How to Train Your Dog to Stop Chasing Shadows

Hello Dolcie, I suggest feeding both dogs in crates separately. For the shadow chasing I suggest consulting your vet or a veterinary behviorist. Shadow chasing is an obsessive compulsive behavior most of the time. It is important to interrupt the behavior but there also might be an underlying chemical or phycological reason also. Low levels of seratonine or dopamine can sometimes be involved or other unaddressed medical causes. Both the behavior and any possible medical causes need to be addressed. A veterinary behaviorist is someone also trained in animal behavior, who can often address both. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Kelsey, I suggest purchasing an electric collar that has a wide variety of stimulation levels and vibration and when she fixates on the shadows correct her by vibrating the collar. When she is calm around shadows reward her with treats. Make sure you are stimulating her mentally through training often, things like puzzle games or food stuffed chew toys, and other interesting activities. If the vibration has no effect, find her working level with the electric collar stimulation (the lowest level she responds to at all when calm) and use that. E-collar working level: https://youtu.be/1cl3V8vYobM Do NOT use a laser pointer with her - you may not be but that can lead to light and shadow chasing and OCD behavior. If you do not see improvement through correcting with the collar and rewarding calmness, I suggest visiting a veterinary behaviorist and getting her evaluated for obsessive compulsive disorder and hormonal imbalances. Many puppies do chase things like lights, flies, and leaves, but if she isn't responding to training seek professional help to figure out if something else is going on. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Carolyn, You may want to look into window shades like cellular shades, and use overhead lights that might produce less shadows. Honestly, I would speak to your vet about this or a veterinarian behaviorist. Shadow chasing can be due to a chemical Imbalance in the brain. Many puppies will do it a bit for fun, but when it is a strong obsession something obsessive compulsive may be going on. Sometimes medication to help brain function or hormone imbalance can help (I am not a vet though so cannot diagnose). Using a laser pointer can also leave to light and shadow chasing. If she ever chases one of those, stop using it immediately and permanently. I would also correct the behavior. Use an interrupter when she gets fixated, like a quick leash tug or buy a Pet Convincer and spray a squirt of unscented pressurized air at her side, to make the shadow or lights less exciting if she seems excited about them. If she seems fearful around the lights, work on her earning treats for ignoring shadows and lights and focusing on you instead. For excitement you want to interrupt and calm down with a gentle correction. With fearfulness you want to work on her being in the presence of that thing and focusing on something else positive instead. I think giving her the chew toy is fine. While you may still need to address a medical underlying cause with your vet if she feels there is one, a chewing habit chewing her own durable toys is much safer for her and the chemicals released doing that activity are different than the highly arousing ones released while light chasing. Things that are calming, like chewing, can potentially benefit her. Working on obedience commands that build impulse control can also help. Such as: Heel Place Down Stay Sit Stay Watch Me Waiting at doors General manners and structure in her routine Working for what you give her by having her do a command before hand, such as Sit before being petted or for a walk. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Lisa, Check out the video linked below and find a qualified trainer who is very familiar with safe and correct remote collar training techniques. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU97L9vAZgE If you ever use a laser pointer with him, also stop that immediately. Best of luck training,' Caitlin Crittenden

Hello James, First of all make sure that you are not using a laser pointer with him. Laser pointers often lead to shadow chasing and other neurotic behaviors. Second, the behavior needs to be punished. Right now it's a self-rewarding behavior and other rewards aren't going to be good enough to compete with it, so you need to make it no longer fun for him. An remote training collar that uses stimulation is typically how this is done. You need to find his "working level" which is the lowest level on the collar that he responds to, learn how to properly fit and use a remote collar, then time corrections as soon as he starts to fixate on shadows - don't wait until he is worked up and barking - it will be much easier for him to learn while dopamine and adrenaline levels are still low and he is calmer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM When he stops fixating for even a minute, give him something else to focus on. Work him on obedience, practice commands that require focus, self-control, or calmness. Provide things like food stuffed chew toys or puzzle toys (puzzle toys only when you are home if he is a strong chewer). Shadow chasing can be a mental disorder that's related to chemical imbalance in the brain, if you have other