Any Tips To Manage Prey Drive For New Addition

[Guest cyndisue]

Did a search, but may not have done it correctly. Didn't see too much addressing this.

My new addition (have had about 5 weeks) has a very high prey drive. Cats and small dogs aren't an issue...but the squirrels and rabbits are. He recently went full force after a squirrel running across the top of the fence- with the speed and jump he actually broke the top 1/3 of the fence post clean off. On walks, he will pull, is on his back legs, and starts the horrible cough sound because his martingale tightens up so much (not that it slows him) I do hold my ground, say leave it, and give him ample praise when he gets calm again. If I see a squirrel or rabbit I "try" to get his attention...but I am sure you know how that goes. Unlike my other grey and non-grey, this fella doesn't buy into "will work for treat" unless in the house (and that is hit or miss).

 

Many thanks in advance

[jetcitywoman]

It sounds to me like you're trying to stay one step ahead of him, which is just about all you can do. He might "get over it" over time as he realizes that he can't (or isn't allowed to) catch them. So I recommend you get him a martingale harness (I have one design in my shop that I love, and you can find others) for walks. He can seriously damage his throat by hauling on a leash attached to a collar. Martingale harnesses are great for discouraging pulling because they gently squeeze the dog around the chest. It catches their attention much sooner than a martingale collar does, so they immediately learn not to pull. It may take him a few squirrel lunges to remember he'll get squeezed, but that's okay. He'll learn it quickly.

[Sundrop]

First off, definitely get a harness for him. We got one (Freedom harness) for our high prey-drive girl and we make sure to attach the leash on the front so it pulls across her when she pulls, and at first we also looped it through the top to act as a "handle" almost (so she couldn't bolt). We invested A LOT of time in leash training using only positive methods (check out Victoria Stilwell) and we never, ever make a big deal of anything we see out on walks. No, "look at the kitty!" kind of stuff and we never let her fixate on things (sometimes not easy) - we just keep walking normally as much as possible. We don't try and get her attention first, we just completely ignore it and act like it's no big deal.

 

Also, we took her on the same walking routes consistently so she wouldn't also get too excited about her general environment (which she also did).

 

It's not easy, but it's doable with patient and consistent training. Even now, a year and a half later, she still sees every bunny, squirrel, cat, etc., but we just keep on walkin!

[jetcitywoman]

I like the Freedom no-pull harnesses too. I know it's pretty 50/50 people who like to use the front D-ring and people who prefer the top D-ring. One thing the OP should note, though, is that if you use the front D-ring like Sundrop describes, you don't get the chest-squeezy martingale action. Instead, if the dog lunges, the tension goes to the front of the chest, kind of turning the dog around. I recommend you try both and see which one works best for you and your dog.

 

I'm not sure if this works for prey drive, but when my dogs get super interested in something on walks (like a new dog walking by, for example) I'll usually just stop and make everybody stand calmly and watch the interesting thing go by. I sense that often they are satisfied if they can just observe the interesting thing for a minute, and then we can all continue our walk. Just another thing you can try.

[Brandiandwe]

I wouldn't try stopping and letting a high prey dog look at whatever they are interested in. My experience is that they become more fixated and then escalate.

 

Distractions worked for me. If you search on here, I've used treats wedged into the mouth of my high prey dog. Distracts her long enough to move her along...

[Banjoman]

I found moving to the side of the path and using the "Stand" and "Leave it" commands, while placing myself between Chancey and the object of her interest, to work better than to carry on walking. As she wears a muzzle it is difficult to stuff treats into her mouth to distract her! When we are moving she can leap or twist round and either pull me off balance or get her legs entwined with mine and trip me up. When we are standing still it gives me a firm base and I have my hand right tight up against her neck, holding her martingale collar closed, then, even if she tries to leap straight up into the air i can control the movement much easier.

 

Now she is pretty good most of the time but a running dog can still trigger her excitement. It has taken three and a half years to get to this stage. I read somewhere that it can take 18 months for a dog to calm down from the track and 2 years for a bitch - Chancey would seem to bear that out.

[Brandiandwe]

Yeah, three of my four are muzzled. It can be done. The problem with standing is that the object of interest might not move either!

[jetcitywoman]

You kind of have to think like a predator yourself. As long as your dog is calm, with no muscle tension (so it helps to be touching him), you can move forward. As soon as he tenses up, you stop. Also, as long as the prey isn't moving, it's not a trigger. Movement tends to trigger prey drive. Rabbits tend to stay still (tharn, heh) unless you get too close whereupon they'll bolt. Squirrels are NEVER still, even to save their lives. With them it's best to just not get too close.

