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[Puppy Madness]

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

How lovely that she gets to run free so much! Wish I could help more, but my first thought is for you to use a 20' long (or longer if needed) lead on her while you're outside. That way she can roam free, but you still have supervision/lead of her before she is able to head too far away, too quickly. Knot the end and every few feet in, so when you step on the lead it won't just slide under your foot.
We live in dense NJ without a fence, so Rip was almost always closely supervised on lead, especially before we had a great recall. I'd recommend you start treat-training that, too. Save "here" in case you ever lose "come." Lots of people lose "come" because they ask their pup to come and then do something the dog doesn't like (groom, ear cleaning, bath, etc.) therefore they lose "come" as it apparently only takes once for the dog to negatively associate. Best of luck! :-)

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

That sounds wonderful that she gets to run but I'm just assuming you're nearby, keeping an eye. If you do the long lead or the fence, regardless, you'd still want to closely supervise her so that she doesn't ingest anything or get into bad habits or trouble - she is so young. Enjoy it! P.S. It is a great technique to initially train for recall on a long lead, too. (Lure them in, treat). And Doggy Dan is great! :)

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

Hi Brooke,

Doggy Dan's on-line training site has video segments on keeping a dog out of a road and out of a designated area. You can access his website for free for 3 days through the Preferred Vendors tab at the top of the DK page.  I'm not sure your puppy is old enough yet for this training method to work, but the behavior is so dangerous that it might be worth a try. Also, if there is always someone outside with her at your in-laws' farm, putting a long line on her, as described by Doggy Dan, will help keep her under control but give her manageable freedom until she has a reliable recall. Do you think your in-laws would object to putting a sign at the beginning of their driveway that says "beware of adorable, not-yet-trained puppy?"  Good luck.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Beware of adorable puppy? OMG, I love it... Lol!

[Lois Maturo]

I had this problem with my labradoodle.  He was on a leash but would lunge at cars on our walks. He would also do it if loose and a car came up our driveway.  I had him sit every time a car would come and of course if he did he got a treat. It took time but no more lunging at cars. Also she is probably staying close to her people now but will most likely go through a stage where she doesn't listen at all. I believe I have heard this called the teenage phase. I agree with the person who told you to put her on a long lead.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

She will be distracted and the car may be a bigger reward than whatever treat you have for her 'sit.' I'd try this, but definitely with the long lead attached as backup... Best,

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My suggestion is to fence off an area.  Since she is a mini, it doesn't have to be that large or that expensive of a fence.  I would absolutely  NOT allow her to be in a position where she could run at cars. This will not be something she outgrows if she is allowed to get away with it now, and the eventual outcome could be fatal.

[Missy]

Congrats on a cutie!!

We live on a busy street without a fenced yard.  We travel and are in many different 'yard' situations.  I like you recognized a problem with dog and cars.

Granted, I am not a professional, but what I did was train my pup to sit when cars were approaching or arriving.

While on lead, taking walks, as a car approaches, we sit.  If a car pulls into our driveway, we sit and are not allowed near the vehicle until people get out. (I didn't want to have to pay for someone's paint job) lol

She is not too young to start learning commands. And the sit command is the easiest!  These are smart dogs. Consistency is KEY.  Figure out what action you want her to do for your situation, and begin training.  You will have to start training on leash at first, but it is well worth the time.  We are at 2 years of age, and I don't have to say the commands, our pup goes into a sit all on his own when cars pull in the driveway.

Just remember your pup is learning the world around her.  It is up to you to train her how to act in this new world. Sounds like she is eager to please and I am sure you can get her to respond to whatever you choose. Visualize the actions you want her to do-and work your way there!!  (we are still working on not jumping on guests!)

Next topic: shock collars.  Controversial topic, search the forum and you will see both sides well stated. I use one.  We have the Garmin Delta. (has a tone, vibrate and shock options)  The thing is your dog has to KNOW the commands before using this collar.  This collar does not train your pup on commands. The collar is there to remind the pup 'listen to the command'.  It is a 'long leash' corrective tool.

My favorite book for training http://www.amazon.com/Puppy-Primer-Patricia-B-McConnell/dp/18917671...

This forum is a great place to learn! It helped me so much. Congrats again on your baby!  You will love watching her grow up!!