reasons to suspect that, then see your vet and ask them (I am not a vet). Border Collies are very prone to obsessive compulsive behaviors and need a lot of mental stimulation to keep them from creating their own obsessive or destructive games. I would spend time teaching him new commands or the next level of commands he already knows - to add a little challenge to the training. I would prioritize training time even above long walks for this breed. My own Border Collie learned almost 100 words/commands just as a way to stimulate him mentally to keep him calmer and happier. Take the shadow chasing seriously, it can get really bad - if it's not already. In general, if you purchase a remote training collar, purchase one that also has a vibration setting and you can train a deaf dog to look at you when they feel the vibration using positive reinforcement training. Train commands using hand signals, then once they are looking at you after feeling the vibration of the collar, use a hand signal to give them whatever command would be helpful for them right then. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Alana, Light chasing is an obsessive compulsive behavior. First, I would see your vet and ask if there could be a chemical imbalance or something medical that needs addressing. I am not a vet so your vet can assess that. Certain imbalances can increase OCD tendencies but Border Collies are also more prone to be obsessive in general. In addition to that you need to hire a professional trainer who uses both positive reinforcement and fair corrections, who is very experienced with using electric collars (also called remote collar training). It needs to be stimulation based and not citronella or vibration probably. The behavior needs to be disciplined to break the obsessive cycle. Once light chasing is no longer fun, he needs to be given a something mentally stimulating to do...Food stuffed chew toys, learning new tricks, agility, canine sports, ect...In addition to anything active you teach him like a canine sport, include obedience that builds focus, self-control, and calmness, such as the following commands. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Dog Training Do’s https://www.solidk9training.com/sk9-blog/2016/09/08/the-ten-commandments-of-dog-training-and-ownership-do-2 Finally, never use a laser pointer with him. Laser pointers can actually create light chasing behavior in dogs that are prone toward obsessive compulsiveness. A laser pointer will bring back the light chasing behavior. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Danielle, I would consult a trainer who is very familiar with e-collar training. Shadow and light chasing is an obsessive compulsive behavior. The behavior is self-rewarding so no matter how much you redirect and reward not doing it, you are always competing with something that is even more rewarding (the shadow chasing itself). You need to first make the shadow chasing unpleasant, removing the rewarding aspect of it. Once the shadow and light chasing is no longer fun, then you can work on the desensitization and reward focusing on other things instead effectively. Once pup pauses the chasing after being corrected, follow that up with lots of obedience instruction, like "Watch Me", "Heel", "Sit", fun games that make pup think and focus, and other obedience while outside. An remote training collar that uses stimulation is typically how light chasing is interrupted because you want the dog to associate the correction with his behavior and not just you. You need to find his "working level" which is the lowest level on the collar that he responds to, learn how to properly fit and use a remote collar, then time corrections as soon as he starts to fixate on shadows - don't wait until he is worked up - it will be much easier for him to learn while adrenaline levels are still low and he is calmer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM Shadow chasing can be a mental disorder that's related to chemical imbalance in the brain but it can also just be behavioral. (I am not a vet) Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Katy, First, I suggest talking with your vet. OCD behavior like shadow chasing can be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain (I am not a vet). Since your dog has other temperament issues it may be worth ruling that out first. If it's not medical, then I actually suggest correcting this behavior with a remote training collar that uses stimulation. The behavior is probably self-rewarding right now, so no form of treat can compete with it because of the satisfaction that the dog gets from it (Not in a healthy way though). The behavior needs to become unpleasant for the dog first and that unpleasantness needs to be associated with fixating on the shadows and not on you - which remote collar training applies too. Once the behavior is interrupted through correction, then pup's focus needs to be averted to something healthy and that rewarded. For example, he begins to fixate on the shadows and you correct with the remote training collar. As soon as he stops fixating after being corrected, call him over to his dog bed and give him a dog-food stuffed chew toy or show him something else he likes that isn't an unhealthy obsession for him. I also suggest implementing a lot more structure into his life - both anxiety and aggression often benefit from increasing