My dog is obsessed with cats. How can I stop her from chasing them?

Question

My girl has an issue that exercising and mental stimulation does not seem to cure. She is obsessed with cats she doesnt hurt them and in sure she is only playing but shes 90 pounds running after something that is like 10 pounds which is obviously scary. I ammat a loss for what to do for her. Dog trainers could not seem to break the stubbornness that she has had since she was a pup. My one at doesn't care about her. My kitten is terrified of her. Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | spayed | 2 years and 2 months old | 71.2 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Some dogs have a very high prey drive, and it may be that the cats running away trigger this instinct in her, even if she doesn't hurt them. Working on desensitizing her to the stimulus (cats) through training techniques such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) may help her start to ignore them. Usually this works by starting from a point far enough away that she doesn't react, and gradually moving closer to the target while redirecting her behaviors. Redirection with toys and appropriate treats can also help. At home, making sure to have baby gates up and places your cats can get to up high that your dog cannot can help ensure they have a place to relax and observe without being constantly bothered by Nova. Redirecting her behavior to something else when she gets too focused on the cat, either by practicing some training in a different room, going outside, etc can help. You also don't want to let the kitten and Nova be unattended together as even the nicest dog can accidentally hurt a smaller cat in play.

My dog is obsessed with cats. How can I stop her from chasing them?

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