How to Train Your Dog to Not Kill Animals

Hello, First, I would address the livestock chasing and killing itself. I recommend hiring a professional trainer with experience in this area to help you if you can find one with that experience local to you. 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, creating a strong avoidance of all livestock. 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 Second, I would reinforce your property fencing. An invisible fence is not a good containment system for dogs who are especially prone to wander or highly prey driven often. The fence will correct pup when they initially cross, but most dogs just learn to brace for that and bolt through. Once they are far enough away they have learned that the system will stop correcting. Sometimes this is learned because the electric collar is left off pup too often, or because when they were first corrected they didn't know how to stop that correction, so they just bolted further away rather than returning to the "safe" yard to stop the correction. Often this training is left off with most invisible fences, and the use a long training leash to guide pup back into the fence is needed to show pup how to get the correction to stop by coming back into the safe yard. At this point, my opinion is that a physical fence needs to be put in place. The electric fence can be left in place too, but a physical fence needs to be put right outside of where the electrical fence is, even if that means fencing in only a smaller area of the yard than before. A dog who is prone to this type of behavior often needs a physical fence - like a wooden fence, with an electric fence also in place two feet inside of the physical fence line, so pup is deterred from even approaching that physical fence to attempt to climb or dig, but because the physical fence is in place, pup can't just bolt through the invisible fence either. Pup can probably be taught to stay inside your yard with just a remote training collar when you are present, but I would install a physical fence if you want pup to be able to be in the yard without you present. Addressing the livestock chasing behavior itself should decrease pup's motivation to leave the yard too, and make things safer if pup were to get out, but pup is probably leaving the yard for additional reasons, and Husky's are especially prone to escaping and wandering due to a desire to roam and their prey drive. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Feb. 7, 2022

Hello Kiana, For a puppy who is likely chasing for the fun of it at this age, I would simply start with obedience commands, teaching impulse control, and training exercises like the below. Mild cat issue - teaching impulse control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWF2Ohik8iM Moderate cat issue - teaching impulse control using corrections and rewards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPIC3Jtn0E Work on impulse control in general with pup, by teaching things that increase impulse control and calmness - such as a long, Place command around lots of distractions. Practicing the command until you get to the point where pup will stay on Place while you are working with animal animal like a bunny in the same room or garden. You can also back tie pup while they are on place - connecting a long leash attached to pup to something near the Place just in case pup were to try to get off Place before you could intervene. This keeps the other animal safe while practicing and reinforces to pup that they can't get off the Place. The leash should be long enough that pup doesn't feel the leash while they are obediently staying on the Place because it has some slack in the leash. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo I would also purchase a 20-30 foot training leash and padded back clip harness and practice commands like Come, Leave It, and Out, on the long training leash around other animal (with the other animals behind a fence where they can't hurt pup either). Reward pup for obeying your commands, and tell pup "Ah Ah" and reel pup in with the leash if they don't obey. The long leash helps to teach pup that they still have to obey even when they feel like they aren't on a leash and far from you. I like to eventually transition to a super lightweight 40 foot leash once pup is completely reliable on the normal 20-30 foot leash, to give that final step between on leash feeling and truly off leash. Below are some other commands in general you can practice to help pup develop better impulse skill/self-control - impulse control takes practice for a dog to gain the ability to control herself. Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Leave It: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Out - which means leave the room: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Come https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-to-come-when-called/ I also recommend checking out James Penrith from taketheleaddogtraining on youtube. He is a trainer who specializes in off-leash obedience and livestock chasing behaviors. He has a lot of videos working with young dogs who just need better obedience and impulse control to gain off-leash reliability, and videos working with more extreme cases, where the dogs have a known history of livestock chasing and killing. I would start with his gentler, younger dog videos, laying a good foundation of obedience and impulse control. If you start early, you will likely only need that. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Oct. 20, 2021