Milly van der Loop
2005
Big brown eyes, a wagging tail, and loyal companionship are only a few of the traits contributing to the dog’s reputation as man’s best friend. However, every dog owner should be aware that their beloved pet descends from feral wolves. We are reminded of our dogs’ phylogeny by certain behaviours, including the chase behaviour displayed by numerous dogs.
In general, two categories of chase behaviour can be distinguished: There are dogs that chase moving vehicles, bikes, joggers, rollerbladers, and so forth, and there are dogs that chase smaller animals such as cats, birds, and rodents. The two categories are not mutually exclusive (one of our family dogs chases both vehicles and birds), but the origins of the two chase behaviours differ. Chasing of vehicles, bikes, joggers, or rollerbladers is often the expression of territorial aggression, whereas chasing of cats for example, is more likely the expression of predatory aggression (Overall, 1997). In both situations, it is thought that the act of chasing has rewarding effects for the dog by the release of endogenous opioids (Beaver, 1999). This self-rewarding factor leads to inherent difficulty in changing or correcting inappropriate chase behaviour.
In addition, the Dog Mentality Assessment (DMA), a Swedish initiative to identify dog personality traits, has characterized playfulness, curiosity or fearlessness, sociability, aggressiveness, and chase-proneness as traits that shape the personality of every dog (Svartberg and Forkman, 2002; Strandberg, Jacobsson, and Saetre, 2005). These traits are largely breed independent, although varying degrees of each trait may exist between breeds or between dogs of the same breed. However, the authors point out that these same personality traits have been described for wolves. This suggests that the traits in question have been conserved through generations of changing selection pressures, throughout domestication. Unfortunately, the robust nature of a trait such as chase-proneness contributes to the difficulty in changing or correcting chase behaviour.
What can you do about
dogs chasing cats?
Based on the physiology and phylogeny of chase behaviour in dogs, complete elimination of a dog’s chasing of cats is probably unlikely. First and foremost, I suggest you ensure that your cats have an escape, such as a high scratching post or an area of the house to which your dog cannot gain access. A relatively simple way to provide such an escape relies on child gates. The gates can be set up in any doorway or staircase, just like you would do to prevent young children from accessing non-childproof areas of your home. In the event of a chase, the cats can jump over the barrier while the dog usually cannot. Some disadvantages of this system are that your dog would be restricted to certain areas of your home, and may knock over or even jump the gates in pursuit of the cats. Alternatively, you could make a small cat-door in a bedroom or specific cat room door in your home and keep the room door closed whenever your dog is inside. Your dog may then have more complete access to all other areas of the home while the cats can still escape if the need arises. With their own ‘safe zone,’ the cats are free to choose between time spent with or without the potential threat of an encounter with your dog. Outside of your home, it may not be as easy to provide an escape for your cats. I suggest letting either the cats or the dog out separately, or ensure that your dog is restrained in the event that the cats are out at the same time. A separate outdoor enclosure for either the cats or the dog may also be useful in this case.
With the safety of your cats ensured, you may want to consider some form of conditioning to reduce your dog’s chase behaviour. In the past, dog owners have tried several methods of punishment varying from shock collars and spray bottles to jerking the dog back while in full pursuit and tying perceived quarry to the dog’s collar until it literally rots off (Campbell, 1992). Not only are many of these methods questionable in terms of animal welfare, they simply don’t work well. As an example, Beaver (1999) testifies that despite the strong punishment of being hit by a moving vehicle while chasing it, over half of these dogs will chase again after recovery from any injuries! As an alternative to punishment, Campbell (1992) recommends a strategy he refers to as ‘the jolly routine.’ As a prerequisite, you as the owner should have complete control over your dog, preferably by verbal commands, but a leash may be used if necessary. At the instant your dog notices the approach or presence of a cat, you need to act excited and playful, and pet and reward your dog if he or she doesn’t attempt to chase it. The goal of the jolly routine is the conversion of your dog’s aggressive response to the presence of a cat to a happy and playful response. The jolly routine should be carried out consistently, every time your dog encounters a cat. As you can imagine, it takes much time and effort to properly carry out the jolly routine, especially in a farm or business environment, as you may not always have time to immediately attend to your dog.
As mentioned by Beaver (1999), the rate of successful correction of inappropriate chase behaviour is less than 50%. In dogs that haven’t chased often or only for a very short period of time, correction may be easier than in dogs that have been chasing for weeks. It may also help to properly introduce cats and dogs to each other in the event that either or both are new to your home. A proper introduction involves restraint of the dog if required, and the gradual reduction of the distance between the dog and a cat (Overall, 1997). Again, Campbell’s jolly routine should be carried out each time such a controlled meeting between dog and cat occurs, so that the dog learns to perceive the presence of the cat as a positive stimulus. Alternatively, the new dog can be crated with the cats roaming about freely. The hope here is that the dog will become desensitized or habituated to the cats due to intense exposure (Campbell, 1992). Depending on how long your dog has been chasing cats, you may want to attempt either introduction technique.
As an interesting
side note:
Despite what may be the disappointing truth regarding correction of inappropriate chase behaviour, this behaviour also warrants good news. According to a study by Svartberg (2005), the DMA-defined trait of chase-proneness – evaluated by the dog’s reaction to a fast-moving quarry on a sting – is positively correlated to the dog’s interest in play, either with you or with objects. Thus, in the words of Campbell (1992), at least your cat-chasing dog has a sense of humour!
Beaver, B.V. (1999). Canine behavior: A guide for veterinarians. Toronto: W.B. Saunders
Company.
Campbell, W.E. (1992). Behavior problems in dogs, 2nd ed. Goleta, CA: American
Veterinary Publications.
Overall, K.L. (1997). Clinical behavioral medicine for small animals. Toronto: Mosby.
Strandberg, E., Jacobsson, J., & Saetre,
P. (2005). Direct genetic, maternal and litter effects on behaviour in German
shepherd dogs in Sweden. Livestock
Production Science, 93: 33-42.
Svartberg, K. (2005). A comparison of
behaviour in test and in every day life: evidence of three consistent
boldness-related personality traits in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 91: 103-128.
Svartberg, K., & Forkman, B. (2002). Personality traits in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 79: 133-155.
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