The method
How to stop a dog from chasing cats and small animals
Every chase a dog finishes is a rehearsal, and rehearsal is how habits tend to harden. So the order matters. Safety and management come first, because they protect the cat today and stop the dog practising. Training comes second, once the dog cannot rehearse. We run this guide in that order, then cover the leash rule that applies the moment a dog steps off your own property in Calgary.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
Safety first
Prevention protects the cat while the training catches up.
We start with physical separation: gates the cat can clear and the dog cannot, closed doors, and a crate for the dog when nobody is watching. When the two share a room, the dog wears a leash indoors, held or tethered, so a lunge ends after one step instead of across the kitchen. That separation has no end date. For some dogs, unsupervised access to a cat will never be safe, and a run of calm weeks does not change that.
Then we set the cat up with places to go. Cat trees, shelves, a cleared windowsill and a room the dog cannot enter give the cat vertical and horizontal escape routes; they are protection for the cat, not a fix for the dog. We keep meals apart, put the litter box behind a dog-proof barrier, and treat a stiff stare from the dog as the moment to end the session rather than the moment to test it.
- Gates and closed doors first
- Leash on indoors, held or tethered
- No unsupervised dog-and-cat contact
- Cat gets high escape routes
Training and the law
We teach the alternative, and the leash stays on outside.
With rehearsal shut down, we teach the skills that replace the chase. Leave it begins with food on the floor and moves to a tossed toy, then a rolling one, paid with markers and rewards. Recall starts in the hallway, then in the yard on a long line, then over time at growing distances from the cat and from squirrels on the fence. We add impulse games: sit while a ball rolls past, stay on a mat while the cat crosses the doorway.
Outside, the leash is the law: Calgary's Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw requires one anywhere off your property except in a designated off-leash area. We do not recommend off-leash time for a chaser until recall has held on a long line around real temptation, and some dogs never get there. Functional Off-Leash works on recall around distractions over three weeks at $3,030 plus GST, with a Micro or Mini Educator remote collar included and owner education on using it properly; a consultation says whether it fits.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
How do I stop my dog from chasing my cat?
We separate them physically first, keep the dog leashed indoors whenever they share space, and never leave them alone together. The cat gets high ground and a dog-free room. Training the dog to leave it and settle comes after that, starting far enough away that the dog can still think.
Can a dog and cat live together after the dog has chased it?
Some pairs reach supervised coexistence with lasting management and a leave it that interrupts the stare, and some need permanent separation, with the dog and cat never sharing a room. Supervised coexistence is not a safe floor for every dog. If the dog has grabbed or injured the cat, we recommend keeping them fully apart and getting an assessment before any further exposure.
Is my dog chasing the cat aggression or prey drive?
Chasing on its own does not tell you the motive or how dangerous the dog is to the cat; a dog can chase out of play, prey drive, frustration or something else, and the risk differs with each. What we treat as urgent is a stiff, silent stare before the launch, because it is the cue to end the session. A dog that has bitten or injured the cat needs a full assessment before it is near the cat again.
Do dogs have to be on a leash in Calgary?
Yes, anywhere off your own property except in a designated off-leash area, under the City's Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw. For a dog that chases wildlife, that leash is also the most reliable management tool available. We recommend off-leash freedom only once recall has been proven around real distractions on a long line, and for some chasers the leash stays on.
Will my husky or terrier ever stop chasing small animals?
Many huskies, sighthounds and working-line terriers were bred for exactly this kind of pursuit, and in our experience some may never be trustworthy loose around small animals; that is often breeding at work rather than a training failure. For those dogs the goal shifts to a leave it that interrupts the stalk, reliable on-leash manners, and recall practised before the chase starts. We say which is realistic once we have met the dog.
Keep reading
Chasing that will not stop?
We will assess the drive honestly and build leave it and recall around real temptation. Book a consultation.
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