Hi!

I rescued a young German shepherd/Doberman (or Rott?? shepherd shape,
dobie/rott coloring) back in June. At the time of the rescue, he was 12-15
months old, very timid, and deathly afraid of men. He was however, very
well trained, completely housebroken, and great with most kids. I have
spent the last 6 months taking him with me just about everywhere, and
socializing him every chance I get. He has been given love, attention,
security, and affection. He is much more outgoing now, friendly, and will
approach men, although he is still a bit hesitant.

The Problem?

He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat. I
watched him chase a cat 25 ft up a half fallen tree a few weeks ago. I have
tried to introduce him slowly and in controlled circumstances to our
housecats
(who have taken up permanent residence in the basement rafters.....) If I
sit in the basement with him on his lead, he will watch the cats very
intently (almost quivering) . If he is off lead, he will run them to ground
and go for the kill. (He actually got one of my mom's barncats earlier this
summer) What can I do to stop this behavior? He was an abused dog, so I
generally avoid punitive methods, but I am out of ideas. He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason that
I can figure out).

Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas/theories?

Thanks!!

Katie

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...
Hi!

I rescued a young German shepherd/Doberman (or Rott?? shepherd shape,
dobie/rott coloring) back in June. At the time of the rescue, he was
12-15
months old, very timid, and deathly afraid of men. He was however, very
well trained, completely housebroken, and great with most kids. I have
spent the last 6 months taking him with me just about everywhere, and
socializing him every chance I get. He has been given love, attention,
security, and affection. He is much more outgoing now, friendly, and will
approach men, although he is still a bit hesitant.

The Problem?

He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat. I
watched him chase a cat 25 ft up a half fallen tree a few weeks ago. I
have
tried to introduce him slowly and in controlled circumstances to our
housecats
(who have taken up permanent residence in the basement rafters.....) If I
sit in the basement with him on his lead, he will watch the cats very
intently (almost quivering) . If he is off lead, he will run them to
ground
and go for the kill. (He actually got one of my mom's barncats earlier
this
summer) What can I do to stop this behavior? He was an abused dog, so I
generally avoid punitive methods, but I am out of ideas. He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas/theories?

There's a very real likelihood that there's nothing you can do to improve
the situation. Prey drive is hard to fix because its part of the dog rather
than just a training issue. It can be done with lots of time, patience &
repeated introduction attempts but the success rate varies by
dog/cat/situation.

--
Tara

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...
Hi!

I rescued a young German shepherd/Doberman (or Rott?? shepherd shape,
dobie/rott coloring) back in June. At the time of the rescue, he was
12-15
months old, very timid, and deathly afraid of men. He was however, very
well trained, completely housebroken, and great with most kids. I have
spent the last 6 months taking him with me just about everywhere, and
socializing him every chance I get. He has been given love, attention,
security, and affection. He is much more outgoing now, friendly, and will
approach men, although he is still a bit hesitant.

The Problem?

He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat. I
watched him chase a cat 25 ft up a half fallen tree a few weeks ago. I
have
tried to introduce him slowly and in controlled circumstances to our
housecats
(who have taken up permanent residence in the basement rafters.....) If I
sit in the basement with him on his lead, he will watch the cats very
intently (almost quivering) . If he is off lead, he will run them to
ground
and go for the kill. (He actually got one of my mom's barncats earlier
this
summer) What can I do to stop this behavior? He was an abused dog, so I
generally avoid punitive methods, but I am out of ideas. He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas/theories?

There's a very real likelihood that there's nothing you can do to improve
the situation. Prey drive is hard to fix because its part of the dog rather
than just a training issue. It can be done with lots of time, patience &
repeated introduction attempts but the success rate varies by
dog/cat/situation.

--
Tara

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...
Hi!

I rescued a young German shepherd/Doberman (or Rott?? shepherd shape,
dobie/rott coloring) back in June. At the time of the rescue, he was
12-15
months old, very timid, and deathly afraid of men. He was however, very
well trained, completely housebroken, and great with most kids. I have
spent the last 6 months taking him with me just about everywhere, and
socializing him every chance I get. He has been given love, attention,
security, and affection. He is much more outgoing now, friendly, and will
approach men, although he is still a bit hesitant.

