How to Train Your Dog to Not Hunt

Hello Lisa, It sounds like Bailey needs to practice an 'off' switch. I suggest stopping the kangaroo chasing trips because he becoming aroused is likely making this worse right now. Instead she needs to practice exercises that are mentally challenging - to wear her out mentally, require a lot of focus, calmness, and self-control. She needs to develop impulse control. She also needs to be interrupted when she starts to get aroused before she is barking and feeling crazy. Watch for subtle signs of her tensing up, staring, scanning the horizon for things to react toward, and generally thinking about being in an obsessive stat and trying to see if there is something to react toward. Once she is highly aroused by something, it will be very difficult to break her focus - it needs to be stopped before she gets too excited to keep her in a calmer state. I suggest hiring a trainer who uses fair correction and positive reinforcement who can help you correct her at the right time when she starts to get into the wrong mindset on a walk, and who can also reward her calmly when she is behaving well and is more relaxed - you want to reward relaxed body language NOT excitement right now, until she starts calming down you may not be able to give rewards at all at first. Work on teaching the following commands to help build her impulse control - that is the first step, in addition to working with a trainer for correcting the behavior on walks. Teaching her how to function out of a calmer place in general and building her respect for you is a huge foundation that needs to be laid for other training to be as effective as it could be. Have her work for everything she gets in life right now. Follow the working method for this; https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Work on teaching her a Place command and work up to her being able to stay on Place for up to an hour at a time while you move throughout the house - not just standing beside her...This command is huge for teaching impulse control and dealing with OCB or anxious behavior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Work on teaching her to stay in a crate even when the door is open: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M It is extremely important that when you walk her her muzzle is behind your leg and not poking in front, or completely out in front of you. She should not be able to scan the horizon for other people or animals. She should not be leading the walk and where she cannot even see what you are doing. Starting a walk out with lots of structure, where she is expected to stay focused on you the whole time can make a huge difference in reactive behavior and calmness. Be strict about the walk. Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Rebekah, For strong prey drive and recall training, I suggest in your case hiring a professional trainer who combines positive reinforcement training with rewards for coming, with working level e-collar training for follow through. This will require a lot of practice using a long leash before adding the e-collar. There is a very specific way the e-collar training needs to be done so you need someone experienced to work with you. Do not simply go out and purchase an e-collar and start using it without a thorough understanding of it. Check out the article linked below and begin working on an initial come using those methods before adding in 5he e-collar. Pup needs to get the point where they are reliably coming around distractions while on the long leash. Be careful not to get pulled over while pup is on 5he long leash. Come articles: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-to-come-when-called/ Check of this trainer on YouTube for an overview of how proper e-collar training with come should be done. Look for a trainer who trains in that way also. Come e-collar overview: https://youtu.be/rtJxSXu4rfs Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Avery, Check out James Penrith from TaketheLeadDogTraining. He has a Youtube channel. He works with dogs that chase and sometimes will kill livestock. To stop the killing you would need to pursue training like that. Day 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNbWCK9lFc Day 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpf5Bn-MNko&t=14s Day 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj3nMvvHhwQ Day 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrGQ-AZylY Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Avery, It sounds like it's time to hire a professional trainer who is experienced with anxiety, prey drive, and high drive dogs. Pup needs to learn commands like Leave It, Out, Heel, and Watch Me first. Since you have struggled teaching commands due to pup's anxiety, that is where the right, experienced trainer can help. The right trainer can demonstrate how to apply the right amount of pressure with pup in training - challenging pup enough for them to learn without overwhelming him. This can be a bit of an art with some dogs and has a lot to do with reading pup's body language and adjusting the training as you go depending on how pup is responding. Once pup knows some of those commands and can obey when not around prey, then it's time to gradually work up to pup obeying in the presence of distractions. That will involve finding an interrupter that works well for pup - which needs to be tested out in person to see what's effective without overwhelming, a leash tug, calm Ah Ah, fast paced heel, with lots of changes in direction, spray with a pet convincer, ect...Are all interrupters. There are many to choose from, and which works best depends on technique and the individual dog's temperament. Pup needs to understand what they are supposed to be doing - such as heeling and Leave it. Pup needs to be interrupted when they don't obey, early on when they first start tuning you out and fixating on something - before they are fully in prey drive, which requires good timing from you. Pup needs their attention then redirected back to you after they were interrupted, usually by doing something like a fast paced, drill-like heel, with lots of commands in quick succession to get pup's mind off the animals and back on you. Pup is then rewarded while in a calm and focused state around the prey animal. Pup gradually works up to being attentive around harder and harder distractions as they improve. Many high strung dogs are trained to heel, come and obey a variety of commands with the distraction of prey during hunting. It will require a trainer with that level of off-leash, high drive dog, experience though, so ask lots of questions to find the right help. Look for someone who has experience with anxiety, prey drive, behavior issues, high drive dogs, and advanced obedience. Many trainers don't have that type of experience, so do some research on the trainer. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, I am not sure of the tracking commands. Perhaps Google a club near you and ask to speak to a trainer. I do think that training Bubba to focus while on walks when you need him to will go a long way. Teach him to heel with the Turns Method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel. As well, listening is essential: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you. All of the methods are good. Have fun!