Need ideas for foster dog

[zoey829]

We do foster work for our local shelter. There is a a pit bull that is in desparate need or fostering. She is on borrowed time. The only way they extented her is bc I said I would foster her. She was found in a basement totally neglected. Anyway, she is as sweet as they come. However, she needs some work with cats. But she takes to corrections and just needs work. Anyway, I usually keep fosters in a living room area separated by a gate. But I am afraid with her bc of the cats and other dogs. I dont want to tramatize her either. How can I keep her safe?? She isnt used to being crated. The shelter said even if I could make a run in area for her. I am just trying to make sthing easy and sthing that would work. Any ideas????

 

[HGFarm]

Sorry, but I have already had first hand experience with a pit mix and livestock and the kid's pets. It was not a happy ending and in the end, after a full sized horse foal was attacked and pulled down by the neck, it was not a happy ending for the dog either. Oh but he was great with kids. If this dog is already bad about cats, I would not have it at my house. Unfortunately, due to the careless breeding and owners of that type of dog, it is bred into them to be aggressive. I am sure I will be flamed for offering my opinion, but I have seen too many over the years of aggressive type of dogs end up in horrible messes. JMHO

 

[zoey829]

I know it is so sad. I am trying to think of a way to keep the dog away from the rest of the crew. We are trying to get her into a Pit rescue. We have fostered Pits before and they hvae been fine. We take precaution and never leave them or any other foster unattended. Like I always say "Please take care of your pet, so I dont have too!!!"

 

[circlesinthesand]

She may never be ok with them. She's responding to a prey drive. Cats have a strong tendency to run when scared and then that triggers the chase drive. If she's already biting them it's going to be extremely hard if not nearly impossible to stop her. If she's just chasing and extremely interested in them then there is some hope. Nothing is written in stone either way but it won't be easy to break the habit.

What you can do is work on her impulse control and add distractions gradually, before you ever introduce to the cats. There are LOTS of things that will help this. I'd start with basic obedience, there is a reason for the 'basics' they give you a firm base and default behaviors and ways to manage. Sit, down, stay, come, walking calmly on a leash (and I'd keep her leashed always, let her drag around the house) all working through increasing distractions, including the cats (start without then gradually add them at a far distance.) Check out kikopup on Youtube, she has lots of stuff that is very useful.

I play games daily to 'proof' the stay, especially at the door as I never want my dogs to rush out of doors. I find this particular spot to be the hardest for most dogs as outside is always exciting, at least it is here So it's one of those things I practice EVERY SINGLE time we go out the door. I regularly have as many as 13 high drive dogs of all ages and backgrounds and stage of training in an off leash sit stay/down stay at my front door with 5 cats running in and out of the door, while I jump around like a boxer, get on my hands and knees, run silly circles around them all while they stay in one spot. I talk in different voices, all to raise their arousal and make them realize that the 'reward' doesn't come from the activity or noise, but from the correct behavior which is to sit and stay til I give them a release. But it does NOT come over night. You have to work on that stay every day and not be sloppy about it. If you say sit they need to sit and stay til you say they can get up.

I'd also work on the crate. Susan Garrett's Crate games are fabulous. http://www.clickerdogs.com/crate_games.php I strongly believe in crate training and even the older rescues learn to be crated. There are just times when you and the dog both need to be safe and I don't want a dog who panics going into a crate. My dogs also travel in crates in my vehicle for safety reasons.

My step mom has a rescue we're working on right now that likes to chase cats, she gets put away in but not in her crate, just away from the 'fun' when she starts the chase and she gets rewarded big time for sitting quietly next to them or just sitting quietly while they're moving about. After a few months, the only cats she's chasing are the kittens who scatter even when we walk by. It's been a long intensive amount of work but it's just starting to pay off.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

Does the shelter have sturdy kennel panels you could borrow to make a her a safe/sheltered place to stay outside when you can't be supervising/training with her?

 

[Marty]

She may never be ok with them. She's responding to a prey drive. Cats have a strong tendency to run when scared and then that triggers the chase drive. If she's already biting them it's going to be extremely hard if not nearly impossible to stop her. If she's just chasing and extremely interested in them then there is some hope. Nothing is written in stone either way but it won't be easy to break the habit.

100% agreed with Circles

 

[HGFarm]

It's easier to break a dog of chasing after something than one who already has the 'seek and destroy' mode. Some dogs, like a dog that has learned to kill chickens, are just not going to get over it. I have never known anyone who ever got a dog to stop killing stuff once they learn. Unfortunately it's the predator instinct and in some dogs it's stronger or already reinforced than in others.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Although I do not have personal experience with Pitbulls, I agree w/ other posters...including about when a dog has already killed something...

A small story about my new but quickly-beloved 'rehomed' dog, Dayna, who is a 7+ YO Doberman. She LOVES to go after the cottontails who abound on my premises, racing and barking. The rabbits quickly learned to clear the area when she goes out(she prefers to be where I am, so stays in the house w/ me until I go out, and comes back in when I do.)

One morning as I came out of the north door of my big barn, she flushed a rabbit, which tried to run through a welded wire mesh fence(usually quite possible for them)but somehow got a hind leg hung up and so was firmly 'caught' in the fence. Dog ran toward stuck, CRYING, rabbit, and I ran (as well as I can; running really isn't in my job description anymore!)toward both, hollering 'leave it, leave it' at Dayna...scared to death I was about to see a massacre I couldn't prevent. Lo and behold, because the rabbit stopped struggling, the dog just ran up and was intently SNIFFING the rabbit when I got there. I directed Dayna to keep back, and I was able to work the rabbit's rear leg loose. I held Dayna by her collar as the rabbit, who'd been totally STILL while I untangled its leg, took off, a bit slowly but obviously not physically injured, and picked up speed; when it got WELL away, I let Dayna go, and she took off after it again...but it was in the next field by then, and safe from dog!

I think if this dog CAUGHT a running rabbit, she would bite and kill it immediately; this one, I believe, was saved by the fact that it was NOT running(as classically, PREY are wont to do.)

I do NOT want my dog to CATCH rabbits; they can get tapeworm, among other things...but I don't generally try to keep her from CHASING them-the rabbits generally have the advantage, anyway!

Margo

 

[circlesinthesand]

I just remembered a very good article I ran across and had book marked, one that might help with the difference between a dog that just loves to chase vs one that will kill, and how to recognize it. Even though it's about flyball dogs, it once helped me with my herding and agility dogs. I hope it can help.

http://flyballdogs.com/prey_drive.html

 

[Katiean]

I got a Great Dane and was told he did not get along with cats. I took him with me to my moms and she had a very small Persian cat. Dog saw cat. Dog snatched cat up in mouth. Blood was every were. Dog could not get rid of cat in mouth. He never touched another cat. So, IMO if a dog does not get along with cats, the dog has not met the right cat yet.