Hello All,

I didn't know how to deal with this today. Taking my 15 week old
GSD, Sable, outside to relieve herself, she decided that the
cat accross the street was just begging to be eaten! She
began to bark/charge at the thing, pulling the leash almost
out of my hand.

I knew this was a great training opportunity, but I didn't
know what to do...if anything - but of course, I do NOT want
her to hurt any animals.

So, what I did do was to say, "Sable bathroom", pulled her
to her elimination spot, and basically ignore both the cat,
and her reaction to it.

Did I do good? Or did I miss a great opportunity to DO some
trainin?

First of all,what and how you did was fine...you need to remember cats are a huge distraction in the future.

Once, I had a 2 yr old GSD, and a cat, and they were pals.
Then we got a kitten. He wanted to eat it, took that knucklehead 4 days to realize kitten was not varmint, but
just a baby cat. I saw him realize it, shifting sight from
big cat to little cat while they happened to be near each other in proximity for a good compare of sillouettes, like a
light went on, no problems after that.
On the other hand, I know a buddy who's dog has actually killed cats, even though she also lives with one who she gets along with fine...but a strange cat is in her mind
fair game. She's a rescue, so no telling what her past
encounters with felines was, but one surmises it involved
a cat who wasn't de-clawed or pleasant!
Your's could have simply been curious, then fixated, then wanted to advance to chase, for no other reason than it simply felt good. If she had bolted and gotten close enough to grab it, that too is just progression thru typical predatory motor patterns.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/danoas/k9mind/patterns.htm

They all have potential to become animal aggressive, prey
drive is inate. Shaping it IS training. Your training will
be to recognise it and effectively time interruptions, so
the pattern cycle is broken, reset to zero, focused back
on you.
The trick is becoming aware of the potential prey item
before the dog does...and with their keen senses, it takes
more effort for us, not so well equipped. I mean the dog
could become aware by smell, long before we see it.
If it starts tracking, obviously a clue, but if heeling well, we might be clueless what's around the corner or over the rise, while Fido is already thinking "what's for dinner?."

Anyways, be aware, stay vigilent.
Enjoy This Day!

Dan,
Excellent advice!

Along with living with my multiple high-drive dogs, I have 4 indoor cats - situational awareness and using the distraction as a training opportunity is what works for me.

Same here, Will and Dan. I thought my dog was cat-friendly, but I realized that he's only *HIS* CAT-friendly. I got a kitten right before bringing Caleb home, and they are quite bonded, and I had my other cats before him, so he just had to accept them from day one. Admittedly, it's not that hard to have an 8wk old pup be kind to a cat. Now that he's 2, however, it's all changed. If it's one of my (his <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> cats, he's very affectionate to them; any "outside" cats are absolutely fair game to him though. I was stunned the first time my angelic pup tore across the street (which he NEVER does) fully intent on eating my neighbor's cat, Jack. Leash in the front from now on. While I would feel awful if poor Jack were eaten, I'd feel worse if Caleb was hit by a car chasing him. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Distraction, if you can manage it, absolutely works. I brought a new dog home who had not been around cats. I allow him to investigate, but as soon as I see that he's getting too "intent" I distract him. So far, this has worked. He's not so isolated from them that when he sees them he goes berserk, and I think this helps to keep him in "curiosity" mode instead of "quick-eat this thing before Mom catches me" mode. His posture around them has been more relaxed lately, and he doesn't spring up to chase them when they jump or run. Sorry to ramble, but I was wondering if I was doing this right...thanks Will. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

We used to have Chows.We tried in vain to stop them from killing stuff. Anything that crossed the invisible line of posession was eaten!My two were just killers.They eventually had to be put down because of this.

 Quote:

Dan, Excellent advice!

I agree! Wow. I technically know the stuff you've said but
the matter of fact way you've put it really puts training in
perspective for me.

I will continue training - looking for ANY opportunities for
the distraction training phase.

Thanks again. This is why Leerburg is BY FAR THE BEST forum!

AS an addin (I'm NOT high jacking my own post!), this morning
Sable was eliminating, and a white Shepherd mix strolled by.

Well, you would of thought my 15 week old was a 3 years SOLID
Law inforcement K9! She "hackled up", groweled, then barked
with all the strenght she could muster!

Now, from what I've read about Dog/Dog aggression - and my
(her) cat experience - I did responed the same way:

distract her

Command focus on me

Praise her for it

So far, so good?

---

God Bless,

Martin





Schatzie!

wow, thank you all...
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />
Enjoy This Day!

well, i'm glad this was back on "active", b/c i was going to "search" when i got back inside from my latest walk with an alligator that looks like a pup. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

anyway, our cat, Oreo Oscar Sylvestor Stallone, is an inside/outside cat, who beats up on both the Dobie and Sadie, who kills cats when they run (do i hear "prey drive"??). now, when we're out on a walk and Oreo is out, Oreo follows, appproaches, then mr. man (when he notices Oreo), alerts, crouches (like a cat <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />, will try to approach Oreo, who then bails, of course. which gets mr man's attention more fully... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

i wasn't sure how to deal w/this until now. i'll keep a couple pieces of bil-jac in the coat pocket, and distract mr man.

the question: at 8 wks., this WILL imprint, correct? he's already figured out that if he comes to me and sits, he gets a treat--and he's been known to use a whole tbsp of his kibble playing THAT game, and his kibble pieces are the size of half a pencil eraser. but he works it!

am i on the right track here?

rewards help teach command, or mark a desired behavior but if you don't have any,what then? At some point, praising every glance your way so getting it's attention and focus is the best tool in our bag. They'll work all day unto exhaustion simply for praise, and/or another toss of the play prey item, ball, frisbee, whatever, so if you get them looking at you, half the battle is won, the reset button's been pushed, and the dog is awaiting YOUR next desire, not his. If the dog is giving eye and stalking, it's going to go into chase, unless you interrupt the cycle. The earlier in the cycle you interrupt, the safer the cat is going to be. If you wait until chase, it's only a heartbeat away from the grab bite.
As soon as he starts giving eye, refocus...he'll have to start over...better you give the dog something else to do.
(leave it, stay, heel)
Of course, cat buddys will taunt until chased...but that's so much safer in the house, where the cat can get under furniture, dance on stairs, run to you, etc. But on open ground, they might get away, might not. Might nots might be sad, even among "pals". Big dog ,little dog scenarios too,
"playing" roughly can be hard on the little guys simply due to gravity and momentum.