THE CANINE BEHAVIOR SERIES
By Kathy Diamond Davis
Author and Trainer
Critters Your
Dog Wants to Chase
It’s fun to watch your dog animatedly
chase something. It may seem useful to have the dog “dispose of” bugs and
rodents. The problem is that we can’t know which time a dog doing this will
become ill or even die.
Flying insects, squirrels, cats, snakes, gophers and all sorts of other
domesticated and wild creatures can become targets for “crittering” dogs.
Some dogs remain calm with the cat in the house and go nuts chasing cats
outside—including the cat from inside. Dogs have savaged livestock belonging
to neighbors, and are often worse predators on livestock than wild animals
are.
It’s important to understand that a dog has no way of equating killing
with the moral judgments put on it by humans. Dogs chase by instinct, and
that same instinct will, if allowed free reign, eventually lead to a kill.
Each repetition makes the habit stronger. The best way to manage it is not
to let the instinct get triggered the first time.
Prevention
The key is to supervise your dog, and teach the dog to come when called
no matter what the distraction. If you start this practice with a young
dog, consistent training will cause the dog to automatically look to you
whenever a distraction you have conditioned appears. So the dog sees a cat
and looks at you, sees a squirrel and looks at you, sees a wasp flying through
the air and looks at you. You’ll need to praise and reward this behavior
consistently in order to maintain it.
Until your dog is steady around critters and comes when called, keep the
dog on leash or on a long line around critters. This protects the critters
and also protects your dog. Besides the harm that can come to your dog from
contact with the other animal, a dog can get hit by a car chasing out in
the open. It is also illegal in many situations to let your dog chase livestock
or wildlife and can get your dog shot or impounded.
The wonderful sheepdog who helps keep the sheep rounded up and safe can
become a predator on the same sheep if not properly trained and supervised
from the start. The same instincts that enable dogs to assist humans in
humanely handling other animals can turn into killing instincts without
the proper dog-handling. This is a human responsibility. The dogs simply
cannot understand the right and wrong of killing other animals.
From the beginning when your little puppy—or your dog at whatever age
you adopt—shows an interest in another animal, call the puppy or dog to
you. If the recall training is not complete, have the dog on a leash or long
line so that you can be sure the dog will come to you for a reward rather
than being able to go chase the critter in spite of your call.
Training
Some trainers consider coming when called to be the most important of
the training commands, because of all the problems it can solve. Crittering
is one potentially serious dog problem that can be prevented or solved with
a solid recall.
There are dogs who will never be fully reliable on their recall command
because of their genetic heritage. Early mishandling of the dog causes the
problem in some cases. When a dog has repeatedly been put into a situation
of being called and not responding to that call—such as when running loose
in an off-leash dog park—that dog’s reliability on coming when called may
never be what it could have been.
That’s the reason for using a leash or long line with your dog until the
recall is reliable. Otherwise, you can actually wind up teaching your dog
NOT to come when called. Oops. If your dog is not reliable on the recall,
for whatever reason, use the leash or long line. It’s for the safety of your
dog, wildlife, other people’s animals, and your own wallet. You would be
liable for any damages done by your dog.
When you call your dog away from a critter, give a great reward for coming
to you. Keep the reward out of sight until the dog arrives. If you dangle
it out as an inducement for the dog to come, that’s not a reward: it’s a
bribe. Considering the adrenaline rush a dog gets from chasing, that piece
of food is going to come in second best at some point. Keep the dog guessing
about the reward you’re going to give.
One time the reward might be a series of small dog treats. Give a treat,
step back and give another when the dog comes to you again, step back and
give another when the dog comes again—3 to 5 times. Now the dog’s mind has
been completely refocused away from the critter.
Another time you might have something special with you, perhaps leftovers
from lunch. Use the same routine to administer this in a series.
Games are a great reward, more important to some dogs than food. If the
dog is turned on by the idea of chasing the critter, the chance to catch
a toy 3 to 5 times is a great reward.
Know what toys your dog values most. For some dogs it might be a ball,
while others might turn on more for a furry stuffed toy. After those 3 to
5 catches, give the dog a little time to enjoy the toy independently.
When the dog first gets to you, if the dog enjoys petting, praise your
dog and pet briefly. Your touch will help to switch the dog out of the high-adrenaline
mode that accompanies chasing a critter. Then tune the dog in quickly to
you with the reward. Whether you’re using praise, petting, food or a toy,
direct each reward from your face, getting the dog’s eye contact. This makes
your control stronger in the gentlest possible way.
Critter-Proofing
There are programs that claim to proof dogs against snakes and other dangerous
critters, usually through the use of shock collars. Never put your dog through
a program like this on your own or with anyone who is not a reputable expert.
If you’re considering such a measure, consult a veterinary behavior specialist
first. You don’t want to do anything harmful to your dog, especially when
it can easily cause new problems without solving the one you’re trying to
deal with. In dog training as in life, if something sounds too good to be
true, it probably isn’t true.
Peaceable Kingdom
Some dogs are just wonderful with critters of all kinds, but this is usually
due to a combination of amiable inherited temperament and careful youthful
management by humans. In the next world, we’re told the lamb will be safe
with the lion. But in this world, the dog owner who provides supervision,
a leash, and excellent recall training is the safety net for critters a dog
might go after, and for the dog who can so easily become victim to natural
instincts.
Kathy Diamond Davis is the author of the book Therapy Dogs: Training
Your Dog to Reach Others. Should the training articles available here or
elsewhere not be effective, contact your veterinarian. Veterinarians not specializing
in behavior can eliminate medical causes of behavior problems. If no medical
cause is found, your veterinarian can refer you to a colleague who specializes
in behavior or a local behaviorist.
Copyright 2005 - 2007 by Kathy Diamond Davis. Used
with permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright 1991 - 2007, Veterinary Information Network, Inc.
This work was originally published by Veterinary Information
Network, Inc. (VIN) and is republished with VIN's permission.