respect and trust in the relationship. Some clear boundaries, obedience, and follow through can help establish that without a lot of confrontation. Working and Consistency method to help with respect: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Out - Enforce this command with caution while the aggression is still going on. How you enforce it may need to be modified to about being bitten while pup is still acting aggressive. I do suggest hiring professional help for the aggression: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ E-collar info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM I highly suggest hiring a professional who is very experienced using e-collars to help with both the aggression and shadow chasing. Be sure to rule out medical cause first though so that all potential issues are being addressed to ensure more effective training. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello there. I am a bit perplexed myself. I am not a medical expert, but I did spend some time working at an animal hospital. I want to preface that I am not giving you medical advice or a diagnosis, but I am almost wondering if he has some neurological issues going on. And that is not uncommon for Rottweiler's, at least here in the US it isn't uncommon. Because of the almost OCD sounding behavior, and the new aggression towards your children, I would talk to a veterinarian. This sounds like a multi-fold issue and you may need someone with a strong medical background to help you.

Hello! You will want to start out by teaching him "leave it". Leave it is great for anything you want your dog to leave alone. Instructions on leave it will be at the end of this response. After about a week or so of working on the command, you can start using the command in the real world. Any time he is reactive to a shadow or light, you give the command leave it. Once he breaks his attention away, you reward him with a treat. Ideally, you want to him to be sitting and looking at you. But in the beginning stages, as long as he isn't focused on the shadow or being reactive, you can reward him. While this method takes a while, it is the best in relaying the messages across to your dog. Here are the steps for "leave it" Teaching a dog 'leave it' Teaching “leave it” is not difficult. Begin the lessons inside your home or in an area with very few distractions. Here are the steps for teaching “leave it”: Make sure you have two different types of treats. One type can be fairly boring to the dog, but the other type should be a high-value treat that he finds pretty delicious. You will also want to make sure that the treats are broken up into pea-sized pieces so it won’t take him too long to eat them. Put one type of treat in each hand. If you like to train with a clicker as your marker, you can also hold a clicker in the same hand that holds the high-value treat. Then, place both of your hands behind your back. Make a fist with the hand that is holding the treat of lower value and present your fist to your dog, letting him sniff. Say “leave it” and wait until he finishes sniffing your fist. As soon as your dog is done sniffing, you can either click with the clicker or say “yes.” Then offer him the higher-value treat in your other hand. Repeat until your dog immediately stops sniffing your hand when you say “leave it.” When you say “leave it” and he stops sniffing right away, leash your dog and then toss a low-value treat outside of his reach. Wait until he stops sniffing and pulling toward the treat. As soon as he does, either say “yes” or click and then give him a high-value treat from your hand. Practice this exercise a number of times. Over time, by practicing “leave it,” your dog should stop pulling as soon as you give the cue. When rewarding him with a treat, make sure that it is something good, not plain old kibble. By doing so, you are teaching him that asking him to leave some food doesn’t mean he won’t get anything, but that in fact he might get something even more delicious. When your dog is reliably responding to the cue, you can teach him that “leave it” can apply to other things as well, not just food on the floor. Repeat the exercise with five different items that are fairly boring to your dog. After using five different “boring” items, start using slightly more exciting items. You know your dog, so you alone know what items he would consider more interesting, but don’t jump to high-value items right away. To increase his chances of success at learning the cue, you want to work up to high-value items gradually. If Kleenex or a piece of plastic, for instance, would attract your dog on a walk, don’t start with those. Choose the items based on your ultimate goal: Anytime you say “leave it,” you want to be confident that your dog will indeed leave whatever you are asking him to leave. . The reward he receives when he leaves an item can change as well. If your dog has a favorite toy, squeak it and play for a moment when he comes running to you after leaving the other item of interest. Most dogs love interacting with us, so a moment of praise or play with a toy can be just as effective as a treat. Keep it fun Even though you’re practicing “leave it” as a way to keep your dog safe, you want him to see it as a fun game you play. When your dog is proficient at the game in your home, start practicing in a variety of locations with more distractions.

