Trainer Tip #6

Those of us who have been blessed with a dog and cat household have faced this topic on many occasions!

We can laugh when it happens but it truly is a situation that needs to be handled and worked on to prevent aggressive behavior toward our other domestic animals.

How do I stop my dog from chasing cats?  He chases  our cat. He also pulls me &  barks aggressively when he sees a cat whenever we are walking. 

Most people think that chasing cats or other animals is a behavior problem only.  This behavior is more of an obedience problem, best corrected when your dog is a puppy.  A young puppy needs to start behavior training as soon as he becomes a member of the family & always kept on the leash when outside, as this puppy shows you what can happen if not kept on the leash!  GatorlandK9 will help point you in the right direction by answering questions and  we are happy to help our clients.  The alternative is that your puppy will grow up as the ‘alpha’ & will not respect you as the pack leader, therefore will develop learned behavior patterns, like chewing your shoes or chasing cats.

Before you can effectively correct this problem in an adult dog, with good results, you must train your adult dog to the level of advanced obedience which will include off leash work.

With an adult  dog that has a high prey drive, you will most likely need the help of a professional trainer. 

After the dog has advanced obedience, including off leash work in heel, sit/stay, down/stay with the owner out of sight & GatorlandK9’s following command , you will add in larger & larger distractions to do what we call ‘proofing ‘ the commands.  This will include other dogs & livestock, even cats.

As with any learned behavior pattern, there is never a ‘quick fix’  The solution usually requires hard work on the part of the owner. 

In conclusion, it is always true that early training will eliminate behavior problems before they start which will be much more positive for the dog & the owner. 

With proper obedience training, this could happen..... :)

Author: Jill Pavel