Dog hunting instincts

Dogs hunt by instinct any animal they find, the same way their ascendants, wolves, did. Most likely, whenever you take your dog out on a walk, he comes at your call, that is, unless a person passes by jogging, and all of a sudden the dogs hunting instincts become activated causing him to chase after the jogger. We have all been witnesses of dogs running after cyclists and joggers, and biting at the air while they are at it, and in some occasions even grabbing at the person with their teeth if they are able to catch up. It is almost impossible to get the dog to distract or stop the dog when this happens. Unfortunately these kinds of instincts can sometimes cause grave consequences. A sheep dog that is out of control can stalk and chase at the sheep, cows, and horses, and if these start running out of control it can cause grave damage both material wise and loss of animals as well. In many countries the law allows farmers to shoot if they see a loose dog that does not belong to them around. Within the city, the hunting instinct that dogs have endangers cats and other small animals, not only that but it is also dangerous for the dog himself, who will go chasing after his prey completely unaware of the dangers of traffic, running the risk of getting run over. Hunting instincts are also dangerous in the case of babies and small toddlers who run around, move and "screech" the same way a small animal would.

Questions and answers
Q: I have a terrier named JP who loved chasing at anything that moved when he was a puppy. I took him to get trained by a professional and he has stopped behaving that way, but there is still no way to get him to stop chasing all the ducks that live around our home. What should I do about this?
A: Your dog has a natural predator instinct. However, it is important you train him to not chase at the ducks as he could end up killing one of them. Continue with the training lessons and use the same techniques, only this time with the ducks. If you are not able to control the dog, you will have to choose other alternatives of where to take him out for his walks. Another option is to let him wear a very long leash, but never let him loose when there are ducks around the lake.