How to Train a Dog to Not Chase Cats

Dogs are preying animals that are biologically wired to chase and catch smaller animals. Some dog breeds have more of this preying tendency than others, which may cause a problem if they need to live in the same house with a cat. Whether it's a cat roaming through your neighborhood or a cat you own, there are ways to keep your dog from chasing it. Teaching your dog simple training commands, such as sit, stay and come, can help with this.

Things You'll Need

  • Leash
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

  1. Teach Sit, Stay, and Come Commands

    • 1

      Teach your dog to sit. Stand in front of your dog with a treat in your hand. Lift your hand slightly above his head while saying "sit." When you raise your hand this way, your dog's body should naturally assume the sit position. When this happens, give your dog the treat while saying "good sit." Repeat this step until your dog does it even when no treat is available. Also, teach him to do this on his leash by firmly tugging back on the leash while saying "sit."

    • 2

      Teach your dog to come to you. Hide a treat in your hand and stand across the room from your dog. Say "come," and when your dog approaches you, give him the treat. Move away from your dog again and repeat the process until he comes whenever you prompt him to do so.

    • 3

      Teach your dog to stay in place. Your dog should successfully respond to sit and come commands before teaching the stay command. Stand directly in front of your dog and ask it to sit. Hold out your hand, palm forward, facing your dog's face in a stop motion and say "stay." Keep your hand in this position for about two to three seconds. If your dog does not move, offer it a treat. Repeat the step a few times, adding a few more seconds to the waiting time before giving another treat.

    Practice

    • 4

      Take your dog outside. Attach his leash beforehand. Walk around your backyard or neighborhood. Whenever it sees an animal such as a bird or squirrel running in its path, your dog may try to lunge at it. If it does, speak its name and say "come" and then "sit." Reward it with a treat after it obeys your command. Hold out your hand in the stay position and say "stay." Reward with another treat.

    • 5

      Expose your dog to a cat. If you don't have a cat, take your dog to a friend or relative's house that does. When your dog first sees the cat he may get excited. This is the time to practice his commands. Firmly tug on his leash and say ''sit." If he does not respond and continues to lunge in the direction of the cat, call his name and tug the leash again. When he finally sits, offer him a treat. Immediately give the stay command after he sits and offer another treat.

    • 6

      Practice commands with your dog unleashed. This is best to do in a confined area such as a fenced backyard or dog park so that your dog cannot run too far away. Allow your dog to roam and monitor its behavior. Use the sit, come and stay commands randomly and offer a treat whenever it obeys. Practice this until your dog consistently obeys all commands. Once your dog displays cooperative behavior regularly, frequently expose him to cats or other small animals, and monitor its response.