Almost every dog has some degree of prey drive—it's in his genes—some more than others. You may experience it when your otherwise well mannered dog suddenly takes off chasing after a rabbit, squirrel, or a jogger. The old approach to solving this problem involved the use of "corrective" devices like choke chains and electronic fences. A better approach includes training and management techniques that reward your dog for choosing to focus on and stay near you, the owner.
Clarissa von Reinhardt has been working on the issue of how to deal with unwanted predatory behavior for many years. In this fascinating and inspiring book, she takes the readers step by step through her training methods, inviting them to learn more about a dog's complex spectrum of behavior, and ultimately to maintain as much control as possible over the urge to chase prey.
What reviewers are saying...
DOGS IN CANADA
"Dogs with a strong instinct to chase things can be frustrating to manage. A dog that suddenly takes off after anything he considers prey—squirrels, joggers, bikes, cars—can be a danger to himself, his owner, others and whatever he's chasing. Von Reinhardt describes predatory behaviour and takes the reader step by step through her training methods, including such intriguing techniques as the "sausage tree," and addresses the causes of failure in training. Chase! delves into a fascinating and complex behaviour, and offers a training program that leads to as much control as possible over the urge to chase, while rejecting the use of aversive stimuli".
THE APDT CHRONICLE OF THE DOG
"This book is the how-to manual for owners dealing with dogs who have high predatory instincts. I have had several clients and friends approach me with this issue, and it is one of the most frustrating for me (and for them!) to deal with. The book is geared toward pet dog owners, not trainers. The author does an excellent job explaining what prey drive is, where it comes from, and that it is a natural instinct within dogs. I appreciated that her problem-solving refers to "management" of behaviors, and does not promise to cure the problem. She comes down quite hard on anyone recommending the use of aversive methods to change this behavior. There are several really interesting exercises outlined in the book that I am eager to try, including "communicative walks" and a "sausage tree." There are also a lot of the exercises you would expect her to recommend, including sit/stay and several variations on recall. On the one hand, I like the idea of offering a number of different exercises whose ultimate purpose is to move the dog in the direction you want him to go (usually toward you!), so I appreciate that there are a variety of recall exercises available so you aren't simply calling your dog with "come" every time. On the other hand, I wondered if having this many seemingly different exercises to master might feel daunting for an owner, when in truth a really dynamite recall would suffice.
