Tips Please - How To Stop My Dog's Fixation On The Rat Cage

[Alkhe]

I recently brought my dog Mimi to live with us - she is 11, and was one of our "family dogs" and stayed with mum when I moved out of home 7 years ago. She's a very sprightly and young seeming dog, and has never had formal training. She is a relatively well mannered dog, and has excellent recall, but the only other command she really knows is sit.

3 weeks ago I got some rats which sit in a big cage that is raised about 60cm off the floor. Mimi is a Poodle x, supposedly crossed with a Bichon, but I've had my suspicions for a long time that she's actually sort of terrier.. her interest in the rats has only heightened them :D

Mimi is VERY interested in the rats – I’m not sure whether she wants to kill them or just play with them, but it’s really bloody annoying! I thought she just wanted to smell, lick or play with them, but when I've let her smell them (and she's licked them too!) she then lurches at the sometimes, and gnashes her teeth. She can’t actually get them or do anything, but she jumps up and scratches at the cage, and whinges in frustration, or shivers. The cage stand is on wheels so she sometimes ends up pushing it around which is also really annoying and a disaster waiting to happen. I was hoping that the novelty would wear off and while it sometimes seems to, she still gets very fixated at other times. Sometimes she’ll sit or lie next to the cage watching them, or on the top of the couch watching them. Occasionally she will seem to forget they’re there, but as soon as I go near the cage (even to walk past) she’s back on patrol.

The rats are in no danger and one in particular seems to delight in running up to her and sticking his nose through the bars and wrapping his fingers around them for her to smell and lick. He seems to like her, in that he hangs around while she’s pawing at him and runs away from her claws. I think she’s been nipped a few times because I’ve heard her jump back and shriek before. It only stops her for 2 mins though.

I move the cage into another room with the door closed when I’m not around to supervise, but I would like some insight into what I should do to distract her. She’s completely un-motivated by food and always has been – I could dangle liver treats or roast chicken in front of her and she’d ignore it for the rats. I’ve tried using my voice to get her attention, giving her a little smack on the bum to get her to move away. I can go “UH UH” in a stern voice while standing over her and get her to sit, but she only sits while remaining fixated on the cage and shaking with excitement. And will jump straight up again a few seconds later.

Does anyone have any tips for what I should do? She’s just not motivated by play, toys, food, balls.. she does love the ball but it’s no competition for the rats. I’m lucky my other dog Maggie loves food so much- she’s so EASY! :laugh:

ETA - some pics of the lovely lady herself, and her little friends. The first pic is basically what Mimi always looks like now - head in the corner of the cage.

Edited August 21, 2012 by Alkhe

[Salukifan]

Cover the bottom of it up to about 10cm above what she can see.

When i first got a fish tank one of my poodles was obsessed. She'd spend all her time in front of it. I had to cover it with a sheet when I wasn't home.

The fixation should die down but I would suggest a visual barrier for a while. My guess is that your dog's response is predatory. She doesn't need to have terrier blood for that!

[minimax]

Can you put it up higher, or cover some of it so she can't see inside the cage, and can't see the little ratties teasing her?

[Alkhe]

Cover the bottom of it up to about 10cm above what she can see.

When i first got a fish tank one of my poodles was obsessed. She'd spend all her time in front of it. I had to cover it with a sheet when I wasn't home.

The fixation should die down but I would suggest a visual barrier for a while. My guess is that your dog's response is predatory. She doesn't need to have terrier blood for that!

:laugh: oh yes, non-terriers can definitely be predatory, I know allllll about that! Hahah.

Thanks for the tip - it's a great idea and I can't believe I hadn't thought about it. That might just be the trick!! I was hoping that if she got a nip on the nose she'd learn her lesson but nope, no pain no gain!

If that doesn't work I will try moving it, it's just that the top of the cage already reaches about 1.5m high and I'm 156cm :laugh:

[dogmate]

would it not be fair on both to just move it

[persephone]

I'd move it ..or cover as suggested. Little ratties would look awful without fingers or noses :(

She could also be crated when in that room ?

[fuzzy82]

If she can't be trained using food or toys, I would prevent the behaviour from happening in the first place. Fixating, sniffing and licking would be very rewarding. So whenever the cage is in the room, put the dog on a leash and your foot on the leash so she has to settle at your feet. If you're up and moving, I would tie her to something near her bed. If you do this consistently, she will give up fixating on the rats eventually, but I would still never leave them unsupervised together.

Or, you could just keep the rats in a room where the dog doesn't have access.