How to Train Your Dog to Stop Chasing Shadows
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Introduction
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!
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Defining Tasks
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.
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Getting Started
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!
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The Keep Calm Method
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Most Recommended
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Get him settled
Gently play with him. You need to get him calm and subdued before the shadows arrive. That means be soft and quiet, don’t get him over excited--this will just make the chasing worse.
Regular treats
To keep him calm, reward him for good behavior. While he remains lying calmly with you, give him the odd treat to reinforce the behavior. He will quickly associate being calm with getting tasty rewards.
Obedience commands
If he does start going crazy and chasing shadows, instruct him to ‘sit’ or ‘wait’. By making him work you are channeling his energy into something productive while also distracting him from the shadows.
Don’t punish him
If you shout at him or shut him away you may only add to the problem. He may already be scared of the shadows, so needs your support. If you desert him he may become even more agitated and the problem will be heightened.
Tackle the problem every day
You need to follow the steps above consistently until the problem subsides. To fully break the habit,you need to be persistent; any lapse days will simply set the end result back further.
The Surroundings Method
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Effective
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Spend time in rooms with less lights
If left to develop, the shadows habit can only get worse, so try and address his surroundings to limit the problem. One of the first things you can do is to spend time in a room in the evenings with less lights.
Dark curtains
Hanging dark curtains in the rooms he uses most can make a big difference. With half the shadows to chase, the problem is halved straight away.
Store reflective items
Until you’ve got the problem under control, store particularly reflective items out of the way. Again this will reduce the shadows in his environment, which will reduce the stress and the chasing behavior.
Distract him
When you can see shadows appearing, keep him distracted with a new toy. Get him excited by playing in an animated voice and playing tug of war. If you tire him out with play he’ll have less energy to spend chasing shadows.
Exercise
Up his daily exercise intake. A lot of dogs that chase shadows are particularly energetic, so tackle that through out the day. Give him an extra or longer walk. Alternatively, play fetch on the walk. These short sprints will leave him napping for the rest of the day rather than chasing shadows.
The Eyes Up Method
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Quiet room
Head for a quiet room with a pocketful of treats. You’re going to incentivize him to keep his eyes up. That way the shadows should feature less in his vision and be less of a problem.
Hold a treat at just above his head height
Make sure you hold it at a height. That means he has to slightly look up to focus on it properly. Make sure it’s just out of his reach, for now you just want to hold his attention with it.
‘Eyes up’
Issue the command at the same time you hold the treat up. He will learn to associate this cue with looking away from the shadows. You don’t have to use that exact phrase, you can use any word or phrase you like.
Reward
As soon as he does look up, give him the treat and some verbal praise. Really show him how happy you are that he’s done the right thing. This will make him more likely to repeat the behavior next time. Practice this for 5 minutes each day.
Increase the time
Over the next few days, increase the length of time he has to look up before you give him the treat. Keep practicing this until he swiftly looks up for as long as you leave him to. Now you can use this command whenever he starts to get agitated by the shadows. Working for the food will be a productive distraction and he’ll soon stop caring about the shadows.
Written by James Barra
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 11/02/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Walter
Golden Retriever
2 Years
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Walter started chasing shadows last summer, we got him fixed and he stopped doing it, but the weather just started getting nicer and I noticed he started to do it a little bit again. I'm just wondering what the best way to correct the behavior is.
April 12, 2022
Walter's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello Tauri, What type of training did you do with pup last summer that worked? I would refresh that training if you can. Often with an obsessive compulsive behavior it's normal to need to do refreshers occasionally. If effective, the refresher shouldn't take as long as the original training and should be effective more quickly. I often recommend making sure your vet is aware of the situation since this can be purely behavioral but can also be related to a chemical imbalance in the brain or other issue. I am not a vet, so consult your vet for anything medically related. In general, with obsessive compulsive behavior I tend to recommend a combination of obedience (Leave It command), stimulating pup mentally in other ways (puzzle toys, training practice, kong wobbles, dog food stuffed kongs, or canine sports, as a few examples), and interrupting the behavior in a way that's not just associated with you but with the behavior it's self. This should be done carefully to avoid additional paranoia from pup. Often a low level remote training collar correction on stimulation, vibration, or tone is used for this. Spend time learning about proper remote training collar use, including finding pup's "working level", how to properly fit, and how to layer with obedience and positive reinforcement to teach things first, then adding the collar on top for consistency when you aren't near pup also. https://www.youtube.com/c/JamiePenrithDogTraining/search?query=ecollar Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
April 13, 2022
Reggie
Cocker Spaniel
2 Years
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Very hyperactive. Struggles to settle in new environments. The moment he catches a light/glare from a watch sets him off. He becomes very hyper and will change his mood for the entirety of the day. He chases shadows and lights and all his recall and training seems to disappear when he is in this mood.
March 27, 2022
Reggie's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello Lee, 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, work on redirecting to more appropriate outlets and to providing mental stimulation; activities like training with you, puzzle toys, training games, canine sports, and other fun, healthier mentally stimulating things. 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 had 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 as soon as pup pauses the chasing. 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 related 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
March 28, 2022