Animal Hunting

For thousands of years, dogs survived chasing and killing other animals. With selective breeding, man has been able to diminish that instinct, but it is still strong in some breeds and in some individual dogs. Hunting is a natural activity for dogs, but it can also be a serious problem.

One way to solve this problem is to train the dog to chase an object instead of other animals. If you have any doubt as to how to solve the problem, seek advice from professional dog trainers.

If your dog hasn't gotten used to the company of other dogs while he is still young, problems might arise when he is faced with a possible prey. Never let your dog wander around if you're not sure he won't go chasing other animals. Take the same precautions when your dog meets other species for the first time.

The Solution
1. The objective of this drill is to direct your dog's hunting instinct towards another more manageable exercise. Try with different toys in order to discover which is the most exciting toy and prompt hi to play with it.

2. In a quiet place and with your dog tied to a long leash, throw the toy at him, but have another equally exciting toy with you. The dog will instinctively chase the toy that has been launched at him.

3. Before your dog reaches the toy, call him by his name and order him to come to you. Be very theatrical when you do this and wave the second toy so that he sees it and feels inclined to return. Then, play with him and praise him.

4. Go towards the toy that you initially threw at the dog and pick it up keeping the dog away from it. The dog will then understand that the toy he was chasing was yours. Repeat the previous three steps but every time do it in more lively places.

5. When your dog has learned not to chase an object that doesn't belong to him, do a retrieving exercise in the presence of cattle. Throw the object in the opposite direction of the animals and tell him to fetch.