Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

My dog, who is 4, has always been extremely territorial. He doesn't like people coming in the house, other animals in the yard, etc. He's fine out, at dog parks, at other people's houses, etc, he's just freaks out completely when someone or something tries to come in the house or yard. Because my husband works nights a lot, it's not something I want to completely discourage, to be honest.

Anyway, he's always chased birds, squirrels, etc. We have a lot of stray cats in the neighborhood who learned quickly to stay out of our yard. About a year ago, he got a hold of one of the cats that was trying to climb over the fence and killed it. Since then, it's like he got a taste for it. He's killed several birds, some squirrels, and last night, a HUGE possum. I was up until 2am cleaning pieces of possum up from the yard I go outside with him to see If my presence would stop him but it's like once he gets the scent of something there's no stopping him... my usually obedient pet becomes a wild animal!

I'm worried that this could escalate, now that he's got the "taste" for prey, so to speak. Is there a chance of him going after kids? How concerned should I be about his increasing prey drive? Any idea on how to break this behavior?

TIA

Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

I don't have any advice, but if I were you, I would absolutely be concerned. What if a child came in the yard? Maybe talk to your vet or a trainer to get some professional advice. Best of luck.

Re: Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

curious as to what breed your dog is??

Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

He's a mix: pit, beagle, and Rhodesian ridgeback.

Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

Dogs know the difference between a child, another dog, a squirrel, a bird, a cat etc. Plenty of dogs have a high prey drive but are managed. Considering the suspected mix, I'm honestly not surprised.

Prey drive can't be cured, only managed. His constant successes are fueling him. I think I'd start with a trainer eval. And in the meantime, not letting him have a free for all buffet in the back yard anymore. Keep him on a leash, 6ft and walk him. Invest in a caged run if that isn't possible. Teach him "leave it" when you have him on leash in the back yard. Carry a can of pennies to shake to get his attention if he is too "zoned" to listen.

But you definitely need a good trainer with bully breed experience to evaluate him and properly guide you.

Re: Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

Message edited 8/18/2013 11:49:56 AM.

Re: Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

I agree with Tara, excellent advice.

I have two Labs, one is an English bred for his looks and the other is an American, bred for hunting and field work.

My American (Ginger, the yellow) has a high prey drive. She routinely finds animals in our yard that I would never have known were there. Chipmunks, squirrels, baby birds, rabbits (a lot of rabbits) and even a bat.

We've taught her "drop it" and have had a lot of success with that. The prey drive is enhanced with prey that moves/runs/tries to escape on the ground. Toys that squeak or can be thrashed around encourage this instinct as well. Tug or games that require a clamped mouth can also have this effect.

My girl has a "soft mouth" which equates to holding prey without locking the jaw. That makes it a lot easier to get her to release the animal without hurting it. You're past that now obviously, but consistent training to "drop it" and even sit/stay will help, as well as not allowing long periods of unsupervised backyard visits. The can with pennies is a good idea, a coach whistle, something sharp and loud to snap their attention to you. You MUST praise and reward highly, the highest value you could possibly give him, when he drops prey. I recommend organic hot dogs or cheese, something really unique and never given any other time but when training.

One other thing, I've watched the rabbits get chased and leave our yard, and when I noticed their usual exit points, I dug a small trench under the fence to allow them an easier exit. Sadly, the rabbits are not smart and constantly dig out nests in our backyard (I have one now) so we have a lot of opportunity to test our training.

Message edited 8/21/2013 8:43:52 AM.

Re: Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

Also, you need to learn how to train him to accept people who you invite into your home. Territorial behavior towards people is a danger sign, one that you should not ignore. Get a professional if necessary.

I encourage mine to bark at anyone in front of our home or at the door. I praise them for barking and then trained them with "all done" when I accept whoever it is by opening the door. If I don't accept them, I don't say "all done" and they continue until the person leaves.

Your dog is a strong personality but you must be stronger, or he will never see you as an authority and he will make up his own rules.

Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

I just wanted to say thank you for all the advice. We are not letting him out by himself anymore, which is difficult because he likes to be outside allll day. We've let some bad habits with barking and strangers develop and realize we have to work on them.

Thanks everyone!!

Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

I would definitely worry about him and humans in the yard. Statistically probably half the children who have been mauled/killed by dogs were wandering neighbors children and statistically the dogs that do the killing are males. I would do everything suggested and also put padlocks on all your gates and make sure they are always locked. As someone who has dealt with a dog biting someone in the past, I promise you it is a horrible thing to deal with. The problem with a dog that has to be told what strangers are ok and what strangers are not is that you are not always there to tell them who is ok. It might be better than nothing but it's not really a solution. My yard was divided into sections so that the oil guy could come and go and I knew that the gate was padlocked so there was no way my dogs could get to him.

If you can't get him under control consider training him to accept a muzzle when he is outside. I also would not allow him the freedom to be alone outside until he has gotten a lot of training and a perfect recall. I think a lot of his issue is too much time outside alone without supervision. If you want him outside I think taras idea about a run (ideally on concrete so he can't just tunnel under it) is a great idea.

Rhodesian ridgebacks and pits are both hunter dogs. Ridgebacks were bred to take down lions and pits to take down bulls. They both are very skilled for the hunt and he's got the nose of a beagle to track. It's too bad you don't hunt wild boar I bet he'd be great at it!

Message edited 8/28/2013 2:12:42 PM.

Re: Territorial Dog... killing small animals. Advice needed.

Message edited 8/28/2013 4:23:33 PM.