Dogs vs Cars

 Dear Arlene, Your question reminds me of the story of the mother rabbit at the  of the highway telling her baby rabbit that those things (cars) are                             nothing to worry about as they're wizzing by. "Look, I'll show you", she                             says as she steps onto the highway with a car bearing down on her at                             60 miles an hour, which at the last moment swerves around her.                             "See, I told you, they're nothing to worry about" says the mother as                             she rejoins her baby off the road. If the car smelled or moved like a                             wolf or coyote, a predator, as a prey animal the rabbit would have a                             natural aversion. In our society, dogs are are predator animals                             with no natural enemies, and wouldn't fear a car anymore than it                             would fear a park bench. On the contrary, movement elicits a prey                            drive in dogs. That's why the puppy chases the blowing leaf, the                             movement representing prey. That's why many dogs are car chasers                            or go after joggers and skateboarders. As a trainer I've had to teach                             countless dogs to NOT go after cars, bikes, rollerbladers, etc. That's                             done with a "Leave It" command, "Dog, whatever you're focused on                             be it a squirrel, cat, another dog, or car, ignore it, leave it alone!"                             However, not chasing a car is not the same as being wary of, or                             avoiding them. A client once told me that her Standard poodle got                             "nicked" by a car, not really hurt but mildly traumatized, and became                             pretty good at avoiding them. Not a suggested training method!                             Considering the constant exposure our dogs have to cars, having                             them fleeing from moving cars would be impossible to live with.                             Imagine trying to take a walk with such a dog in Manhattan! The                             "Leave It" command for moving cars should be taught by a                             professional as it requires precise timing and a correction suitable to                             the temperament and intensity of the dog.