huski Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 But how do I do that huski? And how do i do it without making her worse? Can you point me in the right direction? Giving her a positive outlet for her drive won't make it worse, it will mean she feels satisfied and is less likely to look elsewhere for drive satisfaction. It will also mean she will be more obedient to you because she has more motivation to comply to commands. There's endless benefit. I have two very high drive working line Mals, with more prey drive than any other dog I've met. But they live with my cat, they recall off live prey mid chase, they are easy to live with and don't destroy anything. More drive doesn't mean less control if you can use it properly. Shoot me an email to [email protected] and I can send you through some info on Monday morning. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Maybe send Canine Coach a PM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Could you deal with it in the same way you'd teach a dog not to eat a roast chicken that's on the ground? I can leave a bowl of porridge at nose height and my dog won't touch it. But I'm not entirely sure how I trained that. Except I've done a lot of food trades with her also a lot of "its yer choice" ie if you don't steal this - you can get something better later. Ie train impulse control... You're allowed to chase rats with permission (or something), but if you leave the cats alone - you can have something better later (like roast chicken fillet). It's really tricky tho with live critters - ie my dog will quite happily chain together naughty behaviour with sweet behaviour to get a treat... so you have to not reward if there is any sign of naughty. I don't entirely trust my dog but when I've wanted her to dispatch the mouse - she hasn't, and she's cornered cats and rabbits and a rat, and just barks at them from a safe distance until they decide it's safe to escape. But I guess your dog likes killing things and then it gets really hard - like trying to stop a terrier from killing vermin. if you can somehow get the dog to see your cats as part of the pack... other cats or new cats will still be in danger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Huski is your best bet. My Wei did this.It got worse as it gradually escalated and i didn't spot it fast enough, and his self rewarding from killing rabbits birds and a cat then turned to other dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 A tricky one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbaudry Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I feel for you.... Whilst I agree with Huski that dogs (and more so "working" ones) should be given a job and an outlet for their natural drive, I think this is a dry tricky situation. Toby has had the ultimate reinforcement / reward a few times, performing the whole hunting and killing sequence. I think in your current environment (small pets, wildlife, cats, smaller dogs etc) it is near impossible to implement a completely fail proof management strategy (it just takes one kid to leave the wrong door open etc) As harsh as it sounds, I believe for everyone's sake she would be better off being rehomed, with full disclosure, to a home where she won't have access to any potential prey. Finding a owner willing to work with her to channel her prey drive would be great, but I really think in your current situation, even if you were to find the time to train her in an activity channeling her drive, more accidents are bound to happen. Incidentally, a few decades ago my aunt lost her whole flock of chooks (around 25 from memory) and two goat kids to a standard poodle who had escaped. It wasn't its first offence and from what I remember by that time the owners had rebuilt and reinforced their fencing in an attempt to contain their dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosmum Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 (edited) Try Huskis advise I think. If she hasn't yet caught one of your own small animals, thats a bonus. I also live with a bitch with prey drive like you've never seen. She can live with what I bring into the home and runs freely with my free range chooks. She can be called off mid chase with most things but I wouldn't like to test that on a rabbit at close range, or even one I had brought in. She regularly caches birds, rabbits, possums and rats or mice that find their way here and is a great vermin alert. She does distinguish. ( tho' thats out the window if the other animal shows any aggression) Its taken a lot of learning on my part, and management to get there. But its possible and she has learned that trust means freedom and the mental stimulation that comes with it. P.S. Shes not called our sweet psyhco bitch for nothing, but with concious management of what we know, she is a fantastic dog and the one who most impresses with her enthusiasm in obedience.And absolute attention to me.She just gets better :D :D Yesterday when I let her out the door there were 2 wallbies in the yard. she gave chase and stopped mid stride when I called. She won't jump the fence to get the ones outside our boundaries, tho' she could easily. Edited June 21, 2015 by moosmum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 It's awfully hard for you, being a wildlife carer ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I doubt at her age now she has started this that you can stop it. You may be able to stop it while you are with her but not when she is alone. You can make a seperate well fenced area for the wildlife in your care & keep foster kittens in a seperate room but with adult cats around the house & free ranging wildlife I don't think you have any chance of stopping it. A new home may be the way to go if you want to carry on with all your other animals. I don't think you can ever trust an animal that kills once it starts. My old Doberman years ago used to kill anything that moved no matter what I did & she was well walked & exercised. Great with people, children & other dogs but forget any other living creature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Maybe lure coursing would work. Every dog I know who does a couple of runs of that is properly knackered after. Frosty loves it but she doesn't kill the lure (usually a bundle of old tshirts and plastic bags). I know there are lure coursing clubs for all breeds in SA and QLD and VIC and probably one in NSW. They have facebook pages. I guess it's a bit like training your dog to "go sniff" on cue. If I don't have that in my repertoire, evil hound helps herself when we're out at agility training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I would want to know how the cats(and the other little critters) feel about it. Do you think they feel threatened or unsafe around her. That is no way for the other animals to live. Just because a dog is not physically harming or tearing the shit out of another animal does not mean the other animal is happy with the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I would want to know how the cats(and the other little critters) feel about it. Do you think they feel threatened or unsafe around her. That is no way for the other animals to live. Just because a dog is not physically harming or tearing the shit out of another animal does not mean the other animal is happy with the situation. Agree and how stressed will Toby be feeling surrounded by prey all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I would want to know how the cats(and the other little critters) feel about it. Do you think they feel threatened or unsafe around her. That is no way for the other animals to live. Just because a dog is not physically harming or tearing the shit out of another animal does not mean the other animal is happy with the situation. Agree and how stressed will Toby be feeling surrounded by prey all the time. Couldn't find the words to express my feelings and thoughts on this, but you two have done it, thank you. I believe, with sorrow, that it is a horrible situation for other animals to be in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Dogs are smart - Don & Widget & Possum will ,and do , hunt feral cats ..and will attack them . cats inside though? Widget & Don & Tallie all sleep in my room - the dogs are on tethers , admittedly ...but otherwise inside - Tallie only has to glance at them , and they shrink to teeny puppies .possum always goes up to Tallie whingeing and fawning .... If Toby is shredding wire to access furry things - is there some sort of outrigger fence which could be made 'hot' ? No, I realise it will not dampen her drive /desire ..but may help everyone's sanity ? Kirty - have you thought of maybe attending some retrieve/hunting training? Poodles were originally gun dogs /waterfowl retrievers - perhaps she would shine at that ...and learn some channelling /control ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 I'm not a moron, the other animals are not being harassed constantly. Nobody is stressed except me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I'm not a moron, the other animals are not being harassed constantly. Nobody is stressed except me. That's a bit harsh on some of our comments, kirty. Animals don't have to be physically harassed to know that another animal is a danger to them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Why is it harsh? You are speaking as though I am ignoring the needs of my small animals. As I said, I am not a moron. The situation is being managed. I was hoping for help with Toby, not judgements on how I look after my pets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemmy Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I can only imagine how stressful this is for you *kirty*. I know from your posts here how important your animals are to you, I hope you can get some help with Toby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I don't think kirty is allowing her small animals to be stalked and chased etc. Good luck with it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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