*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) Thanks to those who offered help instead of judgement. Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph M Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Adolescence is a bitch! I can only sympathise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph M Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Bugger! I misread as 12 months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) Is there anything I can do to reduce this behaviour? I love her but I'm finding it really hard to like her at the moment. I just don't understand why her prey drive is getting worse, and why she is suddenly so keen on animals she has grown up with. Her prey drive is the same as it ever was.. but now she knows what to do with it and has been self rewarding for hunting. Killing animals is very satisfying for a dog. Other than providing stronger containment for your other animals, I'm at a loss to suggest what you can do now. My guess is she and pocket pets/possums will not be a good combination going forward. Edited June 20, 2015 by Haredown Whippets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonwoman Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I'm having trouble with my standard poodle, Toby. I've had her since she was 10 weeks old, she went to a good puppy school and obedience school, and was socialised thoroughly with people. She was raised with other dogs, cats, small animals, etc. The problem is that she has a very high prey drive, and in the last 12 months it has really escalated. Last year, she ripped wire off an aviary to kill a possum I had in care. Recently she has been hell bent on destroying another aviary (which has been reinforced as much as possible) to get to our guinea pigs. And I have had to start crating her overnight because she has started showing a lot of interest in the cats and foster kittens. Two nights ago she caught and killed a wild possum in our yard. Is there anything I can do to reduce this behaviour? I love her but I'm finding it really hard to like her at the moment. I just don't understand why her prey drive is getting worse, and why she is suddenly so keen on animals she has grown up with. IMHO experience standard poodles are working dogs with a lot of drive, she needs work instead of creating her own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 I need to get back to obedience and maybe start agility... I'm just so worried she will get one of the cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretel Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I need to get back to obedience and maybe start agility... I'm just so worried she will get one of the cats. A friend has a standard poodle and he has attacked her cats. They are kept very carefully apart now. She has done lots of training with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) Yep can be a serious problem in the standards and many minis, I had to give up all our rabbits and guinea pigs when I had my last standard and mini. Be careful because once they've had a taste for it they will often escalate, the last rabbit my standard girl got she tore apart the hutch and I came home to find my bunny in pieces all over the yard. After that incident she started chasing our cats and would hunt down the smaller dogs if they were in any open space. I later found out her mum (breeder lived on property) had to be muzzled when she went out to toilet at night, she started attacking wallabies, wombats etc. My mini girl even when she was blind and had both cruciates done would still scent and hunt small prey. Edited June 20, 2015 by Rascalmyshadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) Amazing what breeders/owners don't want to tell you, I've always stated on here for people to be careful bringing poodles into homes with smaller animals. They are the love of my life, I have owned many over the years all three sizes and have done a lot of private rescue, only a few of them were safe around other species and children, it is the main reason I now only have one and he is a very carefully researched toy, toys tend to have a lower prey drive although I've met many that still wouldn't be ok around kids, birds, rabbits etc. I also groom more poodles that bite their owners than any other breed. Edited June 20, 2015 by Rascalmyshadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) It was a standard poodle that killed a smaller dog in my local dog park, I was so shocked at the time but have learned since then that this level of aggression is not unheard of in the breed. I've only rescued the odd miniature and toys and never had any problems. It will put you under an enormous amount of pressure to keep a dog with prey drive if you want to keep owning/rescuing smaller animals. It's also not great for them to be terrorised either. Edited June 20, 2015 by Her Majesty Dogmad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 She needs an outlet for her prey drive. What do you do with her to satisfy it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diva Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 It does sound like she needs structured ways to satisfy her drive, you may need one on one help from a good trainer. I have always had high prey drive breed dogs, and never had a problem getting them to live safely with cats or get along with small dogs. I wouldn't expect them to be safe around guinea pigs or rabbits though, and the possums have learnt to go over the yard rather than through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) Huski, at the moment I do nothing. She goes for a run every night but that's it. I'm not sure what to do for her, this is very much out of my league. Unfortunately that's the problem. You aren't giving her mental or drive stimulation and she's finding her own way to provide it. Going for a run will make her fit, which will means it will take more to tire her. In her eyes there is no difference between "going after" a possum or your cats. She needs a way to channel her prey drive that is positive. She needs more mental stimulation so she doesn't need to look elsewhere for it. :) Edited June 20, 2015 by huski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2015 by *kirty* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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