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How do I stop my dog reacting to motorbikes?
Brandyn Erdman
2025-08-10 15:28:25
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: 19
A very simple alternative is to not let your dog run without a leash. There are long leashes available that allow your dog to run and sniff around, but you always have the control and he cannot run away. You need to take some treats on your walks and then you train "come here" with him. Just go on your usual walk and do your usual thing and at random times you call him back to you and give him a treat. Give him the treat immediately after he came close enough to you to grab his collar. Then, as soon as you notice a motorcycle approaching, call him back to you and give him a treat as you always do during your walks. Grab his collar to stop him from chasing and give him more treats, one after the other. He's supposed to learn that being calm and by your side is much better than chasing motorbikes, so you need to give him more treats than usual. You cannot wait to call him to you until he starts chasing the motorbike. Almost all dogs have a hunting instinct and the fast moving vehicle triggers this instinct. It's better to stop his behavior before he even starts chasing.
Matilda Marquardt
2025-08-08 02:58:39
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: 16
It’s important to make a dog familiar with a variety of wheeled things before 12 weeks of age. Not just bicycles, cars and motorcycle but skateboards and roller blades, wheel chairs as well. Even properly socialized, dogs with high prey drive or herding instincts can see these things as rabbits with a death wish or very large quick sheep. Training and desensitization combine to address this sort of problem. Getting an obedience foundation where, stay, come and heel are taught at a level where they’re a job and not a trick is the first step towards a solution. The desensitization part is applied later with proximity training. The same obedience is requested but from a distance to the hot zone and over time gradually getting closer. Whether due to herding, prey or fear, most of the dogs I see can be taught to exert better self-control. A professional trainer will be able to guide you.
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Mariam Stark
2025-07-28 16:59:36
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: 16
The most usual reason for the lunging behaviour that you describe is a fear response to motorbikes - which isn't surprising given the noise and smell of these vehicles. Lunging is a popular choice for the fearful dog because after the lunge, from the dog's point of view, the bike usually goes away. This puts lunging in the category of a successful ploy - I got rid of the monster. It will take a long and careful period of desensitisation to change this behaviour and involves finding an area where you know motorbikes are going to be present, finding the distance away from them that he finds tolerable plus a bit more, and gradually getting closer through a programme of training and play until he is comfortable in their presence. Your best bet is to find a good behaviourist who can build such a programme for you and help you through the stages.
Sam Nitzsche
2025-07-26 09:59:13
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: 18
I find desensitisation is normally the best way to break this sort of barking behaviour. Find a treat that your dog absolutely loves. Start off by teaching your dog that it gets a treat when it looks at your face. Once your dog has learned that it gets a treat for looking at you, head out to a place where there are motorbikes in the area but so far away that your dog is just aware of them. When the dog looks at the motorbike, get them to sit and look at you. When they do this, give them a treat. Continue doing this for around 5 minutes, until the dog is consistently looking at you for treats, and only mildly distracted by the motorbike. If the dog’s behaviour gets worse, calmly end the session and try again the next day. Over several days and weeks, gradually get closer to the motorbike and repeat the training session above. As your dog learns that motorbikes mean treats, they will start to look for treats once they see a motorbike.
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Palma Conroy
2025-07-13 08:01:41
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: 16
The other issue is that straight up punishment for behaviors that are caused by complex emotions doesn't address the emotion behind the behavior. So while you may get a stop to the behavior, the issue is still there and the emotion will have to leak out in other ways. Which is why a lot of us prefer to address the emotion first and then the behavior goes away on it's own. So how you deal with reactivity is a complicated mash-up of all sorts of factors. By definition punishment stops behavior.
Malinda Oberbrunner
2025-07-13 06:45:12
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: 19
Dogs often put on frightening displays in response to cyclists, but that doesn’t mean they want to hurt anyone; fear and anxiety are at the root of most reactivity problems. Accordingly, the best way to diffuse these anxious feelings and put an end to the barking and lunging is to redirect their attention elsewhere. The ‘let’s go’ command works well in this regard, and it can also help stop reactivity to other common triggers, such as mailmen, large trucks and children playing outside. You can teach the ‘let’s go’ command to canines of any age, including puppies that are at least 12 weeks old. To start training your dog to stop barking at bikers, you will need a sturdy leash, treats or toy, clicker, and patience. You’ll want to start the training process in a quiet, controlled location, and as your dog begins learning the command, you’ll want to find a location in which he can see bicyclists from a safe distance.
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