# How to train "street smarts"?



## cinnamonteal (May 16, 2008)

I had a very scary moment over the holidays with Caleb. We were in front of my parents house and my husband called to Caleb, so I let go of the leash so he could run over to him. Well, all of a sudden he got the zoomies and wouldn't come to either of us. He ended up running out into the street and almost got hit by a suburban. Fortunately the driver saw him or heard us yelling and stopped. I have never been so scared for my dog. I decided that never, under any circumstances would I let him loose near the street again. 

This has really made me realize just how little fear of cars and the road Caleb has. I'm so afraid of what would happen if, god forbid, he ever got loose. How can I teach him to stay away from moving cars and out of the road? I always make him sit and wait before we cross the street, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on him.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*So Sorry*

So very sorry that you had this scare.

I have NEVER let my dogs off the leash and I think that it is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - for the simple fact that I am afraid it would be instinctive for them to do the same thing or to run after an animal!!!!

​


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Im afraid to let Misty off the leash because of that...she doesnt listen well enough and she is oblivious to dangers like that. I wonder if its something you can teach....Ill be interseted to see some of the responses.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

I recall reading years ago that dogs can't learn 'street smarts,' that it just isn't something they can learn.


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

amy22 said:


> Im afraid to let Misty off the leash because of that...she doesnt listen well enough and she is oblivious to dangers like that. I wonder if its something you can teach....Ill be interseted to see some of the responses.


The short answer is to improve the recall - train a really reliable recall and a reliable drop at a distance. My dogs get a lot of off-leash time - and a recall is important on so many levels...You could start with a long-line - get really solid behaviors and test him - around other dogs, in a zoomie, etc. The long line will prevent him from completely disconnecting...Make sure that when he comes to you something wonderful happens (this would be a good time for steak) and release him to play again so that the recall doesn't always mean the end of the fun...Do you have friends with friendly dogs that have a super recall? Setup play dates and practice recalls - in general dogs learn quickly that "fluffy" goes back to her owner when called and get cookies - the end result is a dog that stops ANYTHING it is doing to return on a recall.

Erica


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Dogs can't reason like people can and are lousy generalizer, so no, you can't teach them to be worried about running into the street or to worry about cars. 

A reliable recall like was already suggested is a great place to start.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Have to agree with the others. Even a rock solid recall is not good enough for a dog that sees something more interesting on the other side of the street. My two current dogs are the best I've ever had on recall but I'm still very careful about letting them off leash around my house with the busy street.


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

Glad Caleb is ok and not hurt, I don't let mine of leash around places with a lot of cars. Chloe for some reason is afraid around them, might be a good thing.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Recall, recall, recall. That's the solution. It's possible to train your dog to respect the curb in front of your own house, but, as has been mentioned earlier, dogs are lousy generalizers. Training a recall that will break through the zoomies or other distractions is the real key, though.


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## acquila (Dec 24, 2008)

I'm just going to put my .02 in. some of you may not agree with this, but I live right by a very busy highway, its right around the corner, so with one of my dogs, I had my cousin turn on her car, and I let my dog on a loose leash walk in font of it, theni had my cousin push the horn, it startled my dog, she didn't like it and went awat from the car, after a while she went by the car again, so again my cousin pushed the horn, everytime she got startled, when she got startled, I would baby talk to her and call her, and calm her down, by the fourth time as soon as the horn beeped, she was running to me before I siad anything. she will avoid cars now, if i go in one, and call her she will get in it, otherwise she won't go near it, and I'm pretty sure, if she ever gets loose, and a car honks, she will come running to me. I know alot of you will prbably think its mean to scare her like that, but i would rather her be scared of cars, and stay away from them. then not scare her, and just rely on a recall to keep her safe. know i know if she gets loose she will avoid cars.
that being siad, still working on my other dog, I'm not doing the car thing yet, with Patience i did that as a last resort. I'm trying to clicker train promise to stay away from cars. if it doesn't work then i will have to try the horn


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## cinnamonteal (May 16, 2008)

Thanks so much for the replies. We've been working on recall and will continue to do so. I was just hoping that there was some way to teach him to stay away from cars. 

How do they teach guide dogs to safely cross the street?


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## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

I believe a dog can be trained to cross a road i've done so with Einstein when we hit a busy road he stops and looks both ways but won't move till i say so. I believe if they couldn't be taught to do this why would blind people have guide dogs. Guide dogs walk there person accross roads all the time they don't have there bling masters telling them to do it. The dog has to know when its safe to cross so has been taught how to cross a road. Dogs aren't as dumb as people make them out to be, My 10 year old male Einstein knows more road sense then my 6 year old neice but thats my sisters fault. A dog can be taught to do almost anything if you put the time and effect into training. People have taught dogs to grab a beer out of the fridge,fetch the paper on the lawn, Take clothes out of dryer etc so i don't think teaching a dog to cross a road out of the question.


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

acquila said:


> I'm just going to put my .02 in. some of you may not agree with this, but I live right by a very busy highway, its right around the corner, so with one of my dogs, I had my cousin turn on her car, and I let my dog on a loose leash walk in font of it, theni had my cousin push the horn, it startled my dog, she didn't like it and went awat from the car, after a while she went by the car again, so again my cousin pushed the horn, everytime she got startled, when she got startled, I would baby talk to her and call her, and calm her down, by the fourth time as soon as the horn beeped, she was running to me before I siad anything. she will avoid cars now, if i go in one, and call her she will get in it, otherwise she won't go near it, and I'm pretty sure, if she ever gets loose, and a car honks, she will come running to me. I know alot of you will prbably think its mean to scare her like that, but i would rather her be scared of cars, and stay away from them. then not scare her, and just rely on a recall to keep her safe. know i know if she gets loose she will avoid cars.
> that being siad, still working on my other dog, I'm not doing the car thing yet, with Patience i did that as a last resort. I'm trying to clicker train promise to stay away from cars. if it doesn't work then i will have to try the horn


My concern with this method would be what would happen in that very dangerous situation - if he were in the road and suddenly there were cars and he started to panic. I don't think there's a really good answer - other than a recall and only letting them off-leash when it's safe to do so...
Erica


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

If there is a way to train 100% street smarts, I'd pay a million for it. I'd still have Oliver here with us today! 