The Problem?

He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat. I
watched him chase a cat 25 ft up a half fallen tree a few weeks ago. I
have
tried to introduce him slowly and in controlled circumstances to our
housecats
(who have taken up permanent residence in the basement rafters.....) If I
sit in the basement with him on his lead, he will watch the cats very
intently (almost quivering) . If he is off lead, he will run them to
ground
and go for the kill. (He actually got one of my mom's barncats earlier
this
summer) What can I do to stop this behavior? He was an abused dog, so I
generally avoid punitive methods, but I am out of ideas. He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas/theories?

There's a very real likelihood that there's nothing you can do to improve
the situation. Prey drive is hard to fix because its part of the dog rather
than just a training issue. It can be done with lots of time, patience &
repeated introduction attempts but the success rate varies by
dog/cat/situation.

--
Tara

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...
Hi!

I rescued a young German shepherd/Doberman (or Rott?? shepherd shape,
dobie/rott coloring) back in June. At the time of the rescue, he was
12-15
months old, very timid, and deathly afraid of men. He was however, very
well trained, completely housebroken, and great with most kids. I have
spent the last 6 months taking him with me just about everywhere, and
socializing him every chance I get. He has been given love, attention,
security, and affection. He is much more outgoing now, friendly, and will
approach men, although he is still a bit hesitant.

The Problem?

He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat. I
watched him chase a cat 25 ft up a half fallen tree a few weeks ago. I
have
tried to introduce him slowly and in controlled circumstances to our
housecats
(who have taken up permanent residence in the basement rafters.....) If I
sit in the basement with him on his lead, he will watch the cats very
intently (almost quivering) . If he is off lead, he will run them to
ground
and go for the kill. (He actually got one of my mom's barncats earlier
this
summer) What can I do to stop this behavior? He was an abused dog, so I
generally avoid punitive methods, but I am out of ideas. He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas/theories?

There's a very real likelihood that there's nothing you can do to improve
the situation. Prey drive is hard to fix because its part of the dog rather
than just a training issue. It can be done with lots of time, patience &
repeated introduction attempts but the success rate varies by
dog/cat/situation.

--
Tara

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...

snip
He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat.

This isn't aggression. It's what is called "prey drive". It's the natural
instinct that predator's have in response to prey animals. That said, I
personally have not had luck training it away, nor have I really tried. My
breed (Basenjis) is known for being high in prey drive as they are used to
that end in their native country. It would be like training a Retriever onto
to retrieve. Even dogs who have high prey drive can usually be raised not to
go after "their" cats, but it is always present IME.

What I would do in your situation is get the dog into another obedience
class and really, really work on recall, sit, stay, etc. He'll need to learn
to obey with disctractions. You can't training him not to respond that way
to cats, IME, but you can certainly try to get better control over him. Make
sure you discuss this with any trainers before you enroll.

He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Are they running around and playing at the time? If so, it could be a prey
drive response. This I would be much more concerned about though. I would
recommend you don't leave him loose around your son's friends.

Other, better and more experienced trainers should have good advice for you.

--
-Andrea Stone
Saorsa Basenjis
http://home1.gte.net/res0s12z/
The Trolls Nest - greenmen, goblins & gargoyle wall art
www.trollsnest.com

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...

snip
He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat.

This isn't aggression. It's what is called "prey drive". It's the natural
instinct that predator's have in response to prey animals. That said, I
personally have not had luck training it away, nor have I really tried. My
breed (Basenjis) is known for being high in prey drive as they are used to
that end in their native country. It would be like training a Retriever onto
to retrieve. Even dogs who have high prey drive can usually be raised not to
go after "their" cats, but it is always present IME.

What I would do in your situation is get the dog into another obedience
class and really, really work on recall, sit, stay, etc. He'll need to learn
to obey with disctractions. You can't training him not to respond that way
to cats, IME, but you can certainly try to get better control over him. Make
sure you discuss this with any trainers before you enroll.

He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Are they running around and playing at the time? If so, it could be a prey
drive response. This I would be much more concerned about though. I would
recommend you don't leave him loose around your son's friends.

Other, better and more experienced trainers should have good advice for you.

