Troubles with Pandy

[amoore]

Pandy has worried me for some time with her actions towards cats . I wondered why Lover Boy left and decided to live with another neighbor. I have seen her sit at the window and bark at Sunny. Some times she would lick her lips like the sight of Sunny made her hungry. I stopped her from barking at Sunny, but when she thinks I don't see her she darts at Sunny towards the window.
Last week all my fears about Pandy did get answered.
I heard her barking and growling and a slight scream from another animal. As I walked out the door I could see her biting and slinging something around , I could hear a cry and choking of a cat. I ran and grabbed the the poor little cat out of her mouth and held it but I could tell I was much too late . Pandy was still trying to take the cat out of my arms.
I keep seeing that scene in my mind. It was terrible!
Yesterday she had a big orange cat treed down in the orchard. She had to be dragged to the pen, to get her away from that cat. The trouble is she could dig out of the pen. If I put her in the house, She could kill Sunny.
So now I am wondering what should my next steps be? She has also nipped at two people that visited here.

[guster girl]

I would seek the advice of a behaviorist. But, just to avoid any kind of law suits being filed against you, or worse....someone pressing charges and having your dog put to sleep, I'd invest in a muzzle. And, I'm sorry she's doing that to cats.

[guster girl]

I'm bumping this up, because it needs to be looked at. maybe someone can give better advice than me?

[Glacier]

What kind of dog is Pandy?

In your siggy, she looks like a Great Pyr to me or a mix of that breed. If that's so, this is perfectly normal behavior for the breed. Well, the cat part is. Cat aggression is extremely difficult to break. She needs to be restrained at all times if there is any chance she could to a cat or other small furred creature. The cats must always have an escape route--somewhere she can't follow them.

I have one dog that thinks cats are snacks. Kayleigh views anything smaller than her as prey and she weighs 120 pounds so lots of things are smaller than her! I tried for a long time to get her to co-exsist with the cats and had no success. She is now muzzled & leashed if she has to be near them. When Kayleigh gets her house time, the cats get locked up in different room.

The nipping people is a whole other issue. What were the circumstances when she did nip? Did she know the people? Where you there? How old were the victims? How did they interact with her? A good, reputable behaviorist in your area would be a good place to start with this behavior. Ask your vet for a referral.

[amoore]

Pandy weighs about 40 pounds. She came here in Feb,.. sick and we spent hundreds of dollars to get her well. There is a thread in here somewhere of how she came to us. I have no idea what her past was or her breed. but she does catch all kinds of little creatures . Tiny is very frightened of her. There are not a lot of trees here for stray cats to make a get-away to. We have an orchard by the creek that stray cats have always made their way to.

It was adults than Pandy snipped at. They were standing and talking to us, when Pandy sneaked up behind them and nipped them. We were lucky they were dog lovers.

Some thought Pandy is a border collie. She has been a sweet dog to us. I just can't take a chance on her killing another cat. It was such a bad scene, I can't get it out of my head.

Appreciate your help.

[Glacier]

Ok, I went back and found the thread about her arrival. She looks bigger in your sig! Borders and other herding breeds can be nippy. It makes sense for them in many ways--they have to nip at the heels whatever they are herding sometimes. Is it possible that she was trying to herd your visitors? Has her thyroid ever been checked? Low thyroid levels can lead to aggressive behavior. Could she be in pain? My Goldie is a hag when her hips hurt--took us a long time to figure out that she was in pain. Once we did and got her some medication, she was a different dog (even now with her current injuries, she not nearly as snarly as she used to be!)

I'd start with a complete vet check--blood work, the whole nine yards. And then get a good trainer in to help you.

Also if she is BC mix, she needs a job. Working/herding dogs are nothing but trouble when they are bored. Ask me about the ways huskies will amuse themselves! They need a job to do, even that job is fetching a ball 2000 times a day! A tired dog is a good dog.

[lute]

hmmm...i don't really know what to do. i would definatly get a behaviorist to help you or advise you on what you should do.

i've just got to say that Pandy looks TONS better then when she first showed up in your life.

