Naughty Tyler ran after a cat yesterday, luckily it's was late at night and no cars were about. It's the first time he has come face to face with one and he was off like a shot. It just shows you, you can't be too careful, i won't be letting him off in our street again even if it is after midnight. Is there anyway of training this behaviour out of a dog, i know it's natural instinct i just wondered if anybody had any advice. I wasn't expecting it as he when we go to pets at home or the park he stands still just watching the animals and won't move, but obviously thats because they were behind mesh. It really shook me up as he dived behind one of the neighbours cars, and out flew the cat with Tyler pelting behind barking. Poor cat i am just glad he didn't have a hope of catching it, as i am not quite sure what he would have done.

my girls chase my own cats periodically and thats in the house so outside I would'nt  dream of walking them off lead near roads no matter what time of day or night they are to unpredictable especially young dogs .
I just think you were very lucky this time.

Roni

Knowing cats, it would most likely have outwitted the dog and leapt up a tree or somewhere the dog couldn't reach. I'm afraid I don't trust ANY dog not to chase cats outside the house even if they have cats in their own household.  I've now got a breed that was created to pursue small furry animals (and not to take prisoners of them) so I'm extra careful but I still remember the nasty moment I had a few years back when my lazy old cocker suddenly turned into the doggy equivalent of Linford Christie in our lane when he spotted our neighbour's cat.  If any cars had been around he'd had been dead because he went completely and selectively deaf and shot straight across the lane and back twice! But that was the last time I ever allowed him off lead along the lane. He was very obedient in all other respects but cats brought the red mist down!

The cat did go straight up a fence and didn't run across any roads, but it has certainley taught me a lesson. Must be the fast movement that gets them going. At least no one was hurt and i know not to risk it again. We normally let him walk off lead down our street when it's quiet and he is normally very good but i wouldn't chance it again as i no there are quite a lot of cats down are street.

Hi Louise,  I never managed to stop Oscar chasing cats (although now he is 13, he pretends not to notice them rather than have to use the energy to chase them :D).  Some cats will just stand their ground and refuse to run - Oscar found those very frustrating when he was younger :) and would bark his head off to no avail.  Even getting badly clawed in the head by one cat he chased didn't put him off so aversion therapy definitely didn't work!  Actually, although being on the lead is safest, it can be very hairy when the dog sees a cat which you don't - amazing how many underneaths of cars I've nearly seen!

I said when I got Angus, I would try to introduce him to cats so he wouldn't chase them, but I'm afraid I'm too scared to in case they claw at his eyes.  He would definitely try to chase at the moment.

Is there anyway of training this behaviour out of a dog, i know it's natural instinct i just wondered if anybody had any advice.

If you train you dog to do a perfect recall at all times then your dog should come to you no matter what distractions. :) I'd trust all of mine except the Papillon (who hasn't got as far  as that yet) but I would still never have them off the lead near any road.

But even with perfect recall, the dog could be in the road before you have a chance to open your mouth :D

Daisy

Yes Daisy that's why I said I'd NEVER have a dog offlead near to a road.

I agree :) But there are a few people around who seem to portray a dog with perfect recall as being perfect in every way :D ;) (Not you, by the way :) :) )

Daisy

Hi Annie, i know what you mean about on lead being dangerous too, my colleague at work was telling me about her mother walking the dog and the dog saw the cat and pulled her arm out the socket trying to catch it. She didn't want to let go as the dog is a rescue and they hadn't let him off lead before so she hung. As for Tylers recall 99 percent of the time he is good but occasionally we have a slight blip where he won't come when called, but i don't think he will ever be perfect. His heel work we have however been successful in until yesterday, but as i have said i have learnt my lesson. By the time we had seen the scuffle he had gone, there wasn't any time for recall till the cat was half way up the tree it was that fast.

Don't think there is any such thing as a perfect dog Louise (and definitely not a perfect owner :D) and maybe they wouldn't be nearly as lovable if they were perfect :).

Mine certainley isn't perfect :)