Manage your dog’s prey drive with positive training, impulse control, and reliable recall.
Does your dog almost pull you off your feet every time she sees a squirrel? All dogs are predators and their prey drive is natural. You cannot entirely eliminate this behavior. But you can use positive training methods to better manage your dog’s hunting instinct. Read on for tips on how to prevent a dog from chasing animals.
What does “prey drive” mean?
Prey drive is a dog’s instinct to chase, capture and kill to survive. It includes the following stages:
- Hunting: The dog scents the ground and air, tracking and searching for prey.
- Stalking: She fixes her gaze on her prey, slows down her movements or freezes, then approaches in a crouched position.
- Chasing and catching: The dog chases, catches, and potentially kills her prey.
- Consuming: The goal of predatory behavior is eating the prey.
All dogs exhibit some predatory behavior (see sidebar on page xx). But not all follow the entire predatory sequence. Some enjoy the chase but will not harm or kill another animal.
You may observe prey-driven behaviors in your dog, such as stalking squirrels in the backyard or chasing your neighbor’s cat. Digging holes to reach burrowing animals is another predatory behavior.
Did you know? Does your dog like to chase cars, bikes, or skateboarders? Does she shake her toy violently from side to side? These, too, are predatory behaviors.
Give safety a priority
While prey drive stems from normal canine survival behavior, our family dogs no longer need to hunt for food. Predatory behavior can become a problem when directed toward people or other animals. Keep everyone safe by following these prevention and management tips:
- Keep your dog on a leash if she has not yet learned a reliable recall or has low impulse control.
- Make sure she cannot escape from the yard.
- Use a muzzle if you know your dog will harm or kill prey if given the opportunity.
- Learn to recognize what your dog is communicating. This helps you anticipate problems before they happen. That way, you can avoid situations that might trigger unwanted predatory behavior.
Know that prevention and management are not the only solutions
Preventing your dog from chasing prey with the above tips is important. Because she finds the chase rewarding, repeated opportunities will strengthen this behavior. But prevention and management aren’t the only solutions. Other steps to prevent your dog from chasing or lunging after other animals involve consistent training, time and patience.
Generally, we cannot ask our dogs to “stop” any behavior. Instead, we must teach them what we want them to do.
Did you know? Remember that prey drive is a natural canine behavior. This means we need to provide an outlet for it to avoid frustration in our dogs.
Teach your dog substitute behaviors
A substitute behavior will be incompatible with your dog’s predatory behavior. Focus on strong impulse control behaviors, such as “leave it” and “stay.” Your dog will have to master these behaviors at a very advanced level around the greatest distractions.
Here are what advanced levels of these substitute behaviors might look like in a controlled training environment:
- Advanced “leave it”: Your dog learns not to go after a thrown treat until you allow her to. While she’s in mid-run, ask her to “leave it” and call her back before she reaches the treat. She immediately turns around and runs back to you.
- Advanced “stay”: Other people and animals can run around or away from your dog while she voluntarily stays in a down, sit, or standing position.
If your dog can’t perform these behaviors in a controlled environment, she won’t perform them in real-life situations. Nevertheless, always start teaching any new behavior in an environment with few distractions.
Set your dog up for success and advance gradually based on her skills. Use high-value rewards, like real meat, to make it worth her while.
Did you know? Consistent and positive training will strengthen the bond between you. Your dog’s trust in you will result in stronger impulse control.
Teach her an emergency recall
For an emergency recall, you train your dog to come to you without hesitation, no matter what. We always want our dogs to come when called. But an emergency recall involves a special cue and lots of high-value treats to achieve a very strong and reliable response.
Here’s an example of when to use an emergency recall. Your dog starts chasing a cat onto a busy street. For her own safety, you need her to immediately stop and come back to you. Read on for how to teach an emergency recall:
Step 1: Pick a rarely used word for your recall cue. Some people use “here” in an urgent tone while others prefer more creative cues, such as “bacon,” “jackpot” or “unicorn.” You can use any word you want but pick one you won’t be embarrassed to yell in public!
Step 2: Stand next to your dog with a handful of high-value treats. Say the cue word and immediately feed her a treat. Repeat this ten times, many times throughout the day. Continue to practice this step daily for two months. Do not call your dog but quickly deliver the treats immediately after you say the cue word.
Did you know? The goal is to have the behavior so automatic that your dog doesn’t even think about it. She simply turns to you when she hears the cue.
Step 3: After two months, try out the emergency recall for the first time. When your dog is out in the yard or in a different room, call out the cue. If you practiced the routine as described above, with high-value rewards, she should come running to you. When she does, have a treat party. Feed her lots of high-value treats for about 30 seconds.
Step 4: Continue to strengthen the behavior by saying the cue and immediately feeding your dog treats. Every now and then, practice the emergency recall when your dog is distracted or at a distance. Then follow it up with a treat party. Just don’t overuse the cue when out and about or it will lose its impact. It’s for true emergencies only.
Reward calm behavior
Teach your dog impulse control by asking for calm behaviors during play. For example, ask her to sit before you throw a ball, or drop the toy before resuming a game of tug. Your dog will learn to control her excitement. Make sure you don’t end the fun when she complies: reward her by resuming the game.
Praise and reward your dog for calm behavior. Also praise her for looking away from what she perceives as prey. This can include small animals as well as moving cars and running kids. Practice in a controlled environment and keep your dog on a leash for the first while.
Always work from a distance where she can see the prey but still pay attention to you. Keep in mind that you are competing with Mother Nature. You will need high-value rewards to motivate and reward your dog.
How to prevent a dog from chasing animals means understanding her prey drive and working with it — not against it. Consistent positive training, strong impulse control, reliable recall, and safe outlets for natural instincts (see sidebar on page xx) reduce risky chasing behavior while building trust and cooperation.
Provide an outlet for your dog’s natural hunting instinct
Scenting, chasing, killing and consuming are all part of canine predatory behavior. We don’t want our companion dogs to engage in actual hunts. But we can provide them with outlets to practice these behaviors in a safe manner.
Frisbee, flyball, fetch, and lure coursing are fun chasing games. Nosework and digging for treats and toys in a sandbox, or in a cardboard box filled with plastic bottles, are great ways to practice scent skills. Allow your dog to rip apart a bag of treats – this imitates killing and consuming behavior.
Playing these games as a team makes you a fun partner in her hunt. It also strengthens your connection, causing her to pay more attention to you.
Know your own dog
Not all dogs have a strong prey drive. Those with a low drive will be better able to control their impulses. Some may not even be interested in chasing other animals. Hounds and terriers, on the other hand, are bred to hunt. Keeping these breeds from chasing other animals will be challenging.
Knowing your dog’s level of prey drive helps you apply necessary prevention and management measures. It also helps you set realistic training goals. If you feel stuck or find her predatory behavior challenging, reach out to a positive reinforcement trainer for help.
The post How to prevent a dog from chasing animals appeared first on Animal Wellness Magazine.
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