Why does a dog chase cats

Many dogs love to chase cats. And sometimes it turns into a problem for the owners. Not to mention the fact that such a chase can become dangerous, for example, if the dog, carried away by the pursuit, jumps out onto the road and gets hit by a car.

Why do dogs chase cats and how to wean a dog from chasing cats?

Why does a dog chase cats?

Dogs are by nature predators. And in many dogs the hunting instinct is quite well developed. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for such dogs to resist the pursuit of such a tempting prey as a fluffy runaway cat.

And because this behavior is self-reinforcing (that is, it contains a reward in the action itself), it quickly becomes a favorite habit. And a headache for the owner, who keeps looking out for another purr on the horizon.

How to wean a dog from chasing cats?

Here it is necessary to put the question differently and start from the basics.

First of all, you need to develop the dog’s motivation to communicate with you. It is necessary that the owner become the center of the Universe for the pet, the most interesting creature. In any case, more interesting than some kind of cat. It may seem complicated, but in fact, for this you just need to properly build the process of communication with your pet and training.

It is also necessary to develop self-control in the dog, the ability to keep himself in his paws in the presence of stimuli and in a state of excitement. There are special exercises that will help to cope with this task.

And if everything is done correctly, then soon you will see that irritants are no longer a problem for you, and the dog easily focuses on you and does not seek to chase cats.

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