# Can I train Ned to not chase cats?



## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

My dogs do fine with my cats but have NEVER been allowed to chase them. Any dog with a high prey drive is going to chase anything that runs. If you want to kitty sit you might invest in a dog run so you can put the dog out and give the cat a break or pup the dog in a crate. 

Once they have been allowed to chase it's an uphill battle. Doable but going to take a ton of work. Keep on a leash, make sure you have taught a really, really strong leave it command. Teach a really strong sit/down command so you have an alternate behavior and a diversion to the chase.
Never yell at the dog in pursuit without the training first, self defeating. I would never trust leaving this dog in the same room as the cats off leash. 

So basically to answer you question, yes the dog can learn. It's up to you to provide obedience classes and get control. Keep the dog on a leash at all times you have the cat or put the pup in a crate. 

BUT.... I have no idea how old this dog is or how long it's been allowed to hunt critters so keep this in mind with my suggestions. You can't fight mother nature once it's an established behavior, not completely. Practice safety of the cat first!


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

You can train them but it will take some work on your part. The process will require formal obedience training as well as fetch it and leave it. (It's going to take considerably more effort than a couple of weekends and a handful of treats.)


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## Oldreid (Aug 16, 2019)

Yeah, of course, you can teach your dog not to chase the cat.
But firstly, I think it's necessary to keep a separate territory for the cat. 
In the beginning, you can teach some simple commands to your dog to control its impulses before they have direct contact. 
But seems that your dog and the cat has already met before. Then it will be more difficult to train for you, I guess.


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## eeerrrmmm1 (Apr 15, 2018)

I think this is something that's much easier to do if it's been done right away. I was militant about making sure that Luna learned right away that the cat was off limits. She's elderly, diabetic and she was here first. 

The cat being declawed is very unfortunate. The puppy would have learned a lesson when he got swatted but instead he learned that there's no repercussions for harassing the cat and chasing her is fun. 

Unless you're completely committed to monitoring every interaction closely with the dog leashed for quick control, I'd ask your mom to board her somewhere while she's away for the cat's safety. She has no way to defend herself. A dog can kill a cat as fast as they shake a toy.


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## Kiera Girl (Jul 5, 2019)

I have 2 indoor and 1 outdoor cat. I am worried about this issue as well, when I bring our new boy home this fall. Our previous Golden was older when we got the cats and other dogs and there's never been an issue. So I guess the advice is to nip it right away and not allow the pup to chase the cats at all. I hope if they're in the same room that they'll get acquainted and play, unlike my two irish jack russells who just want to eat our cats!!


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