 

I also model the behavior that I want my dogs to do. If I want them calm and relaxed, that's what I am. If I'm tense, they will be too, so I make a point to not be tense.

 

However, it all depends on the dog and your experience with him, whatever works best for you.

[KickReturn]

I had an absolutely off the charts high prey/chase grey for 8 weeks before having to re-home him to an area with less wildlife. With a harness or with a collar this dog would lunge and leap repeatedly toward the rabbits and deer which are almost in constant view in my neighbourhood. It was like having a thrashing marlin on the end of fishing line. The only way to stop it was to lift his feet off the ground.

 

I found two products that when used in conjunction out-performed all other options. The Sure-fit Harness from Petsafe and the Gentle Leader from Beaphar. The Sure-fit harness was the only one that the dog could not get out of and the Gentle Leader gave me control of the head so I could turn the head off the prey and continue walking. I would hold both leads in one hand when walking normally but go two handed when the action heated up.

 

A word of caution about harnesses, the reason the Surefit was the only acceptable option was that the double loop design meant that the dog simply could not escape. This is the Surefit:

 

Now here is the more typical harness design with includes many no pull harnesses:

 

My grey could tuck his elbows, drop his head, and easily back out of this type of harness even when tightly fitted. I narrowly avoided disaster when he leapt towards a deer that was a mere 20 feet away, he spun and I felt the leash go slack as the harness slid over his head. I was just able to scoop him up before he was completely free.

 

If the dog is trainable these products would provide good safety and control to support the training process.

Edited September 6, 2017 by KickReturn

[krissy]

Yeah, three of my four are muzzled. It can be done. The problem with standing is that the object of interest might not move either!

 

And if it does... WOO BOY!

 

I do not allow my dogs to stare at prey. Other things that they are interested in (especially if they are a bit uncertain) I will stop and let them look until they are ready to move on. But with prey, you're just allowing them to fixate which generally makes them worse.

 

I'm not really sure what you would do with a dog that is really not food motivated. I carry a few super high value treats with me on walks (good in case a rabbit appears, good in case there's a loose dog that approaches and need to buy some time to get away from it, good in case there's a leash or collar failure and need a recall reward) and if prey appears, I ask for attention. Generally they are reluctant at first to break their gaze from the prey and just glance at me quickly before looking back again. But once they get a taste of the steak they start to voluntarily give me their attention or at least when called.

[Guest Amber]

He sounds actually quite easy in some respects if he is OK with small dogs and even .... cats !

 

Mine is also OK with small dogs and not too bad with cats (will look but doesn't go nuts) . Bunnies and deer are her thing. When I first got her as a 2 year old and she saw her first rabbit with me, she did an actual back flip !

 

She is a lot calmer now (at 6) . But it does take time, I would say a couple of years for them to calm down at the sight of prey. All you can do is try training 'Leave It' at home (in regards to leaving food, toys etc) in the hope that the command will sink in so much that they will eventually listen when it comes to real prey and secondly, make sure he is in safe equipment. A harness is a good idea and also get in the habit of checking your leash clip and condition on a regular basis.

 

Overall, he sounds like a pretty normal OTT (off the track) greyhound !

[Guest cyndisue]

Thanks for the responses! He is getting much better...in yard- doesn't jump onto the fence as often to get them, and is doing much better on walks. I've come at it from many angles- I think everything together is helping and if I am consistent things will hopefully continue to in this direction. We still have quite a way to go, but it is enough under control that I am not worried about face planting and not being able to hold on to the leash, or that he is going to injure himself trying to get at it. He's not anywhere close to the point where I would let my parents dog sit/walk him (mid seventies), or the 11 year old down the street...but there's been vast improvement. I said cats aren't an issue- but he is very interested. Ha, and if there is the sound of a baby crying or cats/kittens on the tv or computer he is on high alert. Barking, howling, all sorts of noises, then the "attack". He'll go for (play mode not ferocious) the couch cushion and my feet under a blanket, convinced I am hiding the best squeaky toy in the universe. Even after the noises stop- he'll lay down again then pop up randomly a few minutes later and go for the couch and blanket again with many exclamative vocals. My non-grey thinks any doorbell sound is our doorbell and is so confused when nobody is there- he will walk away and go back to double check. Then there is my brood mom- she is above the antics, annoyed that her couch cuddles get disrupted. Dogs!