# Major obsession with squirrels



## rebeccaandholly (Jan 7, 2010)

My apologies if this has been discussed recently--I haven't been able to find any info while searching.

My year and a half standard poodle is *obsessed* with squirrels. This exhibits as loud, high pitched barking at sight of squirrels, strong lunging while on leash, absolutely no attention on me whatsoever--treats (cheese, meat, liver) talking to her--nothing gets her attention away from the squirrel. Her body gets very tense and she's "gone" for at least half a mile if we're out on a walk. Her loose leash walking skills are good in the city--she doesn't have a history of seeing squirrels there and can relax pretty easily. In the country where we live--it's squirrels all...the...time...

What can I do to desensitize her to the squirrels so she's not lunging and dragging me across the road while out for a walk? We've tried an easy walk harness (ok for when there's no excitement but doesn't give me a lot of control when she's in full squirrel mode), prong collar (it works mostly but ugh the amount of force used really scares me--I don't want to hurt her) and a regular collar which is seriously deadly as she can just about pull me down if she bolts after a squirrel. I've also tried "being a tree" when she starts going toward a squirrel--this just seems to increase her fustration. It's pretty overwhelming when she starts lunging and I end up having to pull the leash pretty hard to get her back to my side.

Any advice on how to desensitize her? Is my reaction of pulling on the leash increasing her obsession?

Many thanks in advance.

Rebecca


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

You need to first never ever let her go after a squirrel. She is exhibiting prey drive and that is normal. If you ever allow her to exercise that drive, even in the back yard off leash, you will have Great trouble over coming this. 

I would teach a default command. Since I have trained two dogs now to do some livestock work (and many others trained to leave stuff alone.. any stuff.. no matter what) I would teach a lie down command. I would over train it ad nauseum. Any place. Any where. Any time. No matter what. Train it and train it every place you go and pracitce it. Taking a walk in the city? Randomly ask for lie down.. and then when he does the lie down (elbows ON the ground BTW) release him (you do have a release word, right?). Ask for Lie down around the hosue. In the yard. Every where.. ask for it randomly. Reinforce heavily when you get it. Do not allow him to NOT lie down.. IOW"s enforce it. Lie down means NO MATTER WHAT. Add distractions gradually. If he does not lie down after a few WEEKS of this when he sees a squirrel, you have to do more training. He needs to have this 100% reliable and he is not to get up and move until told he can. 

The object of driving livestock is to control and direct prey drive. This means you need to be able to get the dog to stop. Leaving the livestock altogether is "That'll do." This actually comes AFTER the lie down and other herding control commands. 

Transferring this to squirrels may work for you. It works for me on anything my dog shows an interest in chasing. 

Another command is "Leave it." Typically "leave it" is trained using food. The dog is taught to not touch the food when you say "Leave it." This can then be transferred to anything you want the dog to "leave alone." "Leave it" means the dog is to leave it forever and ever and never touch it.

I have all three commands (lie down, leaveit and That'll do) on my dog and use them accordingly. Because I over train these things she is reliable. It was not a thing that happened in a day.. but it has happened and this dog will not chase anything unless given "the word" and then she will STOP when I say "Lie Down." Off leash.


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## rebeccaandholly (Jan 7, 2010)

Thank you very much for this! It gives me a roadmap to follow for Holly. We do indeed let her out in the back yard so I'll start bringing her out on a leash for potty breaks. She has a fairly solid down in non-stimulating environments so I'll start training her to down in every situation that we find ourselves in. 
Sounds like we'll need to avoid our walks in the neighborhood for a bit while this gets worked out. 

Our leave-it command is solid at home but seems to overstimulate her on walks--like there's something to leave so she better pay attention to that instead. Maybe I can pick a new word for leave it outside.

One question--if I can't get her into a down (I dont want to have to physically force her down), what do I do? I imagine this might happen our first time down'ing in the backyard or front yard--do I wait her out or calmly put her in a time out--being with me is a big motivator for her.

Many thanks again,

Rebecca


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

Down, no matter what, no matter where may mean you will need to direct her down and use corrections to do so. 

Remember. If she were to get loose when she sees a squirrel and run in traffic, it could be her life at stake if you cannot stop her. Down means Down.. Now, not later, not after you think about it, not after you have run a few more steps... it means the minute it is asked for. 

In herding livestock if you cannot down your dog, you can end up with cattle through a fence, over a bank, in the road... so that lie down means do it now. 

Some cues are not negotiable. This one (lie down), stay, and coming when called are not negotiable. The reason they are not negotiable is for the safety of the dog (or the livestock in herding situations).

Any cue that is for the safety of the dog, the safety of another animal/person or the safety of the handler is non negotiable. For those cues, I have no problem correcting a dog.


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