How to train a difficult cattle dog when family isn't consistent?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, heelers are highly driven to herd- that’s what the breed is made for. Your new heeler will need plenty of mental and physical stimulation or she will likely continue to herd whatever she can - in this case your Pyrenees. I highly recommend daily training sessions, agility training, long runs, trips to the dog park, or some combination thereof. You will have to make this a priority for the next several years most likely. Best of luck to you and your pups!

This could be tricky - you need to find some kind of treat or reward that is better than chasing a cow or a horse. You should focus on training a recall command like come, and practice without distractions first. Then introduce a distraction and continue to work on the command.

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. At 2 years of age, Jalen is still at a good age to train. I would recommend behavioral training with a certified trainer / behaviorist. If that is not an option, I would recommend using a pinch collar or gentle leader collar to help train. If she is anxious and high strung, I would also recommend using NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin, which can be found online or at your local pet store. You can also use a spray bottle filled with water and whenever she barks or begins to become aggressive, you can spritz her in the face and say "off" or "down" and when she follows the command, reward her with a treat. A trainer is most likely your best option though for faster results. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I'm so sorry you and Damon are dealing with this. I'm sure it's heartbreaking to consider having Damon leave your home. Unfortunately, without professional guidance, you may struggle to get him behaving more acceptably. Increased exercise can help. Walking (not running in a park or yard) for at least 30 minutes twice a day (some dogs need much more), doing basic training to give him mental stimulation, using puzzle toys to feed him meals, and scheduling 10 minutes of cuddling/grooming time a day can all help. You can also check out some general pet behavior books - Decoding Your Dog and anything from Sophia Yin are some of my favorites. Patricia McConnell also has a book about leash reactive dogs that could be helpful. Good luck!

For now, I would recommend keeping Marge on-leash whenever the dogs are together - this way, you can prevent her from chasing him, and can also reward her for remaining calm when he is around. When you aren't able to do this, it would be best to keep them separated to prevent any problems. As Marge gets older, this problem should improves as she settles down a bit. If these suggestions don't help and there is no improvement in the situation in the next week or so, I would recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer who can work with you in person to help address this issue. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

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!