Ok, your first dog training hint from Redyre:
1) The list of WHAT to do is always much shorter than the list of what NOT to do. Tell the dog WHAT to do, not what NOT to do. In otherwords, sit. Or down. Or come. Instead of NO!
2) Play The Recall Game at least on a daily basis. Be creative with your distractions once the pup catches on to the game. I will post the Recall Game info under separate cover.
3) Teach your pup to pay attention to you when you say her name. It's simple, and fun. Get some good tasty soft treats, and cut them into tiny pieces. Show the pup that you have food. Then stand, with food in both hands, with your hands down by your side, closed so she cannot get the food. Ignore her sniffing or bumping at your hands. Just stand still, be quiet, look neutral, and wait. Eventually, she will make eye contact.
When she does, JACKPOT!!! You SMILE really big, PRAISE her profusely, and give her the treat.
Then stand up and be still again. She will look MUCH faster this time. THIS time when she looks say YESSS, and her name when you smile, then praise and treat. She will learn almost instantly that when she looks at you, she makes you give her a treat. (in her mind). So now you are a MOST interesting subject. What you have just done is use operant conditioning to shape a behavior. Sounds all fancy, doesn't it? But so simple.
Now that you have the behavior, you can shape it even further. You can stretch it any way you choose by how and when you reward the dog. So what YOU want to do is shape for QUICK looks, and shape to draw out the length of time the dog looks, and shape for having the dog look each time you say her name.
This is a fun game for you and the dog, and anyone can play the game with her.
Second, and from now ON until you get a handle on this behavior, your dog should be dragging a line in your house. You can make one with cheap materials from Home Depot or Lowes. Get a 15 or 20 foot length of light cord, and tie a bolt snap on the end. This way you can get her and control her in the house.
Each time she goes for the kitties, take the line, draw her back to you as you call her name, and reward her when she gets to you.
You can use a verbal correction if you like. NO KITTY would be fine, or just a plain old AH AH. You need to say this in a deep growly tone of voice.
Look for the recall game to come up right after this post, and I want you to WORK for the next week every day on attention and the recall game, at the same time you are preventing her from chasing the kitties with the long line.
