How to stop a dog from reacting to cars?

First you need to restore control for your own safety, and I recommend getting a harness that has the lead attachment on the chest. Walk your dog from a lead on her collar, but have a second lead on the harness. It's a lot easier than it sounds to work with two leads, and the beauty of this arrangement is that when your dog lunges, the chest fastening means that as the harness lead comes into play, it turns her towards you. Every dog has a reaction distance. Right now, you are too close to the traffic, so find places where you can both observe it while being far enough away that your dog doesn't feel the need to react. Sit together watching the traffic going by, while rewarding calm behaviour with a few treats, a toy or a game. If your dog reacts, you are still too close. Go to places where large vehicles are parked, and walk by at a sufficient distance that your dog doesn't react, and reward as before. Using these methods together, you will gradually desensitise her to traffic, but it will take time and you must go at her pace. Your aim is to stop the lesson before she reacts rather than pushing her to the point when she does.

To stop a dog from reacting to cars, keep them on leash, especially if your dog tends to want to chase moving vehicles, and use a short, six-foot leash and never a long line or retractable leash. Hold the leash securely in your hand or use a wearable, hands-free leash, where your dog is attached to you while you train. Give your dog space, and use pace to your advantage, many dogs will struggle the most the closer they are to the passing car. It’s important to keep your dog “below threshold“: keeping your dog at a distance from the trigger, in this case, that means staying far enough from moving vehicles, that way, your dog is still able to focus on you. If you are close enough to a vehicle that your dog wants to chase, you are too close for learning to take place. Counterconditioning helps to shift a dog’s behavior and response to a distracting or stressful stimulus: in this case, the movement of passing cars. At a distance from traffic where your dog is comfortable and able to focus, praise and treat your dog anytime a car passes. When your dog is constantly looking to you for a treat when a car passes, you can start to slowly decrease the distance between your dog and the traffic. Prevent your dog from being put into situations where they feel inspired to chase by shifting where or when you walk and by supervising your dog while they are in the yard.

The most effective way to stop a dog from ever chasing cars is prevention. It’s easiest to identify and change the behavior in puppies before it becomes a habit. Keep them safe & secure, fencing in your yard, putting locks on outdoor gates or keeping your dog crated inside are all good options. Do some training, you can bring your dog to training classes or hire a professional dog trainer. One way to stop your dog from chasing cars is with fun games that give them the thrill of the chase without involving moving vehicles. Keep your dog on a leash or in a fenced-in yard to prevent them from chasing any distractions. Train your dog to come to you when you call and practice training them in impulse control. Seek help from a dog behaviorist, professionals trained in dog behavior can help you understand your pet and what motivates them to run after cars.Experiment with different techniques and work on forming a trusting relationship with your dog. Try training tools, some dog training tools let out a hissing noise and release calming pheromones that help to distract and calm your dog. Incorporate clicker training, clicker training is a positive reinforcement method of training dogs.