[amoore]

Yes, Pandy Is a healthy happy-acting dog. She runs around with that tail up and wagging. She stays busy running and looking for creatures and bugs even! Even when the heat is high here she is busy.

As far as her blood work it has been done and she checked out fine the last check up.

The vet thinks that she can be trained to not bite people. The cat and animal killing is another story. She may have been trained by someone to do that, or it could be in her breeding. I just don't know. The vet did not have answers for that problem.

I can't let her kill another cat. That was an awful sight! It was a pretty cat she murdered. Poor little cat had fleas on it. Felt so bad for it.

[sammy101]

well like Gustergirl said,a muzzle might help with her to learn not to attack cats,and she wouldnt be able to bite them or anything,but i dont know if i would want to do that.A behaviorist is what i would highly recommend.
i dont have any more help for you,and she does look like some Border Collie,so that might be the cause of her nipping,but i would hire a behavorist/

[KYS]

I know this is going to sound harsh,
but if neighbors cats are comming into your back
yard, Pandy is just doing what comes naturally to her.

When Rocky catches possums and squirrels I
get a sick feeling in my stomach and cry.
But I know it is a natural for
Rocky to do this with his high prey drive.

As for Pandy biting people this does worry me.
Depending what the circumstances are she should
have a good bite inhibitor instinct with people.
Since she is healthy I agree a behavorist would
be a good try and hopefully this will solve the problem.
(if not, she might end up hurting someone
in the future, unless you keep her away from people.)

Please keep all of us updated and good luck.

[bckrazy]

I agree, get a behaviorist. I would try to keep her in a secure pen.. if she can dig out, prevent that by either putting in some underground wire or putting her on a long line. When she's inside, put Sunny in a safe place. Gonzo used to be very intense with cats... I would not say agressive, but he'd stare them down for hours if we would let him. If a dog is allowed to chase cats, most will kill or hurt them if they can, that's just how a lot of large dogs are. Do not let her out in the open, with cats around. A lot of socialization and desensitizing could help her... but it's really strange that Pandy would kill a cat when she has been around cats in your house a lot, I think?? ^..^ anyway, she's beautiful, and I hope you can find a way to curb this.

The nipping, a dog should never be able to do. My border collie would love to herd and nip at cats, small animals, children, and cars, but he is just not allowed. When we got him he thought that was acceptable behavior--you just have to teach your dog that it isn't, and try to re-direct the herding behaviors. If she is nipping for territorial reasons, see a behaviorist about that.

[amoore]

First of all, I haven't had Pandy all her life. She came here so sick she couldn't chase anything, and she's never lived inside the house. I took her to the vet and gave her the best care. When she got well I saw signs that she had an interest in chasing cats. Of course I stopped her, I love cats. Pandy does things when she thinks I can't see her (we have a very large yard), but in front of me she actually controls her cat-chasing urges.
We are working on teaching her not to chase cats.
Read the whole thread.

[Jods]

Hi,
How is she with your kitty?Or is your cat kept indoors? We fostered a dane like this once and we ended up having to give him back because he really hurt one of the cats and we couldn't leave him outdoors... I suggest a behaviorist as well, but if your like me none around the area maybe fence her in somehow ummm like a bell on her collar would let cats be weary of her in case she snuck up I dunno what to tell you... Has she ever tried to hurt Tiny cause that lil ones really Tiny maybe its all small animals... I'm sorry....

[trayi52]

I wonder if maybe you could find another home for her. I know you can't afford a behavorist. Maybe one where she would not be so bored? Just a suggestion.

Willie

[zaylagrey]

It sounds like your getting good advise here. A behaviourist would help, but like someone said herding dogs do nip. My girls get herded all the time at the dog park by a border collie there. And even though my dogs are deemed cat safe and ignore mine in the house, outside it's a different story, if something runs outside..they're going to chase it and there is hardly anything that can out-run a Greyhound, fortunatly they have'nt killed anything. I wish you luck with Pandy.