You and your partner settle down with a well-deserved glass of wine and this week's episode of your favorite show. Only your dog has developed a somewhat irritating habit of going berserk at the sight of his own shadows and chasing them around until his energy is spent. It makes for just about the least relaxing atmosphere to watch TV in. It’s the same when you have guests over, he charges around the room causing havoc. It was entertaining to begin with, but now it’s time to stop.
Getting this training right won’t just be good for your sanity, it will also help his too. The shadows may actually scare him and he could be working himself up into a terrified state each evening. A happy dog is a healthy dog!
Thankfully, you can train this bizarre behavior out of your dog relatively easily. The main thing you need to do is motivate him to be calm around shadows. You need to show him with food and a variety of other things that he’s safe around shadows and so can relax. If he’s a puppy and this habit is new, then getting a handle on it could take just 5 days or so. If he’s older and been chasing shadows for many years then you may need a couple of weeks to fully break the habit.
Succeeding with this training is essential if you want your evenings back. You also need to do it for his benefit too. If he’s getting worked up and stressed out by these shadows it could have an adverse effect on his health. You don’t want any expensive vet bills to contend with.
Before you can get going with training you need to collect a few bits. You’ll need his favorite food broken into small pieces and some mouth-watering treats. You’ll also need to get a couple of new and enticing chew toys. These will all help to distract him when shadows make an appearance.
You’ll also need some quiet time to practice training. Take him to a quiet room where you won’t be distracted by a noisy household.
The only other things you need are patience and a positive attitude. With all of that, you can get to work!
She not only jumps at shadows she has started being snappy at meal times eating from my other dogs bowl instead of her own. Which is confusing my other dog as they have always had there own bowls in different placez in kitchen
Please help
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
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We got Lily just a few weeks ago, and this past week we've noticed this awful habit of chasing shadows. It only happens outdoors, though, even if she sees shadows inside. Once she goes outside, if there are shadows, even at night with few lights, she runs at full speed, tugging at the leash, back and forth. It's worrisome. Even though she's only 6 pounds, she is a strong little bugger, and she nearly escaped her harness tonight during her shadow chasing fit. I think the suggestions here are great, but I'm not sure if they will help so much outside as it's not quiet out there. We're having trouble enough potty training, and this is making matters more difficult!
Thank you!!
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
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My pup broke her back leg racing after light reflections from the sun on the glass door. Now while waiting for her leg to heal, I carry her around and I notice that she is watching my shadow. I have turned off the light from the fridge but she still is watching the shadows. Is there a way to "dull" shadows indoors, even on a cloudy day, but I need to see. I have been using Quiet Moments and she doesn't seem as reactive to the shadows. She really hates the dark big shadows of me while taking her out at night so I take her to the side yard so I can see but my shadow is reduced. I have been giving her lamb bones to chew on, so am I changing one obsession for another?
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
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Our beautiful kelpie puppy became obsessed with shadows 3 days ago. We miss her affection and attention as she is only interested in staring an chasing shadows. Her ears are up and pointed and her tail is wagging like crazy, so she appears very excited by the shadows. We've increased her exercise and try to distract her with treats and new toys but she really is only interested in the shadows.
I've read you're above techniques but I can't seem to get her attention to commence any. We took her to the vet today but he advised there's not much we can do, just try and give her more exercise and diatractions. Please help!
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
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My dog loves chasing shadows and hes deaf, but when he chases shadows he barks and it is getting annoying to neighbors and such. Is there any way to make him stop chasing shadows or stop barking?
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
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Hello! This is my beautiful baby boy Tico. He is crazy about shadows and any reflections. We can’t even have a ceiling fan on or he freaks out, we have to keep the lights off & can barely watch TV. It’s gotten so bad that he will stare at the lights on the ceiling and just bark at them, and he gets very possessive of them. As our other dog was walking by he just tried to attack him over it for no reason. After he barks at them and tries to attack the shadows he will whine bc they aren’t going away & I’m scared he is losing his mind & is going to hurt someone or one of our other dogs.
