Issues With Cats..

[Grey]

hi guys :-)

i was hoping i could lay my situation out for you all and hopefully get some ideas on solutions

i have a 17 month old gsd (female, desexed) who is coming along in training very nicely. I have a housemate (who gets along her with fantastically) and 2 cats (1 indoor 24/7, one outdoor in day, indoor at night). Now Skylla loves the cats - alot. and they put up with her - she tries to play with them but sometimes a tad too enthusiastically and they get grumpy and move to higher ground.

I went thru a few differing techniques when she dived after them if they ran - from crating to 'on the bed' to simply distraction and a few sits and stands and then 'free' but the behaviour never really went away - it is better, but she still is terribly interested in them - no nasty behaviour i stress, simply nosing them and herding them close to her and having to be involved in all that they are doing at the time. Neither of these cats has injured her or fought back (and both have proven to be capable of it with other animals including dogs) so i get the impression they are simply annnoyed at her rather than feeling in danger.

Recently i have noticed that if i am not around and it is just the housemate home or in the room, she doesn't chase them or snuffle them or really even look at them - but as soon as i come outside, or enter the room she will run to them and annoy them. She will run outside to the elder cat if he is crying at the door in the morning to go outside, but other than that, he sleeps undisturbed thru the night whilst she sleeps in my room. We noticed this the other day, when the indoor cat was wandering around on a leash in the back yard, whilst i was in the study Skylla slept in shade at housemate's side, as soon as i came outside to the backyard she was incessantly at the cat standing over the top of him and annoying him. when i went in she went back to calm.

housemate mentioned this calmness is quite normal for her around the cats, maybe an issue every now and then, but in no way the amount it is when i am home, so i also asked my mother who said when she has had to pop over while i am at work there is no issue either.

Is this an attention seeking thing? how do i begin to combat this since it appears i am feeding the behaviour by paying attention and correcting her when she does harrass them?

thanks heaps for reading the essay, i appreciate any advice put forward

[sandgrubber]

What is called 'crittering' with an e-collar would work if you want to establish a 'leave the cats alone' as an absolute rule.

see http://www.loucastle.com/critter.htm

You might try something like squirting her with a squirt gun or spray bottle (perhaps using a scented water that she doesn't like, eg perfume or citronella) when she goes for the cat. I think that would get across the concept of 'leave the cat alone when I'm in the room'.

[Erny]

Is this an attention seeking thing? how do i begin to combat this since it appears i am feeding the behaviour by paying attention and correcting her when she does harrass them?

If "attention seeking" is the cause behind this behaviour, then give her attention and reinforce when the cat's around but well before she shows interest in the cat.

Teach her to come over to you when the cat is around, and reward her well for doing this. This is in similar vein to what I prescribe in an 'infant/dog' situation, where the infant cries and the dog is taught to seek out the adult owner in response, rather than focusing attention towards or on the child.

[Aidan]

Is this an attention seeking thing? how do i begin to combat this since it appears i am feeding the behaviour by paying attention and correcting her when she does harrass them?

You certainly are an antecedent, if what your housemate reports is true.

So we know the antecedent (you), we know the behaviour (annoy cats) and now we just have to figure out the consequence that is maintaining the behaviour in the presence of the antcedent (Antecedent->Behaviour->Consequence) - and I think you nailed it already above! Your attention, the "correcting", which could be in fact reinforcing this behaviour.

If you remove the reinforcer (ignore her when she bothers the cats), you have begun an "extinction procedure", in which case you can expect it to get worse before it gets better. One of the best ways to avoid or limit this is to reinforce something else, as Erny has suggested getting her to come to you before she goes to the cats would be a good idea. If she does continue to annoy the cats, completely ignore her, you might even find it best to walk out of the room if this does not interrupt your life too much.

[Grey]

thanks so much for the advice - muchly appreciated

[Cosmolo]

I would definitely give erny's advice a try- remember that the timing is very important! I would not use extinction training (ignoring) in this situation even if it is attention seeking because of the risk of injury to the cats if the dog goes through an extinction burst- gets worse before getting better.

[Grey]

for sure! i am very conscious of how the cats are affected throughout the elimination of this behaviour - being much smaller and 'squishier' despite pups best intentions - injuries can and do happen i realise.

at the moment i am wearing a treat pouch around the house and redirecting her attention as has been suggested - hopefully i can nip this problem once and for all :-)