Hello! You will want to start out by teaching her "leave it". Leave it is great for anything you want your dog to leave alone. Instructions on leave it will be at the end of this response. After about a week or so of working on the command, you can start using the command in the real world. Any time she is reactive to a shadow or light, you give the command leave it. Once she breaks her attention away, you reward her with a treat. Ideally, you want to her to be sitting and looking at you. But in the beginning stages, as long as she isn't focused on the shadow or being reactive, you can reward her. While this method takes a while, it is the best in relaying the messages across to your dog. Here are the steps for "leave it" Teaching a dog 'leave it' Teaching “leave it” is not difficult. Begin the lessons inside your home or in an area with very few distractions. Here are the steps for teaching “leave it”: Make sure you have two different types of treats. One type can be fairly boring to the dog, but the other type should be a high-value treat that he finds pretty delicious. You will also want to make sure that the treats are broken up into pea-sized pieces so it won’t take him too long to eat them. Put one type of treat in each hand. If you like to train with a clicker as your marker, you can also hold a clicker in the same hand that holds the high-value treat. Then, place both of your hands behind your back. Make a fist with the hand that is holding the treat of lower value and present your fist to your dog, letting him sniff. Say “leave it” and wait until he finishes sniffing your fist. As soon as your dog is done sniffing, you can either click with the clicker or say “yes.” Then offer him the higher-value treat in your other hand. Repeat until your dog immediately stops sniffing your hand when you say “leave it.” When you say “leave it” and he stops sniffing right away, leash your dog and then toss a low-value treat outside of his reach. Wait until he stops sniffing and pulling toward the treat. As soon as he does, either say “yes” or click and then give him a high-value treat from your hand. Practice this exercise a number of times. Over time, by practicing “leave it,” your dog should stop pulling as soon as you give the cue. When rewarding him with a treat, make sure that it is something good, not plain old kibble. By doing so, you are teaching him that asking him to leave some food doesn’t mean he won’t get anything, but that in fact he might get something even more delicious. When your dog is reliably responding to the cue, you can teach him that “leave it” can apply to other things as well, not just food on the floor. Repeat the exercise with five different items that are fairly boring to your dog. After using five different “boring” items, start using slightly more exciting items. You know your dog, so you alone know what items he would consider more interesting, but don’t jump to high-value items right away. To increase his chances of success at learning the cue, you want to work up to high-value items gradually. If Kleenex or a piece of plastic, for instance, would attract your dog on a walk, don’t start with those. Choose the items based on your ultimate goal: Anytime you say “leave it,” you want to be confident that your dog will indeed leave whatever you are asking him to leave. . The reward he receives when he leaves an item can change as well. If your dog has a favorite toy, squeak it and play for a moment when he comes running to you after leaving the other item of interest. Most dogs love interacting with us, so a moment of praise or play with a toy can be just as effective as a treat. Keep it fun Even though you’re practicing “leave it” as a way to keep your dog safe, you want him to see it as a fun game you play. When your dog is proficient at the game in your home, start practicing in a variety of locations with more distractions.

