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Rat Terrier Chases Cats
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Purrfectpetkeeper Jun 23, '09
We have a 3 year old rat terrier that we have raised since he was only 6 weeks old. He gets along great with our two cats, ages 5 and 2. We adopted a three year old male rat terrier from a shelter about two weeks ago. He chases our cats! We keep the new dog on a leash at all times and we are working on a positive reward system in which we give him treats whenever he interacts with the cats. Is there anything else we can do to ease up the chase?
Janice Ronald Jun 23, '09
You are deffinately on the right track by keeping the terrier on a leash and rewarding appropriate interaction. I would also suggest teaching the dog to go to a blanket or rug and do some relaxation technics with him. He would still be on the leash, then on his rug with a very special edible long lasting treat such as a filled Kong or a bull stick. This way he learns that there are other rewarding things in life besides the cats. He learns to control himself by being on the rug and is rewarded for that activity. Just rewarding him for interacting with the cats does not teach him to leave them alone if they don't want to play. They are not his toys so he needs another rewarding behavior. Stay patient and positive and the dogs and the cats can learn to co exist in a very rewarding fashion. Jan
Dr. Teresa J Burks Jun 23, '09
This guy also needs a PERFECT recall. Just in case. You can get him started in a basic obedience class too. You and Janis are on the right track.
Dr. Teresa J Burks
Member of and Certified by The International Veterinary Chiropractic Association
Member of and Certification Pending by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society
316-250-3250
One of the first things that I teach all my students is the "leave it" command. It usually is used when there is food, meds or even goose poop that the dog is intested in. But you certainly could use that command to tell your pup to NOT touch the cats. Good luck.
Most people call me a dog trainer.
Mostly I teach people to train their dogs.
