Barking at rabbits

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pobowen
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Barking at rabbits

Post by pobowen »

A little info about Po. He is a rescued chow chow mix from the Hong Kong region now living in Texas. I got him when he was less than 6 mos. old and have had him about a year. We have that incredible bond between chow and owner, and he obeys me on all things except one. I walk him twice a day, and in the evenings there are many rabbits in our community. Po barks uncontrollably at these rabbits as they run off and I hold him on his leash. It's not his normal barking (the bark he uses for a knock on the door for instance). It is a shrill, repeating shriek that could wake the dead. I am so embarrassed when it happens because I know we bother the neighbors but I don't know what to do. Like I said, Po usually listens. But nothing I do when he sees a rabbit can get him to stop, other than getting him away from the rabbit as quick as possible.

Perhaps there is no answer... maybe Po just really wants to eat a rabbit and I'm preventing him, and there will be no compromise :cry:
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Sarahloo
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Re: Barking at rabbits

Post by Sarahloo »

pobowen wrote: Perhaps there is no answer... maybe Po just really wants to eat a rabbit and I'm preventing him, and there will be no compromise :cry:
Well, there is an answer: yours! Your dog is in hunting mode when he sees those rabbits! It's perfectly natural for a Chow and shouldn't make you sad! :)
If Loo sees a deer (sheep, horse), he gets up on his hind legs trying to reach it, and makes the exact same sound your Po makes. Most of the time, we have to turn around, because the stronger the scent gets, the more insane he gets. I've accepted it, and maybe you should too. Of course you can try one of those anti-hunting classes that are offered by dog trainers. I doubt they would do much good for Loo, but if it's just rabbits for Po, maybe he could benefit from them.
You don't have to be embarrassed! You own as dog that if times were tough could provide you with bunny burgers every night and you wouldn't have to starve! :D Tell your neighbors he's a Chow and hunting is in his DNA.
Loo was found on the street, so maybe he's had to hunt for food before the shelter people picked him up. Maybe it's the same with Po, that he's successfully hunted before to stay alive. That could also partly explain why he's so serious about it.
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chowpups
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Re: Barking at rabbits

Post by chowpups »

Ahh, the bunnies, yes, Nikki would love to invite you all over for a bunnie dinner if she could.. Nikki was not found on any streets that she needed to hunt for survival or anything like it but she has the same reaction to rabbits and chipmunks. We had a trainer walk her at dusk when all the rabbits were out grazing and she kept Nikki very close on leash almost a heel type length and when she saw a rabbit she gave her a quick little tug on the leash and a clicking noise with her mouth and picked up the pace as she walked past and darn it worked..
Now if Nikki is in her yard and a rabbit runs past she will bark and try to dig her way over to it and nothing I do seems to distract her. We now try to keep her in during the dusk hours when they all seem to be out getting that last meal of grass before dark.. and yes, Nikki has a high pitched bark for prey and we know exactly what it is by the sound of her .. she rarely barks except for critters and the doorbell.
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Sarahloo
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Re: Barking at rabbits

Post by Sarahloo »

That's the only good thing about Baloo's prey drive: if it doesn't feed a family of ten, he's not interested! :D Mice, bunnies, and most importantly cats are save from him.
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