on a leash when you know the thunder or gunshot will be heard.  Sit with him as he hears the noise, yank his leash when he tries to run toward it and say "NO".  Then love on him a great deal and give him a treat because he is just doing his job and won't understand.

During nice weather, take 10 minutes every day to walk him around his accepted perimeter on a lead.  When he tries to run outside of it, say "no" and lead him on your path.  This might keep him from leaving the area to chase after noises and restrict him more to a smaller area.

It could be worse, my sheltie's mortal enemy is the vaccum cleaner.  He isn't too fond of thunder, gunshots and fireworks either. Good luck, let me know if any of this works.

'sneezes
Dave