One of the primal urges and drives of many dogs is to chase, capture, and/or kill prey.  In many cases this takes the form of going after the household cat.  But how can you fix an urge that is hard wired into the head of a dog?  The key is using the proper tools and techniques.

Those that read this blog know that I am a fan of electric collars (sometimes called e-collars, remote trainers, or shock collars) only when they are used properly.  This dog training tool should never be used in anger or as a means of ‘getting revenge’ for a dog that is misbehaving.  Most of the time this tool should be used on low levels and used as a means of communicating a training principle. 

In the case of fixing cat problems I recommend using it a bit differently.  In a case like this I recommend using it on medium levels.  For most cat chasers the drive to get the cat is so strong.  Because the drive is so strong you have to use a higher than normal level to fix the issue.  The following are some steps to keep your cat safe.

1- Condition your dog to the e-collar by having the dog wear the collar for several days before using it.  No, not several days straight.  But for several days put the electric collar on at random times and have your dog wear it for several hours at a time.  You don’t want your dog to associate his displeasure with cats with the collar.  You want him to believe that cats are inherently negative.

At this point you have to keep your dog separate from cats because it is not time to train yet.

2- Once the dog is accustomed to the collar it is time to start training.  Have your dog wearing the collar and on a leash.  Keep the collar on a medium level.  Allow him to be around a cat.  The second he starts to show any interest in the cat at all (looks at the cat, barks, lunges, ears perk up in the direction of the cat, etc.) immediately give a quick stimulation.  If the dog continues to show interest in the cat continue giving quick taps on the button.  DON’T HOLD THE BUTTON DOWN, simply give a few taps until he starts to look away.  Throughout this whole process don’t say anything to the dog.  Don’t say “No, bad dog, no cat” or anything of the sort.  Continue giving the stimulation until the dog no longer is looking at the cat.

This style of training is called avoidance training.  The idea is to form a negative association in the mind of the dog with respect to the cat.  For that reason you don’t give a command, you want the dog to believe that cat itself is a negative object.  If you give the dog a command to stop going after the dog that means that his obedience is relative to you.  Normally that is fine for most behaviors but in this case you want the dog to really dislike paying attention to the cat.

3- When the dog continually looks away from the cat it is time to move on to the next step.  Allow the dog off the leash so he is feeling more open and free.  Repeat the same step as before.  The second the dog even looks at the cat give him a stimulation.

4- At this stage your dog should really dislike even looking at the cat.  Your dog is just about fixed of his cat addiction.  Now the only step to complete is keeping a close eye on him.  You will probably catch him taking quick glances from time to time at the cat.  Make sure you can consistently correct him for his interest in the cat and you will soon have a cat-proof dog.  

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