--
-Andrea Stone
Saorsa Basenjis
http://home1.gte.net/res0s12z/
The Trolls Nest - greenmen, goblins & gargoyle wall art
www.trollsnest.com

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...

snip
He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat.

This isn't aggression. It's what is called "prey drive". It's the natural
instinct that predator's have in response to prey animals. That said, I
personally have not had luck training it away, nor have I really tried. My
breed (Basenjis) is known for being high in prey drive as they are used to
that end in their native country. It would be like training a Retriever onto
to retrieve. Even dogs who have high prey drive can usually be raised not to
go after "their" cats, but it is always present IME.

What I would do in your situation is get the dog into another obedience
class and really, really work on recall, sit, stay, etc. He'll need to learn
to obey with disctractions. You can't training him not to respond that way
to cats, IME, but you can certainly try to get better control over him. Make
sure you discuss this with any trainers before you enroll.

He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Are they running around and playing at the time? If so, it could be a prey
drive response. This I would be much more concerned about though. I would
recommend you don't leave him loose around your son's friends.

Other, better and more experienced trainers should have good advice for you.

--
-Andrea Stone
Saorsa Basenjis
http://home1.gte.net/res0s12z/
The Trolls Nest - greenmen, goblins & gargoyle wall art
www.trollsnest.com

"Katie Wise" wrote in message
...

snip
He has an incredibly aggressive response to cats. If there is a
neighborhood cat walking around, he will go after it in a heartbeat.

This isn't aggression. It's what is called "prey drive". It's the natural
instinct that predator's have in response to prey animals. That said, I
personally have not had luck training it away, nor have I really tried. My
breed (Basenjis) is known for being high in prey drive as they are used to
that end in their native country. It would be like training a Retriever onto
to retrieve. Even dogs who have high prey drive can usually be raised not to
go after "their" cats, but it is always present IME.

What I would do in your situation is get the dog into another obedience
class and really, really work on recall, sit, stay, etc. He'll need to learn
to obey with disctractions. You can't training him not to respond that way
to cats, IME, but you can certainly try to get better control over him. Make
sure you discuss this with any trainers before you enroll.

He will also
occasionally go after 1 or 2 of my son's friends. Most kids he
adores.....
however, there are a few that he will stalk and nip(no rhyme or reason
that
I can figure out).

Are they running around and playing at the time? If so, it could be a prey
drive response. This I would be much more concerned about though. I would
recommend you don't leave him loose around your son's friends.

Other, better and more experienced trainers should have good advice for you.

--
-Andrea Stone
Saorsa Basenjis
http://home1.gte.net/res0s12z/
The Trolls Nest - greenmen, goblins & gargoyle wall art
www.trollsnest.com

This isn't aggression. It's what is called "prey drive". It's the natural
instinct that predator's have in response to prey animals.

Bingo! The instinct of a predator to chase and kill prey isn't
"aggression", and it's normal for a dog who wasn't raised with cats - or at
least taught that they are not-prey at an early age - to percieve them as
prey.
And then, of course, there are dogs who are *encouraged* to percieve cats
as prey, which it sounds like your dog may have been.

Even dogs who have high prey drive can usually be raised not to
go after "their" cats, but it is always present IME.

Yep. You can't train away prey drive- it's hardwired. The only thing you
can do is work very hard at training the dog to listen to you when you tell
it not to chase/kill. THAT TRAINING WILL NOT PROTECT THE OBJECT OF PREY
UNLESS YOU ARE PRESENT.

My Jack Russell is fine with *my* cats; because they are very dog-savvy,
and were much bigger than her when she came to live with us, she quickly
learned that they're members of our pack.
She's now good buddies with my Siamese- they can sometimes be found
cuddled up together and/or having mutual grooming sessions- and mostly
ignores the other cat, though once in a while he'll let her wash his ears.
But if the cats had reacted by running away (instead of smacking her
upside the head) when she first approached them, she would have seen them as
prey. As it is, I err on the side of caution and never leave her loose in
the house with them when I'm not home; I monitor all play between the dogs
and cats, and intervene if it starts to get wild; and I've made sure that
every room has a high place where the cats can jump up and get away.

The point being: despite being fine with MY cats, all bets are off with
*other* cats- one of the many reasons she is never left outside unattended
is that our neighbors have cats.