Hello Kelsey, Shadow chasing is an obsessive compulsive behavior. I recommend hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues and is familiar with low level e-collar training. Right now the behavior is probably self-rewarding, and that cycle needs to change by making the behavior a bit unpleasant without associating the unpleasantness with you being there but with the behavior itself - stimulation or vibration remote collar training is one way to get pup to associate the interruption with the shadow chasing behavior itself and not just an interruption pup knows is from you. At the same time, I would work on providing a lot of mental stimulation for pup to refocus that obsessive energy and teach calmness. Things like having pup work for their food by doing a command to earn pieces of kibble, putting meal kibble into toys like Kongs, kong wobbles, puzzle toys, or automatic treat dispensers like autotrainer or pet tutor. Incorporating obedience into physical exercise to stimulate pup mentally too - such as practicing Sit Stay, Come, Drop It, and Wait during fetching, Heel, Sit, Down, and Watch Me during walks, and daily training sessions anywhere from 10 minutes to 45 minutes just to teach pup new things or challenge their skills to improve current commands. Essentially, give pup healthy outlets for their mind and boredom. If you ever use a lasor pointer with pup for anything, also stop doing that. The light chasing from a laser often leads to shadow chasing unintentionally for dogs who are prone to it. I highly recommend hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues to help in person with this issue though. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Mokehana, I recommend hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues, and is very experienced with low level e-collar training. Shadow chasing is an obsessive compulsive behavior. I would work with a trainer to interrupt the behavior with a remote collar on pup's low "working level" stimulation, while also providing pup with something to refocus on, like a puzzle filled puzzle toy, kong wobble, kong, obedience practice, or training game. If you have ever used a laser pointer with pup, also stop that, as that can lead to light and shadow chasing for dogs who are prone toward it. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Alexandra, I recommend hiring a professional trainer who has experience with e-collar training and obsessive compulsive behavior. Shadow chasing is an obsessive compulsive behavior. Often the behavior needs to become unpleasant for the dog, interrupting the fixation without over stressing the dog, and ideally without pup associating the correction with you but with their own behavior instead, then the behavior needs to be replaced with more appropriate outlets through reward based training and teaching things that help stimulate pup mentally and exercise their brains in appropriate ways, to help pup redirect that obsessive energy to better outlets. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Suzan, I recommend hiring a professional trainer who has experience with e-collar training and obsessive compulsive behavior. Shadow chasing is an obsessive compulsive behavior. Often the behavior needs to become unpleasant for the dog, interrupting the fixation without over stressing the dog, and ideally without pup associating the correction with you but with their own behavior instead, then the behavior needs to be replaced with more appropriate outlets through reward based training and teaching things that help stimulate pup mentally and exercise their brains in appropriate ways, to help pup redirect that obsessive energy to better outlets. If anyone has ever used a laser pointer with pup, also stop using that. The use of laser pointers tends to contribute to dogs who are prone to developing such obsessions beginning to chase lights and shadows too. Border Collie's are a breed that are prone to obsessions due to their intensity and high intellect. Giving pup mental stimulation through small jobs, regular training practice, incorporating training into things like fetch or walks or earning what pup wants throughout the day by obeying commands first, puzzle toys/dog food stuffed kongs/working for food, or canine sports once the behavior is interrupted will be especially important for your dog. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Nikki, First, if you have or are using a laser pointer for anything with her, put the laser away because that can make this obsession far worse. This behavior can happen without the use of a laser too, but just in case you are, you need to know that. Second, continue redirecting to more appropriate outlets and to providing mental stimulation. That is part of the picture. Because of the severity of a light chasing habit and how obsessive compulsive in nature it is, I would recommend looking for a trainer in your area who specializes in behavior issues has has experience with using a combination of low level e-collar stimulation based training to interrupt the behavior and make it less self-rewarding without pup associating that interruption with you, but with the behavior itself through the use of a remote training collar, and then replacing the compulsion with reward based activities like training with you, puzzle toys, games, and other fun things you are currently doing. So that the light fixating becomes a No, and the other mental activities a Yes for pup. It could also be beneficial to speak with your vet or an animal behaviorist with medical training about whether a potential chemical imbalance could be related to the behavior and be addressed medically? This behavior can be due to a temperamental tendency toward OCD type traits, and the chasing of lights tends to be a self-rewarding behavior with chemicals like dopamine being released when pup does it, encouraging the cycle to continue, which needs to be addressed from a behavioral stand point most of the time, but it could also be rarely due to a chemical imbalance or something neurological. I am not a vet, so speak with your vet concerning anything medical. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden