Squirrels

I could use some advice regarding squirrels. My dog Rosie goes crazy when she sees a squirrel. If we're on our deck and she sees one she'll bark like crazy. We have a large tree just behind our fence line in the back of our house and the squirrels have a nest there. If we are on a walk and she sees one she'll try to chase it.

I've tried distracting her when we are on the deck but doesn't last for long. On our walks I've tried "leave it" or go in a different direction just to avoid the squirrel. If I am not paying attention (which is rare) she would pull my arm off just to get to the squirrel.

There's no way to avoid these squirrels in my neighborhood. Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks

Sounds like here - squirrels abound.

Archie is obsessed with them. Thankfully, I am able to call him back; his recall is amazing. Keep up the training, recall and leave it.

"Leave it...no squirrel." Keep at it.

If you can...if you see the squirrel first...."that's a 'leave it'".

Dan knows to not pay any attention to them on a walk...Sunnie has stayed very interested but at least she no longer pulls. All bets are off for both of them if the squirrels are in the yard. Sunnie will woof once in a blue moon, while chasing, but Dan is always silent.

Squirrels! They drive the dogs Batty!

I saw a funny video on Facebook this morning, a dog was jumping on a tree, with a squirrel just-out-of-reach, on a tree, the squirrel was teasing the poor dog, and around and around the tee they went.

You need to be ahead of her to distract her, and make whatever you are doing more interesting and more valuable than the squirrel. Make sure you have special treats, and a well timed "good girl" to reward her when she does ignore them. Perhaps a prong collar/leash might help on walks, and maybe in the yard too, just to get her attention, so you can reward her for giving you her attention, instead of the squirrel.

I let mine chase squirrels to their hearts content in the yard (thankfully they don’t bark, just chase), but on walks a “leave it” is strictly enforced.

If you are lucky Rosie will be like my dogs and just give up after so many failed attempts to catch them. Oban now pretends they aren't there.

I'd teach a strong leave it. You could even pre-mack it; I know a lot of people who do. Is there anything the dog likes better than the squirrel? Steak? A ball? Tug? Bring that. So, leave it, then reward with the thing she likes best. If your yard is fenced, I'd let her chase them.

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Originally Posted by Snowshoe

If you are lucky Rosie will be like my dogs and just give up after so many failed attempts to catch them. Oban now pretends they aren't there.

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Hahah
But some dogs have success! I have a past foster that (in her adoptive home) would watch them all day and learn their pattern. So she learned to go to where they WOULD go and catch them VS go where they ARE. And was successful! that's a herding breed for you haha.

I did have success on our walk this morning. I saw the squirrel before she did and proceeded to cross the street but she still saw it. I immediately said "leave it" and lo and behold she didn't pull me and went willingly with me. I praised her like crazy and she probably thought "what's up with her" LOL