my dog is obsessed with chasing birds

Even when we bring her inside she will find a shadow on the wall and bark at it and chase it forever and not stop. If you could, I would love it if anybody would like to explain this obsession. Although dogs make great pets, they can be very excitable and can act erratically when near birds. As an owner realizing that “My Dog Is Obsessed With Balls” actually has benefits like using the ball as an outlet for your pup. Training a dog to stop chasing cars involves basic training to gain control of your dog's actions and then getting the dog to ignore or associate cars with something positive. My dog is obsessed with chasing them in our back yard and I don't what her to get bit.? On the other hand, when your dog is quiet or well behaved around birds, praise the dog and give it a treat or a piece of food to encourage its good behavior. Throw the item, then call your dog back to you while they are in pursuit of the item. She will stand in the back yard and stare at shadows all day and chase the shadows. Although at first it may be inconvenient to bring your dog inside the house every time it barks at or chases birds, it will reinforce the behavior and help your dog to remain quiet around birds. Hi all. Check out my “Ask A Dog Trainer” post on reactivity for more details. And, a problem that often leads to the death of the little creature who is being chased. Prey drive. Dogs Chasing Other Animals is a BIG Problem! If your dog does not have good recall, then you need to keep him leashed at all times. Her ears are up and pointed and her tail is wagging like crazy, so she appears very excited by the shadows. The dog is obsessed with his own shadow. He was fine off lead up until around 6 months ago. References. At this point, your dog will start to acclimate to the soft birdsong and will stay calm while the sound plays. She doesn't act upset or annoyed, just excited like she does when chasing a ball. I hope this helps. While they are certainly not as skilled at killing birds as cats are, some dogs derive great pleasure from chasing them. My dog is a 3 year old male spaniel. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. We miss her affection and attention as she is only interested in staring an chasing shadows. To stop dog from chasing, you will start with three easy exercises that you can fit into your day because they should not take more than 10 min! my dog is obsessed with chasing birds. If it's chasing birds, it's not instinct, it's poor training. Answer (1 of 4): Your dog is most probably showing Obsessive-Compulsive behavior. When we laugh at a dog that is fanatically mad over a toy, a bone, a shaft of light, a game of fetch, or the neighbor’s cat, it’s like laughing at someone who is a falling-down drunk. He's highly agitated, stressed by the constant stimulation and probably has muscle and joint aches from his constant jumping. Nevertheless, you should keep a close eye on your dog so that it does not end up chasing the feathers source, which is birds or poultry in your home. Category: Dog. What she actually does is torture. This will positively reinforce its quiet behavior. He has studied various methods of training and philosophies to develop a unique, innovative, and result-driven method for canine behavior training. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. My dog has started to be mildly obsessed with shadows when birds fly over or shadows from bugs. I have a Labradoodle who is a year and a half old. JavaScript is disabled. When a dog is fixated and obsessed, the brain is closed. Although most species of birds are smaller than dogs and pose no threat, be careful if your dog chases larger birds. my dog is obsessed with birds!? It isn’t a “phase”, but increasing control through recall games will help. HELP. Then, once the dog has quieted down, praise the dog and give it a treat. He's highly agitated, stressed by the constant stimulation and probably has muscle and joint aches from his constant jumping. Indigo Will is a Canine Expert, Trainer, and Founder and Owner of K9-INDIGO® Holistic Dog Training LLC™, a dog training service in Los Angeles, California. The dog will think the bird has magical powers that caused him to be flipped backwards. I was able to control him slightly by offering a treat, but this doesn’t seem to work all the time and if i don’t have a treat on me then I can forget about it. one of the trainers seems to think a toy bird might help to get his attention! Many times, this is all that is needed to stop the dog from busting and chasing. It is always recommended not to train such dogs with laser pointers or spotlights. For some dogs, though, chasing after small animals can be a safety hazard. Teaching a dog to stop chasing birds - Phase One - … He can sense them coming from down the street and prepares himself to lunge and bark at them. The minute we arrive at the beach she is scanning for birds and once she sees one she is total focussed on them and totally oblivious to anyone or anything around her. Discourage your dog from chasing or barking at birds. America will be last country to switch to Euro (antichrist's world currency). The only question that should linger on your mind is why it is obsessed with feathers. I could walk for hours with him off lead and he’d stay mostly by my side, his recall was always excellent. I have a 10 month border collie who was obsessed with shadows. The dog will think the bird has magical powers that caused him to be flipped backwards. I am 28 and mum to poppy a 5 month old shar-pei cross staffie. Despite a promising initial start, many gundog owners have all but lost control of their dogs by nine months or so. Play little dog games to keep your dog focused on you and not squirrel-obsessed. The partner who flipped the dog needs to sit down and hide when he does this. Dogs become obsessed over reflections. A forum community dedicated to all breeds of dog owners and enthusiasts. But lately my dog has become obsessive with chasing shadows. In this scenario, dogs will also often run away from their owners or completely ignore any commands directed towards them. We have two bird dogs... the instinct is bred into them. So, if your dog is obsessed with feathers, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. My small dog chases flies and any other type of insect. When it quiets down, praise it and give it a treat to reinforce the good behavior. Vary the types of birdsongs that you play. Obsessive dog behaviors and dog fixations can become as seriously harmful as addictions are for humans. