How to stop my Blue Heeler from herding my other dog unsupervised?

For a while when she is with your other dog or your kids you may want to keep her on a leash so when she does this you can correct her. This is a natural “herding” instinct of the healer, and may be hard to end all together. Warn the kids not to run in the house because this will most definitely excite that response. I would also encourage you to consider a lot of activity and a “job” for this heeler. Have the kids play hide and seek with her, teach her to “find” treats you hide in the house, maybe agility classes with her. These guys need lots of brain use ! Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She is adorable! Red heelers can be very energetic and challenging at times in terms of behavior. I highly recommend you seek help from a dog trainer or behaviorist as these behaviors can be modified. It just requires the right training. There are behavior modification medications your veterinarian could prescribe though in most cases are unnecessary as training is all that is needed. Sometimes both training and medications are combined. Good luck and have a good evening!

If the entire family can't be consistent in Zach's training it's going to be a tough battle getting him to follow rules. You need to first get your family on board with training as a whole before any big changes can be made. I would also talk to a trainer in your area who can be there in person, or enroll in a basic obedience class together so that you can start working on proper leash walking behaviors in addition to helping him calm down in a more structured environment. If the two dogs start to fight, separating them for a while before reintroducing is best, as well as making sure they aren't together without supervision. For the herding, that is a natural instinct in herding breeds and is something you probably won't be able to train out.

This can be normal behavior for herding breeds as well as with changes in the environment making that behavior stronger. You can try various enrichment activities such as callings, three balls, or increasing your dogs exercise to see if that helps. However given their breed and the current environment it will be difficult to stop the behavior all together. If the aggression escalates I recommend you keep them separated. You could also try working with a trainer one on one with your dog to see if they can identify specific triggers causing this behavior.

There are a few things you can do: One, if you noticed Jessie going for your cat, break them up and place them in separate areas for a bit to settle down. Once calm, you can then reintroduce them. You can also redirect Jessie's behavior to something more appropriate such as a chew or puzzle toy that will hold her attention, or work on a few basic tricks such as paying attention to you or sitting for a treat. This can help teach her what you want her to pay attention to, and that the fun stops if she becomes too focused on your cat. Second, having a sort of "sanctuary" for your cat that Jessie can't get to, such as a room that is gated off by a baby gate can help ensure your cat has a place to go and relax without being bothered. You can place your cat's food, water, litter, etc in here to allow your cat to eat and rest. Having plenty of perches such as cat trees or other perches that your cat can get to and your dog can't can also help give your cat a chance to get away and observe without being bothered. Be sure to never leave the two together unattended as even the sweetest cat or dog can accidentally injure the other!

This behavior is to be expected. It is a cattle dog which is bred to nip cattle when they are herding. I would teach her to play catch so you can wear her out and give her an appropriate outlet for her energy and a toy to chew on. Taking her for long walks and hikes are good also. This breed is headstrong so a group obedience class would be fun and helpful. She is a puppy so this behavior should improve as she ages. Punishment will not be effective, I recommend finding another outlet for her mouthing and wearing her out every day. A tired dog is a well behaved dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rain.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Loki. I see from his profile that he is a Border collie. He was breed to herd animals and is simply following his natural instinct. This will be difficult to stop as it is ingrained in him. You may need to let the dogs out at separate times. You can try training him a stop command so that he knows when he needs to stop herding. I hope this information helps!