chasing animals

Question
Hi. My dog, Josie(a border collie x blue heeler) always chases animals and will not come when she is called. She will jump up and run after deer, skunks, foxes, and even coyotes that would eat her. We call and call for her, but she totally ignores us! We have been thinking about getting a shock collar to train her not to chase. Do you think that is a worthwhile thing to try, and if so, what would be the safest, most effective way to use it? Thanks.   Erin

Answer
Erin, a shock collar is not going to do you any good right now. Your dog needs to learn to come when called, and to respect the boundaries of your property. Perhaps the simplest solution would be to erect a fence around your house so that she cannot get out to chase animals. If this is not an option, I would suggest enrolling in a basic obedience class with her, or hiring a trainer to come to your house once or twice a week to work one-on-one with you. In fact, this would probably be the better choice, so that the trainer can also help you stop her from chasing wild animals. In all honesty, she's doing what she's supposed to, by keeping her 'pack' (your family) safe from intruders, but you are correct that she could become injured or even killed by chasing animals such as coyotes. Coyotes have been known to 'bait' a dog into chasing one animal, which then leads the dog straight to the entire pack, where they kill the dog.

Whenever you take Josie outside, KEEP HER ON A LEASH!! Do not give her the opportunity to run off. As you progress in her training, you can advance to a long line, and then a remote training collar (shock collar) to proof her training, but to slap one on her now would be unfair.