New Member

Posts: 8
From:raleigh, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-02-2003 02:47 PM            

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I need help badly, my father will get rid of my dog if I cant get her trained. We've tried holding her back and letting the kittens loose, we've tried putting the kittens in a cage and letting her loose, we've tried spraying her with a spray bottle, we've tried it on a reward system. The dog just wont quit chasing cats. I need more ways to train this dog, I luv her a lot and dont want to loose her.

PLEASE HELP

[This message has been edited by NanankiWolfe (edited 06-02-2003).]

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Member

Posts: 309
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 06-03-2003 02:42 PM            

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What breed of dog? How old? Do the cats run? or are they dog wise? Do you have a recall on your dog? How much training in other areas has your dog had? Does he know the basics?(come, sit, stay,etc.)

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Posts: 163
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 06-03-2003 08:36 PM         

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Certain dogs (and breeds) have a higher prey drive than others, sometimes this can be managed - sometimes not.

What is the age & breed of your dog? how long have you had her and how long have you had the cats/kittens? How much exposure to the cats has she had? Is the dog chasing the cats in a mean way or in a playful way? how much training has this dog had?

If the kittens are "new" gradually the novelty will wear off - the more exposure your dog has the better - this gives her a chance to learn what behavior is appropriate and what is not allowed. If the cats are in a cage they are safe - this would be the best time to desensitize your dog, let her sniff around keep up with the rewarding (treat praise, treat praise...) have you given it much time to get her used to the cats?

The saying "fight like cats & dogs" didn't come from nowhere! If the dog is being mean ask your father about penning off a separate area for either the dog or cats both inside and out.

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Posts: 8
From:raleigh, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-04-2003 11:16 AM            

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"What is the age & breed of your dog? how long have you had her and how long have you had the cats/kittens? How much exposure to the cats has she had? Is the dog chasing the cats in a mean way or in a playful way? how much training has this dog had?"

Well the dog is a little over a year old, a mutt... chow and aussie I think. Its a playful type thing because she just wants to jump and wrestle with them. the dog has had basic training... she has some trouble with lay down, but she knows sit, stay, wait, leave it, and come. come seems to be a struggle for her when she is distracted by the cats. I will try giving her more time and bringing treats in with me for the session, and also I will probably fix up the backyard to be doggy-proof. thanx guys, thats a big help

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Posts: 309
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 06-04-2003 01:25 PM            

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I have an Aussie/lab cross, the cats were a huge issue for the first year, he wanted to play with them, not hurt them, but if they run...he chases at warp speed. We have two cats, but they are dog wise and do not run from him, one even likes to play with him, but on her terms, and she will punish him when he steps out of bounds. We use the command "leave it", he is two years old now and has a bit of maturity over your dog, it takes time for them to gain that. We literally worked our dog on this issue every night. When we would go to the barn to take care of the horses, he was exposed to ducks, geese, chickens and cats. All of them roaming around, he wanted to chase all of them. We practiced our recall with him, which is simply "Dooley here". We also taught him a whistle, we started out with everytime he got out of our sight, we would whistle, when he came to us he got treat, we didn't let him get very far, whistle again, treat for coming. As time went on we let him get further away before whistling, but never more than 5 minutes apart. It has taught him to "check in" about every 5 minutes. The Aussie in him makes him want to know where his people are at all times anyhow, we have reinforced it. Now he is two and he can roam the whole 5 acres, he can be all the way at the other end of the property, he hears the whistle, he busts butt to come. He by choice never stays away from us more than 15 minutes at a time, while we work, he peeks in on us and then runs off to play. He does not chase any of the animals at the barn, but if a strange cat comes around he will try to chase, We yell "Dooley Here!" and he does stop and come back. It took time and being consistent, and lots of reward. He still WANTS to chase, that is instinct, he is a herding type dog, that urge will never go away. The training has taught him or given him the skill to override that urge when it hits him. Herding/stock type dogs, even in a mixed breed, are very smart, quick thinkers, you have to stay a step ahead of them. They are also extremely loyal to their person, they WANT to make you happy, use that as a training aid. Big huge reward and praise for things done correctly goes a long way. They must have a job, if you don't give them one, they will come up with their own. Lots of excersise is a must. Sorry for being long winded...herding dogs are awesome, but often get a bad rap because they are not understood for what they are...working dogs. Hope some of this helps. DeAnna

[This message has been edited by Maisey (edited 06-04-2003).]

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New Member

Posts: 8
From:raleigh, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 06-08-2003 07:08 PM            

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I see... shes just trying to do her job... that makes sense. Oh, and thanx everyone, I've been working with her more and now shes figuring it out.

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