How to train your dog not to chase the cat...

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I adopted a 2yo German Shepherd and his prey drive is VERY high. I have had success training him with the chickens and now I need to teach him to leave the cat alone. Since getting the dog, we have been keeping the cat downstairs, but that's just now fair to her, and not safe either (if they were to make contact somehow). She is a social cat, and wants to be able to go outside and hang out with the family without fear of attack. The dog has attacked and injured her one time when she snuck upstairs, so I am very eager to get this taken care of. Getting rid of a pet is not an option for us. Any advise? Have any of you taught this to your dog? I know this isn't a dog training site, it's a chicken site, but hopefully I can get some good advise.

 

[CherishedFowlGuardian]

I would put a baby gate up so that the dog can get use to it. Also keeping the dog on a leash and treating him every time he chooses to focus on you and not the cat.

 

[Nym]

A firm, calm 'no' followed by a firm tossing of a rolled newspaper or tightly rolled towel at the dog BEFORE it looks at the cat. You know it's going to go after the cat, so set it up and win. Yes, the dog will look at you in surprise or even yelp and run off or hide etc. Ignore this and have a cup of coffee as if going about your day as usual. Do not feel sorry for your dog during these moments. Congrats - you have now become your dog's focus, like it's meant to be, not your cat. Use their prey drive to play fetch with a ball.

 

[Rillowen]

I just posted this for chickens, so ill post it here as well, same principal, just with your cat in a small room instead. [Disclaimer, i am not a professional dog trainer, have just spent much time around dogs, and successfully introduced hunting adult dogs to chickens and cats 3 times]

I dont know much on poodles, but sheep dogs are very good about recognizing the masters prey animals as things to protect. Some dogs, even within breeds, will require more or less training, so much is dependent on how your dog reacts and how well they learn. Just be to make sure the dog views you as master, this is important not matter what you are doing. Dogs need a clear leader, and if you dont provide that they will be more stressed and try to fill the role themselves, even though they dont knwo what they are doing. A masterless dog is miserable, but the occasional firm disciplinewill help them feel comfortablethey know what they are doing, and lead to a happy dog.
Some dogs will have no troubles, but i tend to have dogs with high hunting instincts. For chickens I would leash the dog very tightly and take it into the pen/close proximity. Let it sniff the birds, but if it snaps or try to chase sharply jerk back, give a swat on the nose, and if it doesn't settle then flip on the back and a light choke grip with shake [mostly digging fingers on either side of the windpipe, as another dog would to threaten, not actually chocking or blocking blood. Then hold the dog there until they stop resisting, take your hand away a bit and when they go to get up pin them again with a growl. Do this until they stay a momnt when you remove your hand, then give them permission and pat their belly. This is the most serious discipline you can give a dog, so dont over do it, but it is good at least once to show them you really mean it, you ARE in comand.] Repeat this for about 10 mins, 3-4 days in a row, as the dog is calmer around the birds encourage with pets and praise and a looser leash. If the dog shows no agression to the birds at all give a treat when you leave. After that bring the dog with on a loose leash every time you go out to them. After a week or 2 the dog will have learned and you can let them mingle without problem (mostly likely ). You may have to get onto the dog for excited chasing with no intent to kill a few times, so i would monitor for the first week of free mingling, but that should be it. Good luck!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We have two cats and for some reason Sammy (Sheltie) took a dislike to one of them (Sylva). Most of the time there was no problem but on occasion he would charge at her and snap at her for no reason that any of us could discern and she, of course, would flee from him. Sylva is very sweet and playful, a very "young" and kittenish cat, but she was becoming fearful of him and we didn't like that. His attacks were becoming more and more aggressive and serious and it was becoming obvious it was only a matter of time before he did her a serious injury, or worse. Sammy has always been kind of ... partly feral for lack of a better descriptor. He's not a dog you can roll over and hold by the throat until he calms down. He will never submit or relax. It's not that he is dominant. It's more that he is just ... like, a survivor, I guess. Feral. Well, one night she came in the cat door, late, and I could feel from his body language that he was going to go after her. I sleep in the recliner in the living room following a leg injury and he sleeps between my knees. I felt him grow tense. So I reached for him and grabbed him by the hide on both sides of his body just before he launched himself at her (i keep him on leash at night). I yelled NO just about the same time he started to bark. I think I startled him more than anything. I gave him a good hard shake and yelled NO at him again and he settled right down. Sylva ran down the hall to her room. Since then he has treated her with grudging respect. When she comes in he just looks at her, no barking, no charging. At times she will even jump up on the recliner with me, and he immediately gets down. That's right, HE GETS DOWN. He has decided I will protect her, she belongs to ME, and he is not to mess with her. I'm quite pleased. She's even regaining her confidence although she does keep an eye on him.

What I would advise a person to do in this situation is to have one person hold the dog on the leash and a TRAINING collar. Not a regular flat collar, but a slip-chain or prong collar, properly fitted and installed. Then you bring the cat into the area (maybe in a crate). Stand over the cat, facing the dog. Have the helper control the dog so the dog can't charge at the cat without the collar tightening, this corrects the dog for making a wrong choice. If at all possible, stroke the cat and love on it (or the crate) saying things like Good kitty, my kitty. If the dog charges, jerk him away and walk him away then try again. When he does not lunge, have him sit, pet and praise the dog, then walk him away. Now is when he may have a treat or a toy, not before. End the lesson at this point, when he is successful. This may take some repetition every day for a few days. Good luck! He has to understand that the cat is under YOUR protection.