How to Train Your Border Collie Dog to Not Chase Cats
Introduction
Your Border Collie is probably tenacious and full of life. These high energy dogs have a lot of steam to blow off. Needless to say, their confident and eager nature sometimes lands them in trouble. Your street has several cats that call it home. Your Border Collie loves nothing more than chasing these cats. His tail may be wagging, but they look nothing short of terrified. It was amusing to start with, but now it’s starting to affect relations with the neighbors.
Training him not to chase cats is essential if you want to keep the peace. It’s also important because you don’t want anything more sinister to take place if he catches a cat. If he causes a cat any harm you may find some hefty vet bills land in your lap. Worse still, if he continues to chase and attack animals he may have to be put down.
Defining Tasks
Training a dog not to chase cats is never easy. It can be even harder when you need to tackle the behavior in Border Collies. That’s because they naturally enjoy chasing animals. It’s in their blood to herd livestock. However, with the right incentive, you can channel their energy into something more productive. You’ll also need to use a number of deterrents to make them think twice.
If he’s a puppy he should be a fast learner. You could see results in just a couple of weeks. If he’s older, stubborn and this habit has been developing for many years, you may have your work cut out. You could need up to a month. Get this training right though, and you’ll never have to panic when you hear a cat screech, or your dog disappears.
Getting Started
Before training can begin you’ll need several items. For one of the methods, you’ll need baby gates and a water spray bottle. You’ll also need some toys and a long leash.
Stock up on high value treats that he can't resist or break your Border Collie's favorite food into small pieces. Set aside any time for tackling the problem and be on hand as much as possible to react to any situations.
The only other thing you need is patience and a can-do attitude. Once you have all of that, you can get to work!
The Distraction Method
The Environment Method
The Deterrence Method