The only dogs who I have ever seen who are street smarts are dogs who are strays & live on the streets. Those are the ones we see, but how many didn't make it????

Street smart???? It's like letting your 2 year old child out on the street to play - not smart!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Jackson'sMom said:


> I recall reading years ago that dogs can't learn 'street smarts,' that it just isn't something they can learn.


I am sorry I disagree. We live in the city, and we walk our dogs around the neighborhood. Every time we come to a street they must stop, sit, and wait for us to give the command to cross. Off leash in our yard we work hard on making sure they know not to go into the street. My dogs have a "wait" command I can use on them at anytime. It means stop whatever you are doing and sit down immediately. When my dogs are young I keep them on a long leash. 

The other day DH was playing in the front yard with our lab while he was shoveling snow. He was not paying too close attention. He threw the ball for the lab it went into the street. She ran to the curb and STOPPED on her own. She just looked at DH unsure if she should go get that ball. This happened more than once and each time she did NOT enter the street. So obviously our repetition has taught her to not go into the street without permission. 

My young Teddi is a challenge. Earlier this summer she bolted out of the house, I was getting a package from UPS my hands were full and she took off across the street. Fortunately there were no cars, but there were people out in their yard a couple blocks up and she HAD to go see them. It is her down side. Since then I have worked her hard understanding her yard boundaries. Just this weekend I was loading her and Maxine in the car to go to the barn where I keep my horse. As I was loading Max (I have to lift her) Teddi saw a neighbor shoveling, she started to bolt off to say hi. I hollered at her she stopped, and came back. She did get one foot in the street, but it was a major improvement from earlier. I do not trust her, but she is learning about the street too. 

Yes dogs can learn street smarts, you just have to be ever so consistent, and be really mad if they do not listen. You will be much less of a consequence than a car will be.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I know how the guide dog school does it... I have a close friend on the inside, a trainer there for twenty years.

My dogs have good recalls, and actually, Rigby has street smarts. I didn't train it- he's just not stupid (I honestly think my other dogs are idiots compared to him LOL). When he hears a car backing up or start in a lot, he LOOKS, and he won't walk in its path. Etc. That's just the way he is. He won't cross in front of cars. He's the only one I can say that of, though. The others will have to be taught. I depend on a STAY (in case a car comes between you and the dog, like say he runs across the road, then is trying to return to you as a car is coming) and a recall to keep mine safe. Mine also know not to walk into the road in front of my house, though it's a very quiet road.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I actually condition my dogs NOT to be afraid of cars, traffic, and horns, so we can go into big cities and hang out and they're not at all nervous. It's a fine line... the only ones I think truly can have the best of both worlds are the ones with a bit of "natural" street smarts like Rigby. Rigby also won't walk in the path of another dog or a person, or a shopping cart either, and I have never once seen him miss a jump or smack into anything while playing... some dogs just have common sense like that. Other dogs will constantly run in front of other dogs at the dog park and get smacked into, or constantly stand in front of carts or wheelchairs. Those are the kind of dogs that I would think would walk in front of a car. They just don't pay attention.


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## cinnamonteal (May 16, 2008)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> I know how the guide dog school does it... I have a close friend on the inside, a trainer there for twenty years.


can you share, or is it a trade secret?


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## mikejr (Nov 2, 2008)

Dogs can certainly learn to respect traffic. I have a vivid memory as a child seeing my border collie hit by a car. Luckily the injuries were very minor, and venturing into the street willy nilly from then on was a non-issue. 

In fact, I had aunts and uncles remark how they'd seen him look both ways before crossing. Granted times have changed, and dogs don't have the off leash exposure they used to, but I'm confident a dog may be trained to avoid traffic.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I'm not sure! That's why I didn't share it... but it does involve a driver, a car, and the handler of the dog and lots of practice. They do specifically train it. Also, the dogs MUST stop and sit at the curb EVERY SINGLE time, everywhere. They do learn it to be habit.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

In general, I agree that you can't train street smarts, so having a rock solid recall is a must. However, I worked very hard with my RB Cody, who could walk off leash in any circumstance safely. His recall was perfect, but more than that, he did nothing that he thought I would disapprove of without asking permission. I never tested him in a dangerous situation until I was positive of his response, but he spent years gardening with me in the front and side yards and never set foot in the street, despite cats, squirrels, tennis balls, etc. as lures. Since we have a leash law unless you're on open space (off leash under voice and sight control), Cody always carried a leash in his mouth. He stopped and waited at every curb, and he was smart enough to look for cars backing out of driveways. He died of degenerative myelopathy when he was over fourteen years old, and I miss him every single day. I wouldn't attempt this with Finn for a million bucks, but I didn't get him as a puppy, and his prey drive is not something easily overcome. Heck, almost three years after Finn's adoption, I'm still working on a solid recall. He can be off leash in certain safe circumstances, but not as a general rule. Train, train, train is how to keep your pupper safe!


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

*How to train "street smarts"*

Here's Cody carrying a little training leash just to satisfy the letter of the law!


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