[nikki887766]

I have a 5 year old Labrador. He's very friendly- never bites, growls, or even barks really. But he likes to run after and people when they walk by! Even if I'm playing catch with him he'll drop everything and go bounding after them. He never does it violently, he just approaches them and follows them. I take him on regular walks and play catch with him but he just won't stop! What can I do about this?!

 

[Willowy]

Keep him on leash. Dogs shouldn't be loose in town. For playing fetch, you can get a long line.

 

[nikki887766]

He's not "loose in town", we will be in my yard and he will run out of our yard to neighbors walking by. I can't play fetch with him on a leash because we have a large yard and I use a ChuckIt so he can run long distances for exercise..

 

[Willowy]

He's loose if he isn't leashed or in a fence. A long line should be long enough for you to use the Chuckit .

 

[PatchworkRobot]

He's loose if he isn't leashed or in a fence. A long line should be long enough for you to use the Chuckit .

This is my suggestion also

 

[spotted nikes]

Definitely a long line. I love dogs, but would be pissed if I was jogging by and your dog started running after me. Can you imagine the terror someone who is scared of dogs would feel? And what if they run across the street when a car is coming? Your dog is going to be hit, or cause an accident. Or someone with a dog on a leash running by? Many dogs are aggressive towards loose dogs. Your dog could end up hurt. To not keep your dog contained is irresponsible.

 

[SassyCat]

I think this is a result of unfortunately done "socialisation" when dog is petted by every Margaret, John, Mike and Bill in the neighbourhood to make him socialised - sometimes you can't help it, dog approaches them out of curiosity and gets rewarded by strangers with lots of praise and even food. It's unfair to the dog but I'd use a long line to re-train this behaviour until he's well behaved. Though, either way you should IMO have a good fence because I can guarantee something bad will happen sooner or later if he's allowed to run through the densely populated street.

 

[Kyllobernese]

If your yard is fenced, how is he getting out?

 

[Vicky88]

You can still use the chuck it on a long line, my BC is on one, she runs and barks at dogs due to being attacked, she has a 50 foot one, but you can get 100 foot one, but that was to long for me and annoyed me, once the dog is better you could always drop the lead, that way if need be you can step on it to stop him, all i will say is i do not clip the lead onto her collar, instead i clip it onto a harness, i like Holly's lead, i can hold it and she gets to play ball still, or i can drop it and she can run, but if need be i know i can step on it and stop her from running at dogs.

 

[RonE]

If your yard is fenced, how is he getting out?

No mention was made of a fence by the OP.

 

[Kyllobernese]

Sorry, I just assumed as she said he was in her yard, that it was fenced.

 

[JackKnife]

I love dogs, but would be pissed if I was jogging by and your dog started running after me. Can you imagine the terror someone who is scared of dogs would feel?

As I agree with the long line suggestion, I must say I have had a BIG dog chase after me. I was just walking down the road when this big Rottweiler-Boxer mix sees me and decides he wants to meet me. So what does he do? He runs at me full speed and barking, my first thought was "i'm gonna die". I drop to one knee as he nears me, instinct I guess. He jumps one me and gives me a big lick across the face. I was never so relieved to be licked before.

 

[Bellasmum]

You don't mention if he has had any obedience training, but I guess perhaps not. You need to spend time teaching him some basic commands such as sit, stay, come, leave etc. You can find lots of training information on the net, but put very simply, your dog needs to want to come to you more than he wants to carry on doing what he's doing. A food treat is usually a good incentive, together with praise from you. Try and make the first few sessions in a place with no distractions and keep the sessions short. Put him on a long rope, which gives you more control. It will take persistence and patience on your part as he won't learn to come immediately every time in the first few days. But it will happen, and once he has learned to obey you all the time you can take him off the rope and discontinue the treats (but always remember to praise him with a word and a pat).

 

[dustinshaw98]

Definitely a long line. I love dogs, but would be pissed if I was jogging by and your dog started running after me. Can you imagine the terror someone who is scared of dogs would feel? And what if they run across the street when a car is coming? Your dog is going to be hit, or cause an accident. Or someone with a dog on a leash running by? Many dogs are aggressive towards loose dogs. Your dog could end up hurt. To not keep your dog contained is irresponsible.

Agree! I hate irresponsible dog owners.