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Question: My 1 1/2-year-old neutered male English Shepherd developed a fascination with light and shadows about nine months ago. Jamie Penrith explains. In the garden she looks at the sky, if she see's a pigeon or any type of bird on the fence/in the trees she will bark and growl. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 15,223 times. [1] X Expert Source Indigo Will Professional Canine Expert Expert Interview. Whether they are chasing balls, birds or a Frisbee, chasing games are extremely stimulating and good exercise for your dog. Preventing a Dog From Chasing Cars Keep your dog leashed or contained. Continue this behavioral training until the dog remains calm once you have given the “quiet” command, or until the birds have left the vicinity. This type of OCD behavior is based on their frustration. Learn what motivates dogs to chase, plus tips to help curb your dog's chasing behavior. You can also teach it the command “Quiet” by holding its muzzle shut after 3 or 4 barks and repeating the command. When we got Doug I found that he liked chasing birds when we went to the dog park but didn't think too much of it at that point. Although dog owners might not realize, even the small act of standing up to look out the window at chirping birds can encourage your dog’s barking. She's perfect in every other way, but this bird chasing needs to stop. In order to change established behavior you will need to train it. For some dogs, though, chasing after small animals can be a safety hazard. She'll actually stop playing with me to chase a bug at times. If there are birds in the area and your dog starts to bark or run after them, simply bring the dog back inside (or back to your car). Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. In order to train your dog to leave cars alone, it will first need to be well trained in recall. For tips from our Veterinary co-author on how to train your dog to ignore birds, read on! http://www.dogforum.com/dog-training/introing-cats-dogs-23536/, http://www.dogforum.com/dog-training/squirrel-dilema-zoe-wants-eat-them-24096/, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. help. If all else fails, you might want to talk to your own vet about trying something a little stronger so that she won't be obsessed by stalking and chasing the lizards. Category: Dog. She's perfect in every other way, but this bird chasing needs to stop. Do not encourage your dog to bark at or chase birds. The startled dog will be looking blankly back in the direction of the handler and not see him. They are unable to prevent their lovely young dog chasing rabbits, butterflies, birds, leaves, even sheep. Redirect their attention to a more positive outlet. To keep your dog from chasing cars, teach it basic commands such as “sit” so you can stop it before it runs toward a car. A large goose or egret could hurt a small dog, although the dog will likely not realize this ahead of time. The basic idea of LAT is to expose your dog to his “trigger” at very low levels. but the problem is, i cant find any! The following is an excerpt from Petfinder.com’s FurKeeps Kickoff live Facebook Q&A. Many times, this is all that is needed to stop the dog from busting and chasing. To start training this method to tame prey drive in a dog and to get your dog to stop chasing cats, put your dog on a long leash (25’) and use a low-value toy that your dog will chase if thrown, but will not be overly interested in, such as a towel. MY PUPPY WONT STOP CHASING BIRDS AND SQUIRELS. The same principle applies when you’re out on a walk with your dog, although it can be harder to implement. To stop compulsive behavior: Engage and entertain your dog. He’s been pretty well trained and we did weekly obedience and agility classes pre-covid. Once your dog sits, give it the treat, and say “sit” until your dog … About 70% have been. i go to a dog school where there are lots of birds hanging around and my dog loves them . This can be a frustrating experience for dog owners. The woman finds it highly amusing and even animates the dog with her voice. my dog is obsessed with chasing birds. I worked with a Beagle named Gus who became obsessed with sniffing out the trail of a squirrel, pursuing it even hours after it had passed through the yard. The startled dog will be looking blankly back in the direction of the handler and not see him. Indigo specializes in understanding canine temperament and dispositions to allow canines to reach their full potential. Come join the discussion about breeds, training, puppies, food reviews, service animals, and more. If you want to bring your dog indoors (or back to the vehicle if you’re on a walk), you can lead it inside once it’s quieted down. 5 years ago. This behavior can go from fun, like when your dog is chasing after a tennis ball, to a dogs and be humanely euthanized, so it is very important to keep your dog. 8 September 2020. In most cases the dog is 2 – 3 years old. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Calm-a-Dog-when-It-Sees-Birds-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Calm-a-Dog-when-It-Sees-Birds-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Calm-a-Dog-when-It-Sees-Birds-Step-3.jpg\/aid5914733-v4-728px-Calm-a-Dog-when-It-Sees-Birds-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"