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What Precautions Should You Take When Walking A Dog With A High Prey Drive

October 22, 2020 by Mary Telesz

dog parents can or hire somebody to modify their dog prey drive behaviorDo you wonder why your dog just has to chase squirrels, birds, cats, or maybe even cars? It is your dog’s natural prey drive at work. Your dog’s prey drive evolved in ancestral dogs that had to hunt to survive.

This prey drive still exists in most dogs today. In some dogs, however, the prey drive is very strong—strong enough to make walking your dog on a leash difficult and sometimes dangerous. If your dog is big and strong, it becomes even more dangerous for both of you.

To change your dog’s behavior, you will need to integrate good leash walking practices. Understand that it will take some time, especially if your dog has a high prey drive. Here are some techniques you can use to make walking your high prey drive dog more pleasant for both of you.

Exercise Your Dog Before The Walk

The mere prospect of a walk with you elevates your dog’s level of energy. Take the edge off of your dog’s excitement by playing with your dog before you clip on the leash. Throw a ball, play with a toy, or find a way to let your dog burn off energy before you put on the leash and expect good behavior. For really high-energy dogs, engage in play or other forms of exercise for whatever period of time it takes to tire your dog out before you go for a walk. If you make this part of a regular walk routine, it will become easier and easier to manage your dog on the leash.

Once you have your dog on the leash, give it some time to sniff around and explore its environment. Your dog needs this chance to get itself mentally ready for the upcoming walk.

Plan to walk your dog until you notice your dog has relaxed and is walking along at the pace you set, rather than dragging you around wherever it wants to take you.

Anticipate Your Dog’s Reaction To Distractions And Prepare

Because you know how your dog is likely to react to possible prey, you should take steps to keep your dog’s excitement level low. That means you should

  • Establish a steady, forward-moving, quick pace.
  • Have a treat or toy in hand ready to distract your dog’s attention before the excitement level becomes unmanageable. Start getting your dog’s attention with them at least ten feet away from the prey.

owners can use rewards like doggie treats to train their dog on refraining from prey drivesKnow what best motivates your dog before you go on your walk. For some dogs, treat rewards are great. If your dog is picky, find out what it likes best. For other dogs, toys are more exciting. Sometimes treats work best one day but toys are better another day.

If your dog has a high prey drive, get in the habit of carrying both treat and toy distractions with you. Carry high-value treats with you for those moments when you know your dog is likely to lose control. High value treats that work best to distract many dogs are bits of dried meat. For dogs that are toy-motivated, try a squeaky toy.

Reward Good Leash Manners With Treats

As you walk, practice asking your dog to sit, heel, and pay attention to you when you ask for it. Be sure to give a treat to your dog whenever it shows good behavior while on the leash. In some cases, dogs automatically become more attentive to you when they know you have treats and toys on hand. These will help you regain your dog’s attention if it gets distracted by anything it regards as possible prey.

Outfit Your Dog With A Properly Fitting Harness

A properly fitting harness will make it easier for you to manage your dog, and it puts less stress on your dog’s throat. Make sure that it fits your dog and is secure enough that your dog cannot wriggle out of it. If you have a large dog, it is important that you get a harness that is heavy and strong enough to handle your dog’s size and strength.

Consider a harness that has a leash attachment on the chest. Clipping the leash to the front of the harness, rather than at the ring on the dog’s back, will help you if your dog tries to pull away from you. By attaching the leash at the front of the harness, you can pull your dog around to face you, making it harder for your dog to pull away from you to chase after prey.

Get Help From A Professional Dog Trainer

If these tips are not enough to manage your dog’s high prey drive, do not hesitate to get professional help from a certified dog trainer. For the safety and security of your dog and for yourself, professional training can get you going in the right direction.

Use The Professional Dog Walking Service Available From Your Local Paw Pals

dogs are normally relaxed and calm after their prey drivesWalking a dog with a high prey drive can be challenging until your dog learns how to manage its impulses. It takes regular practice, and some owners find that getting the help of a dog walker from Paw Pals is the perfect solution. Their professional dog walkers have experience handling high prey drive dogs. Contact your local Paw Pals for more information about their dog walking services.

Filed Under: Dog Walking

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
4.9
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
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