Do you have a problem with your dog chasing something that you don't want him to chase? Like cats or chickens, squirrels or children? The key is a) prevention--avoid situations where your pup will be tempted to chase the wrong thing, b) be proactive by training.

Today's lesson for Saxon, our Bear x Mercy pup, is Cat Training. The goal is to teach that "Cat's are to be ignored".

It helps to have cats that are chill, non reactive themselves, and bold enough to approach the pup. Have you seen our Maine Coon cats? click here

Saxon is a strong, high drive dog. The key is to keep the situation controlled. Were I to let Saxon loose with the cats, undoubtedly he would become too friendly to the point where the cats would run. Ask me how I know.

If the cats run, then Saxon's drives will kick in and he will start to become programmed to chase cats.

So instead of just letting things be, I train. This is the key with any problem you might have with your puppy or dog. You cannot afford to simply let a problem develop. As soon as you see hints of something going amiss, for example, that first time your puppy does not come when called, you must stop and make a training plan.

Yes, we are training all the time. That is the problem. We train without thinking. To stop this cycle, you must make a plan and then set a time when you are going to follow the plan. With the recall, in order to have a reliable recall, you must make a plan to teach it. Put on a leash or long line and set your pup up to fail. Then teach him that he must come, every time.

Similarly, to have a dog reliable around cats, teach your pup what good behavior looks like. You can see how we are doing this with Saxon--each time he ignores the cats and looks at me, he gets rewarded with food.

Good dogs are trained dogs.

Besides, he is adorable as he works hard to be good.