# **No hurting cats**



## meg-girl (Jun 4, 2012)

Hello 
I have a german shepherd named Zoey 
I also have 4 fat barn cats and Zoey is VERY VERY fixated on them.
She has improved quite a bit but we are still not able to leave her outside on our while my family is in the house!! Right now we have her fenced in a HUGE area but we want to have her loose with our other little dog!!
Everytime we go out to feed the horses and cows etc she gets to come off the leash and wander around. But she is fixated on our cats!! She will stay there for hours and stare at them if she could. When we call her off she comes and gets the cookie we give her for coming and then walks back over to the cat!!
She has chased them before but my mom has got after her for that.( not hurting her or anything). She did hurt our one cat fluffy very bad she took him by the neck and he was gushing blood all down his side  he okay now we have special med sfor him . She snas at them sometimes and i used to put on a leash and have a prong collar on her and let her go over to the cat and sniff it and if she snapped at it i would give one small jerk but she will take off after the cat with the prong collar on. She is so big she doesnt feel the prong collar. I have taught her the leave it command but she doesnt listen.
P.S getting rid of our cats isnt an option.
She is 1 year old
She is a purebred
And i only 12 years old and it is very hard for me to hold her back on the leash. 

thanks
megan


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

If she's going to be off leash around outdoor cats, I'd find a trainer to work with you using an electronic collar. Otherwise, keep her on leash with the prong collar. Is it fitted properly - snug and high on her neck behind her ears? She shouldn't be able to take off after anything with a prong collar on, but with you being so young, maybe someone else in your family should be handling her. An adult is not going to have as much of a weight disadvantage as you do.


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## maureen_mickel (Jul 17, 2011)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> If she's going to be off leash around outdoor cats, I'd find a trainer to work with you using an electronic collar. Otherwise, keep her on leash with the prong collar. Is it fitted properly - snug and high on her neck behind her ears? She shouldn't be able to take off after anything with a prong collar on, but with you being so young, maybe someone else in your family should be handling her. An adult is not going to have as much of a weight disadvantage as you do.


Head collars and front hook harnesses i recomment, but of coarse if you need to use a prong or electric shock then do whats best for you! A good way i train my gsd to not chase my cat (she is 1 aswell) is too keep her on a leash with a font hook harness, whenever she just simply looks at him i say leave it, reward. She doesnt fully seem to know that leave it means leave it, so keep her on a leash around the cats until she fully understand that leave it means leave it and not to go back to the kitty. This worked for my GSD, hopefully they grow out of it, she somtimes still likes to chase my cat but when i say leave it and come she listens pretty well for and adolescent. If you use the shock collar then the dog will assosiate the shock with the cat, andcan become aggressive. Shocks are often missused by owners and often resort in aggression. But like i said use what you comfertable with.


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## meg-girl (Jun 4, 2012)

Well the prong collar fits her fine i guess ebcause a dog trainer showed me where to put it but she is VERY large for her age. But i do have a trainer thats going to come to my house to help. She trains pit bulls so hopefully she can help


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## meg-girl (Jun 4, 2012)

im worried thta is i use a shock collar it will make her aggressive 
of course i will use it at the most appropriot timing but im still unsure


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

meg-girl said:


> Hello
> I have a german shepherd named Zoey
> I also have 4 fat barn cats and Zoey is VERY VERY fixated on them.
> She has improved quite a bit but we are still not able to leave her outside on our while my family is in the house!! Right now we have her fenced in a HUGE area but we want to have her loose with our other little dog!!
> ...


Hi Meg-girl

I wouldn't want to use a shock collar either, if I could possibly avoid it. 

When you call Zoey instead of giving her a treat, try playing tug or throwing a ball or a frisby for her. Redirect her attention to you and fun things and away from the cats. 

I'd keep her in the fenced area when you're not with her if possible. Continue working on the 'leave it'. You could get her a flirt pole and practice getting her to leave that on command. This video is good. 





 
These couple of articles may be useful to you or your parents.

How do I stop my dog chasing? – David Ryan CCAB

Dog Training: How to redirect an excited or aggressive dog on a walk - Natural Dog Blog – Training and More

Good Luck
_________
Sue


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## meg-girl (Jun 4, 2012)

Thank you for the video. I am working on using toys and tug ropes for a distractons  it seems to be working well... For when she is distracted and not coming when called im not sure.... I think we are planing on getting a trainer for that,she is totally impossible hehe such a little butt-head


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## robfromga (May 10, 2012)

First off, at 12 ,I think its pretty awesome that you've gone on a search to save the cats and help your dog. Good job.

Our young male like to chase the cat. Pick a word,we use "off". Pay close attention to your dog, whenever her body shows she's about to move towards them or pounce, say off! This should be done with a leash and then gently, but firmly pull her away if she doesn't move. Reward her as soon as her attention shifts from the cat to you. The reward must be instant.

I would use a prong collar, fit correctly.

It wont happen over night. Don't get mad at her or allow anyone to hit her or punish the dog. Its her natural prey drive, genetically ingrained in the dog. Some are harder to control. The key is setting up a positive situation where she can win. Maybe leash walk her by the cats, let her slightly key in on the cats,give the "off " command with a quick short prong correction, as soon as she looks away give her a high value treat, something good for her that you may not normally give.

Another key is this is a symptom, a training issue. Take her 2-3 times a week for maybe just 15-20 mins and work with her basic commands. Sit,down,stay,come...rewarding and praise. She'll learn that listening to you is fun, listening gets her cool stuff.


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm so pleased you're getting somewhere. You should be so proud of yourself. :happyboogie:

Try attaching a long leash or rope to her collar or harness, don't hold onto it, let her drag it (as long as you're there to supervise). 

You can then make her come when she ignores you - pick the leash up and run quickly away from her - make a big issue of it and she should start to chase you. Don't forget a good game of tug or plenty of praise when she gets to you. Never get cross with her for not coming when you first call her - otherwise she won't want to come. Just pick the leash up and get all silly excited as you run away. 

Good Luck - let us know how it goes.
_________
Sue


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## meg-girl (Jun 4, 2012)

Ya im very happy im getting somewhere :snowmen: I am waching alot of Ceasar the dog trainer lol 
i am now concidering just letting her go to the kittys and i will give her 3 minutes to sniff them but when i call her to come back and she does come back we will go play fetch or somthing but if she doesnt come back i will go and get her by the collar  

And when i wach Ceasar he always says have a positive "energy" so i always have 3 things to feel 
1.Happy ( like im going to the zoo or somthing)
2. Proud ( like Zoey did somthing that no dog has done before)
3. Elegant ( like i dont take no for an answer)
Do you think thats a good idea??
P.S zoey is the dog in my Avatar


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I have a little puppy who wants to attack the cat. We are practicing in a quiet situation. He, the cat and I. With no running from the cat, he is calmer and I can control the interaction. He's learning that it is MY cat and he can not act on it at will. This is gradual work. I have done it with the GSDs as well.

Very different situation from a dog already fixated on doing the cat in, if that situation has developed. 

A good "leave it" takes time and I have found a general relationship where the dog has real respect for the owner also helps with that. In everyday life and training is where the control over a dog who wants to act on their instincts is built. Without this, careful management and a plan for training, that realizes there may not be a quick fix, is in order.


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## meg-girl (Jun 4, 2012)

EXACTLY i need to teach her that its my cat if she hurts my cat there will be punishments  ya thank you now i know what to think but how could i do it....hmmm


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## ObieJuan (Jun 4, 2012)

I have five cats, they loved my puppy at 2* to 4 months, (we all lived inside the house)* He (dog) loves to chase and of course the cats will chase him. I had to let the cats train him inside the house, now that we are outside, I will be with them or leave a window open. He will chase, if I am not with them, the cats run in and let me know that he is chasing them (window open.) So I run out side and make him go to the carport area where it is fenced in. Then the cats get to have the garden and yard, while he just stares at them. He is now 9 months and it is getting better, the dog now knows that the carport is his time out area.


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