The hunting Instinct in Dogs Will Always Remain – But You Can Redirect It
Dogs with a strong hunting instinct often pose a challenge for their owners. Walks become a nerve-wracking experience—off-leash running is almost impossible. How to successfully train your dog against hunting.
Dogs must learn impulse control.
The key to this is good basic training. Dogs need to practice patience and learn not to give in to every spontaneous impulse. This starts at home: Basic commands like "sit," "down," and "stay" should be established in everyday life, and a certain tolerance for frustration must be established. This can be trained as early as puppyhood by providing rest breaks in the basket. Recall is also a basic part of dog training, as is the "out" command.
It takes some time to master the recall command. It's important that owners reinforce what they've learned daily and gradually increase the difficulty. If the recall command works well in a low-stimulation environment and during a daily walk, practice it under distraction, such as in a dog park or other similar setting. If you're unsure whether the dog will listen, avoid using recall commands like "Here" or "Come." Instead, try to lure the dog first and check if it is even responsive. If that's not the case, you can skip the recall command.
"Stay" − even if the ball flies
Impulse control also involves resisting the urge to give in to every stimulus. Dogs with a strong hunting instinct are often prone to reacting to sudden movements. This could be a thrown ball, a jogger, a cyclist, or a rabbit suddenly darting out of the bushes. This is a circumstance that owners can take advantage of, because a dog that can resist the flying ball will react more calmly to other movement stimuli.
For training at home, this means practicing "sit" and "stay" – so that the dog only leaves his position after a release command such as "Okay" or "Go." Especially at the beginning, you should return to your dog with a treat instead of luring him to you. Otherwise, he'll learn that "stay" is followed by "run." This association is counterproductive for anti-hunting training.
Offering an alternative: Like hunting, only better
Dummy training also offers your dog a fun alternative to hunting. Those who practice it calmly, with clear guidelines, and regularly are not only better prepared for dangerous situations but also strengthen the bond with their dog, and the animal is generally happier, as controlled retrieving exercises are both physically and mentally demanding. To firmly integrate anti-hunting training into your daily routine, take a food bag with you on your walk, for example. Repeatedly throw or hide it while your dog waits patiently. Then let him retrieve the dummy and reward him with a treat from the bag. This enriches the walk and automatically leads to your dog being less preoccupied with his surroundings and more focused on his owner.
This essential component of anti-hunting training is particularly promising when established in puppyhood—before the hunting instinct fully develops. With adolescent or adult dogs, who may already have hunting experience and know how much fun it is to chase prey, the starting point is more difficult, but not hopeless.
Prevent stalking and fixation.
If you observe your dog stalking and staring at potential prey, you should stop this behavior immediately. This applies to animals at the zoo, as well as ducks swimming in a lake or other dogs romping in the meadow. If your dog fixes its gaze on them or even crouches down, it's time to take action. Scolding won't help much in this case, because a focused dog will usually just look past you or won't know what it's being punished for. Instead, try to redirect the focus to yourself with positive distraction. This can be achieved with treats or a game, depending on what your four-legged friend is more receptive to. Of course, a reward should only be given if the diversionary tactic is successful.