Dog wanting to attack/kill cats?!

[In1]

Dog wanting to attack cats?

---

I adopted a roughly 1 yr old spayed female. She was found in the woods and it is believed that she lived in the woods by herself (with a puppy) for a few months. She is a good girl - very, very intelligent and sweet. However - she seems to want to chase cats with the intent to kill them : 0 I have had dogs before that chased cats - but this is very different. She has not had the opportunity to chase them as she would like - she has been on a leash. But whenever she sees a cat she gets entranced. Even if I touch her, pull on her, squeak a toy, shake food etc she will not break her stare. It is very similar to the border collie intensity! When she did meet a brave cat face to face, she seemed to want to play - pouncing up and down. When she sniffed too close, the cat gave her a good swipe and she did not even blink or move away - right back again! (Very brave but very dumb cat)

How does one approach this? I do NOT want her to hurt or kill a cat. I do not have any myself, but I work at multiple barns and I like my dogs to come with me rather than sit all day at home. I have tried correcting/bribing/calling/toys etc.

Does anyone have any experience with strong cat aggression? Is it even possible to reduce or get rid of this strong prey drive?

Oh dear.

[Casey09]

Prey drive is instinctual, so it is tough to train it out. It is one of those things that some dogs have more than others have, and you really can’t get rid of a strong prey drive. Any ideas on breeds?
Even though you can’t remove it, you can control it better. I would say work on a lot of obedience and recall work so that when you take her out, you can get her focus back on you. I would not necessarily leave her loose with a cat when you are not there. Do you have a housecat?

[MistyBlue]

TRaining it out may depend on each dog. And some may not train out of it.
I am surprised anyone adopted out a dog without testing it with cats first or giving you any warning about it.

[ThreeFigs]

How about a muzzle when you take her with you to barns?

Can she be crate-trained?

Our GSD and Siamese Cat learned to be best friends, but were introduced gradually through the backyard screen door. This dog sounds more aggressive than old Kris was, so don’t know if it would work.

Just a thought.

[Go_Fish]

Any of my dogs go after a cat with intent to kill is one dead dog…

That being said, I have a 27-pound cat that can cure any cat-killing dog immediately.

[MHM]

I vote for the muzzle.

I knew a Jack Russell who killed numerous cats. It was not something that could be trained out of him in a million years.

If he had been my dog, well… let’s just say it would not have happened a second time.

Why take a chance? Think how terrible you would feel if something bad happened- not to mention the feelings of the cat, or its owners.

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

I had a dog that was trying to kill the cats. I solved the problem by spending quite a bit of time locked in the bathroom with the dog and all of the cats. I sat on the floor with them for a few hours each day for about a week. Then progressed out to bigger rooms. I didn’t let her back loose in the barn again, until she was ignoring the cats when they ran and played in the house. The bathroom worked because the cats could not just hide.

[silver2]

My dog acts like this too but as it turns out she won’t hurt the cats, like yours when she catches one she just stands there while it claws her in the eyes. Boy, does she love to make them run though. One of my friends cats refuses to run from her and she’ll push him around the floor with her nose trying to make him get up and run. He seems to enjoy frustrating her.

I’ll be honest- I encourage it at home, I hate all of my neighbors cats and would be very happy if they never set foot in my yard again. I prefer not to have catshit all over my vegetable garden and I had to take my bird feeders down because they killed so many birds. And they fight at 1am.

As far as I’m concerned we need more coyotes around here.

[county]

Why not just give me the dog and we both solve a problem?

[simply_kim]

Not really sure that I think all dogs can be trained out of attacking cats. I just would not give him the opportunity to attack one. He would be closely controlled at all times. I do know that it is recommended that dogs with this trait never be rehomed with small children either.Just a thought.

[Huntertwo]

@county;4034639

Why not just give me the dog and we both solve a problem?

Wow - what a man you must be… :no:

County, instead of blaming the cats, blame the irresponsible owners who don’t spay and neuter! The dimwit owners are the ones responsible for the pet over population.

Why take it out on the cat who had no choice being born into a lousy situation?

[camohn]

Some dogs are just born with a strong prey drive. Usually they can be trained to overcome it IF they are started young. If the dog has it ingrained as an adult then it probably can’t be able to be trained out of it. Our Irish Setter has one. She has to be trained that going after the barn cats was wrong…but on the flip side we sure are glad for it since she has done a good job of ridding the farm of groundhogs!

