Cattle Dog and Cats

I have a two year old blue heeler. The most cuddley, well behaved dog i’ve ever met. He will even cuddle with young children and plays very gentley. However he likes to chase racoons, skunks, and cats… Not only does he chase but will attack. Hes gotten better but I would like to find something that will make him jus leave them alone. I’m tired of the wounds he gets from keepin the yard raccoon free… Hes good with other dogs 99% of the time. He will herd chickens to the fence line and leave them? I don’t know what to do, Any Suggestions?

Blue heelers, like any other herding breed, can translate that herding behavior into predatory behavior. After all, herding is nothing more than predatory behavior without the final kill. It sounds like you live in a rural area but does he have any real herding work to do? That might cure him right there. I’m sure that my dog’s predatory tendencies are nothing more than frustrated herding instinct. (She’s a border collie and yes she’s taken out many a critter including a young raccoon.) I’ve read that predation is a tough one to cure because it is so basic to the dog’s inner core and as such is extremely self-rewarding. Positive reinforcement doesn’t work very well with an established predator…what treat or ball can compare to making the kill??? It would be like someone offering you a graham cracker to keep you from having sex. But if a dog has a job, a real job, to do that will engage them to the max, the need to prey won’t be as sharp. Hey, if he isn’t hurting your chickens, maybe keeping the chikens in line can be his job! Other than that, you may have to work on aversion therapy but that can backfire if you don’t know what you’re doing, so a visit to a behavioral trainer is a must if you think you need to go that route.