Maybe my heeler’s a late bloomer in some aspects, but until the past couple of months, I really couldn’t think of her as a car-chaser.

Now, I know she’s got the instinct in her somewhere. The first blue heelers I ever saw were thanks to my next door neighbor years ago. They had one that was the king of chasing cars if I ever did see one. And sometimes large trucks (but not my dad’s–he tried that and dad swerved to scare him off. The dog jumped in a water filled ditch, never tried chasing dad’s truck again).

So, I know the breed seems to have a little inclination to do that. My dachshund never really got into that when I had him (chihuahua didn’t care, but hated everybody pretty equally). Maybe he was too slow or just really good at staying in the yard. I know he would run up to a car that was coming in the drive, or follow one to the street, but that was about it.

When one of my dogs gets wanderlust or loose and ends up past the back yard, if I’m going in my car to find them, there’s a black rottweiler (with maybe a mix of other species in him) that follows my car, waits for me to stop and yell out the window or do my three point turn to head out again. he hasn’t tried to eat my tire or anything, instead he looks at me, pees on it, and walks off.

I just wonder what makes some dogs susceptible to chasing cars more than others. I’m sure part of it’s because of the noise. When a big truck or noisy vehicle goes by the house, the heeler and retriever are both at the window barking like crazy, even if they don’t stop in the driveway.

It’s strange that my girl heeler suddenly wants to run after some cars. Not all cars, but some trucks and larger vehicles. Cars don’t seem to be a big deal, funny enough.

I just don’t know what triggered this behavior in her and why she just has to try and take off. She actually tried to chase down the mail carrier’s truck (cliche or what), and actually followed it a few doors down when it was going to the dead end part of the street. I had to yell for her to come back home.

She used to just bark and follow it only to the edge of the yard and let it keep going, but on that morning, when the mail truck passed by, heading toward the end of the street (and a busy county road–a famous grave for stray dogs around here), I really started to freak out.

She snapped out of it and actually got distracted by a neighbor a few doors down. I swear, she just HAS to say hello to everybody and roll over so they can pet her. At least she didn’t follow the truck to the main drag–too many dogs have gotten killed out on that road.

Dunno what made her decided to start chasing vehicles. I think part of it is this other dog has some anxiety of sorts. I think she absorbs it and takes it, making her more fearful or cautious.

Anyhoo, a ton of pages with a ton of explanations to read through before I pass out. Any of you guys have some adventures with vehicle chasing canines, yours or someone else’s?

Floor’s yours…

uhh…checkmate?