[Sansena]

[QUOTE=MistyBlue;4034130]
…<snip>… I am surprised anyone adopted out a dog without testing it with cats first or giving you any warning about it.[/QUOTE]

2nd sentence of the OP states dog was found in the woods.

FHC’s idea of supervising everybody in the small enclosure of the bathroom is a good one. I’m not sure if it’d instill trust in unsupervised situations, but it’s a good step in the right direction.

[CB_TB]

As was said, some breeds/strains are very “cat sharp”. german Shorthaired Pointers, for one. Our first one was cat killer, unfortunately. We had A Maine Coon Cat at the time and they respected each other from a distance. Our second GSP was oblivious. Third one, could have , but was never allowed that close. Her eyes would get “the look” ( GSP owners know what I mean) and couldn’t be called off, but had to be hauled off. Funny thing though, when our old cat was ill and at the end( not the MAINE coon) and pretty out of it, she’d come and sleep beside the dog. The dog , at first was amazed, but never offered to touch her. They slept side by side for several months until the old kitty passed. The next cat was fair game. Now THAT gsp is gone and #4 sleeps with her cat, and the new old lady rescue gsp( #5) has fun thinking about chasing said cat, but is OK. it’s hard to tell. You hate to get either one hurt, but sometimes they just have to come to their own agreement- or not. The present cat, unfortunately, spent a few years in the basement( nice sunny window, heat in winter and I’d spend quality time every day with her) when #3 was alive. Now, she sits in my lap at night, lounges on the couch with #4 and torments #5.

[county]

Huntertwo I also take it out on stray dogs, skunks that attack, coons, and any other animal that poses a threat or attacks our livestock and poultry. It gets very expensive if you do nothing to protect them.

Oh and BTW yes I’m a man, I’ll bet your one of those who just loves to judge others with no clue what your talking about.

[MistyBlue]

2nd sentence of the OP states dog was found in the woods.

Good point…I assumed when I read that part that was what the shelter she adopted from told her. When I read “adopt” I assume it’s from a shelter or rescue usually.

[Alagirl]

OK, story from last year.

My mom inherited a JRT, previously barn dog, allowed to chase anything smaller than him.

Enter new house, and resident cat, much loved btw.

At first ‘Spanky’ (yes, a little Rascal) was one life wire, trying to get the cat. I mean, completely tuning everything out, even being smacked with the leash.

After a few failed attempts to rehome him, he just seemed to get the message, the cat had run of the place, he was family and not to be bothered.

Maybe picking the cat up many times and shuttle him to safe places helped, the dog spend a lot of time chained up when we could not watch him…

Now fast forward: Dog and the original cat have come to an understanding. They are not fast friends, but peaceful coexisting. The new addition, Jr cat can even sleep with the former cat chaser in the same basket!

OK, we did have help, in form of the over protective super momma meter maid malinois that came with the package. She took it upon herself to run interferance between dog and cat. They all now form my Mom’s posse and body guard squat: Dog, dog, cat, cat, in variing order! :lol:

So there is hope for the dog, just never drop your guard! We truely did not expect Spank to make this turn around, we are so pleased with him, words can’t express it!

[LOVE_MY_NAGS]

I have had several dogs (labs) that were very territorial. Never mean to people, small children, etc…, just other animals (raccoons, squirrels, cats (hey, they don’t know the difference), moles, mice, birds, etc…) when they came on my dogs “turf”. We have had several cats killed on our property, and I did ask the vet about the dogs becoming aggressive to people because of this. I was told the dog was protecting his home, it very common, not a mean dog, just protecting its place.
If the dogs were taken anywhere else off the property, they were always very respectful and didn’t eat the cats!

[Huntertwo]

@county;4034841

Huntertwo I also take it out on stray dogs, skunks that attack, coons, and any other animal that poses a threat or attacks our livestock and poultry. It gets very expensive if you do nothing to protect them.

Oh and BTW yes I’m a man, I’ll bet your one of those who just loves to judge others with no clue what your talking about.

Let me ask you how a cat threatens your livestock.

[trubandloki]

My Greyhound came to me because she failed at her first home because of a cat. Needless to say they had one less cat when they got rid of the greyhound.

Her prey drive makes it impossible to have her around the darn things. So, I do not allow her access to small furry fast moving objects. She is always either in a fenced area or on a leash.