Crittering High Prey Drive Dogs

[iltby]

Hi all,

We have 3 high prey drive dogs here, two Huskies and a Husky X. Two of them, Jack and Lily, are fine while supervised around our cat but the third, Chelsea, will go for him and if she does the others will join in. I'm just wanting advice for crittering all 3 of them, though mostly Chelsea, so that our cat can be safely inside.

Thanks,

Josie.

[Aidan3]

The only safe option is a strong barrier. Studies of aversion therapy using strong electric shock have had mixed results.

[bedazzledx2]

Protect your cat at all costs! Once dogs see him as prey his nine lives will evaporate without your intervention. Separation is the only safe option in my opinion.

[Nekhbet]

very hard when you are trying to control a pack instead of just the one dog. You need a professional to deal with the main trouble maker of the group but frankly, it's not worth trusting them. You're sometimes better off aiming for safety backups then expecting something like safety when you're not around.

[iltby]

Fair enough. That's disappointing to hear.

They would never be left together alone but it would be nice to have them calmly in the same room together.

[huski]

I wouldn't trust them unsupervised but under supervision with you there I wouldn't say it's impossible to have them sit in a room without trying to eat the cats. You'd need professional assistance though to see how easily it could be done.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I agree with the others about getting professional help.

I think you'd have to train each dog separately - starting with the worst one. And do some variation of desensitization / LAT (look at the cat, treat, look at me, treat - the simple version). If you can get the naughty dog to be calm and eat lots of treats when the cat is around instead of being in chase mode - that will help. And it will take more than one session.

But I still wouldn't trust the cat to be safe when they're all home together without you.

I've used similar methods - limit opportunity, look at me - treats, etc to stop my dog from chasing things she shouldn't but every now and again - she forgets herself. Or an unexpected opportunity presents (eg my brother doesn't know his cat as well as I know my dog). And it all goes to hell, and that would be all it takes for the cat to be history. My brother's cat was fine, she ran up a tree and I kept evil hound on lead after that - that was my original plan but not my brother's - should never have believed him when he said his cat wouldn't run. He was wrong.

[Tilly]

If you can ... something like a security screen door (mesh not just fly screen) with a cat flap in it ... put on a bedroom door (or another room) should also give the cat a "safe" place to go to if it needs too get away.

[iltby]

My biggest issue re: professional help is that Chelsea, the main culprit, is terrified of strangers; men in particular. This is something we've worked on for 4 years and have seen people about but for the most part it's a manageable problem rather than a fixable one. She was abused for the first 1 or 2 years of her life and then treated poorly in a foster home, so it's pretty ingrained. I'll message K9 Pro and see what he says.

Tilly, right now that still wouldn't be too safe for him...Chelsea would just go for him if she had the opportunity.

[Riddick]

We have got a cat called Catty but it use to be Charlie.

She was raised with our last Heeler and a Westie cross.

So I have to say she was use to having dogs about.

But she wasn't use to a dog that was a pup.

I think Murphy only seen something to play with, but his play is miles too rough for her.

This all turned into run and chase and we thought this isn't going to end.

Then the cat actually decided not to run. And now it isn't perfect but it is a lot better.

We have to tell him here and there to leave her alone and it near enough to them sleeping together soon.

While our son has a Greman Shepard and a cat.

He has had to go to the baby gates to keep them from one another.