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Many dog owners rely on high-value rewards, such as treats, to reinforce good behaviour and ensure recall. While this method can be effective in controlled environments, it often falls short when faced with the instinctual drive to chase livestock such as sheep, cows or chickens.

Understanding the Predatory Drive:

Dogs possess a natural predatory instinct, which basically means that they will automatically chase when they see something move. This instinct can be triggered by the movement of animals like sheep. In such scenarios, the excitement and arousal levels in a dog often overshadow the appeal of any treat or reward, rendering traditional positive reinforcement methods ineffective at the time they are needed most.

The Need for Specialised Training:

At Take the Lead Training, we recognise that very often, standard reward-based training will not suffice for dogs with strong predatory instincts. Our approach involves behaviour modification techniques that address the root cause of the chasing behaviour. In a nutshell, we train dogs to actively avoid livestock animals, rather than instinctively wanting to chase them. This serves three major purposes. Firstly, it means that if your dog sees or smells sheep that you didn’t know were nearby, your dog will make the decision to avoid them and will not choose to chase after them. Secondly, your dog will not try to escape from your lead or garden to chase livestock animals.
Thirdly, now that your dog has been trained not to want to approach or chase livestock such as sheep, should you come across them on a walk, you can recall your dog back to your side and attach a lead as a sign of respect for the farmer and responsible dog ownership for other dog walkers.

Implementing Effective Strategies:

Controlled Exposure: For some dogs, gradually introducing your them to livestock at a very young age in a controlled setting might help desensitise them to the stimuli that trigger chasing. Unfortunately however, this alone is not enough for the majority of dogs as they mature.

Consistent Commands: Using clear and consistent commands reinforces desired behaviours and reduces confusion.

Professional Guidance: Working with an experienced and proven dog trainer can provide you with the tools and techniques necessary to manage and modify your dog’s behaviour effectively. The trainer MUST be able to show that their training has worked for many dogs, not just their own.

Conclusion:
While high-value rewards have their place in dog training, they are not sufficient to curb the instinctual behaviour of chasing livestock – especially where the dog notices livestock first and gives chase. Police reports in the UK show that in over 80% of instances where dogs chase sheep, their owner was nowhere to be seen because the dogs had run away and escaped their owner’s control, acting upon their desire to chase. This is why specialised training that addresses the underlying predatory drive is essential to ensure the safety of both your dog and the animals they may encounter. If you’re facing challenges with your dog’s behaviour around livestock, reach out to us at Take the Lead Training where we have effectively helped over one thousand dogs and owners just like you!