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
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My dog is 19 months old, adopted 4 months ago. About 2 months ago he started chasing shadows and lights. We spent a lot of money on behavior training and he has gotten a little better, as he now will sit and look at me if he is chasing lights indoors. The problem is when we walk outside. We live on a busy city street and there are constant lights and shadows. Even if he sits and looks at me, the second he gets up he is chasing shadows again, because the whole block is lit up. Walking him is very difficult at sunny times of day, and even with shadows at night. We don’t want to restrict the amount we walk him, but every time he has a really bad walk we just can’t take it and we go back inside.
My question: Since we stopped using our trainer, we have no advice on how to redirect or desensitize our dog on a walk now. The furthest we got was “sit and look”, but he is too distracted outside. Any advice on how to continue distracting him while on a walk? It seems that we can catch his attention with a new treat for about a day, then he gets bored and the shadows are more important, but soon we’re going to run out of ideas for treats.
He has had some progress: he listens enough most of the time to sit when he is fixated, when we used to have to push his back down. He listens to sit and look when indoors and ignores shadows, but we must redirect him several times before he forgets about the light.
Disclaimer: We consulted a vet who mentioned Prozac but said he doesn’t need it at this time. She Said if it gets worse to consult a veterinary behaviorist, but it hasn’t gotten worse, so these are not options for us at this time.
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
Hi Caitlin! Thanks for the response. I have a question: can the collar just me Vibration based for him, or would you recommend shock based? My boyfriend and I are afraid to use shock based unless it’s a last resort. We live in a city and just don’t want everybody passing by to pass judgement on us while we walk him.
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In the last month Jeff has become obsessed with shadows. Treats don't work,trying to play with him and even picking him up. nothing seems to break the ocd! Jeff has never been a friendly puppy from the get go. When you stroke him he bites at you hands, clothing or face, not aggressively but im worried he's going to hurt the children. Any solutions please?
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
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Vinnie chases shadows, flecks of light sunlight, anything that moves. He also licks the walls given half a chance and scratches at the shadows on the floors and walls. He jumps up at the walls or anywhere there is movement and he is now 42kg so quite a force to be reckoned with.
Vinnie has also started growling and snarling at my 20 and 24 year old children when they walk into a room or look at him, not all the time but it is getting worse and they are scared of him now, understandibly really we have had dogs before and large breeds but this is the first time we have come across this and our dog trainer/behaviourist isn't sure, hasn't heard of the shadow thing before with rotties can you help
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.
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A few months ago someone in the house was playing around with a laser, we had no idea that lasers were terrible for dogs. We stopped after a few days and now we notice that he is super reactive to reflections. Is there any way to fix this?
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.
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We have recently rescued beau who is a nervous wreck. She chases any light/shadow and gets herself in a right state. I really want to try and overcome this issue.
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.
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Started chasing shadows, anytime she's in the front room its all she does. Tried distraction and tried calming but keeps going back to it. She's missing her regular naps she used to have because she's in a shadow frenzy. We want her to be able to sit in the front with us but she gets in such a state we feel like she has to be taken out to help her.
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
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She gets so focused on her shadow, reflections or any shadows. Then she charges at it with her paws no matter if it the shadow is on me, the bed or the headboard or the wall.
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
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Extremely obsessed with shadows, now looking for them during the all day. Very worried
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
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My collie chasing shadows from reflective open doors in the sun or shiny bowl reflections in fact anything and he yelps and barks at them
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
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Keshi has started to become obsessed with shadows and light reflections. We are lucky enough to be home a lot of the time and do training with her every day. We spend a lot of the time with Keshi and try to introduce her to a new experience every day, by taking her to new places and exploring.
Keshi has dog toys and dog puzzles but has started chasing shadows. We try and redirect with food and other things and nothing but a rope chase works so we use the rope whenever we see her fixated on the shadows.
It has gone from being cute and funny to this is not good and this could turn very ugly.
Any further things we can do? Warm regards Nikki
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
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