I have a 3-year-old female Australian sheepdog. We also ...

Question:

I have a 3-year-old female Australian sheepdog. We also have farm cats. Every time one of these cats has babies, the dog steals them, cleans them and wants to feed them. The dog will also go into the shelterbelt, bring home baby bunnies and do the exact same thing for the bunnies. How can we train our dog not to do this kind of behavior?.

B.W., Edgeley, ND Feb 25, 2007

Answer:

Just do your best to be there when your protective dog gets with the kitties so she doesn''t harm them or disrupt their nursing cycles.It is part of her genetic disposition to be highly protective and nurturing. Rather than try to inhibit these wonderful attributes, which could cause her anguish and confusion, help her refine it. Show her how to be even gentler, if need be, and less concerned. Restrict her access to the kittens, and take her with you when you return any kittens she has adopted to their mothers. She may come to understand that these creatures have their own mothers and that they are not hers for the taking. Give her one or more stuffed toys as substitute. If she is not yet spayed, this could be part of the problem, and she could develop a full-blown false pregnancy and start producing milk.