One experience that’s common to most dog-owners is watching their furry, four-legged friend chase after an adorable little squirrel, as it makes a dash up the side of the tree. In this blog we inform you about How to Train your Dog to Stop Chasing Squirrels.
This is usually the point when most people watching will go ‘aww’, and sigh, but the sight is less cute than we might think.
In fact, squirrels may appear all cute and harmless, but there is a serious risk to letting your dog chase after them.
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What dangers does a squirrel pose to your dog?
Yes, at a first glance, squirrels may not seem like much of a threat. After all, they’re small, regardless of the size of your canine, so it’s easy to underestimate a squirrel. However, it’s precise because of their small size that one shouldn’t doubt their potential for aggressive behaviour.
Squirrels are creatures used to having to fight off larger predators, and they have been known to claw at and bite dogs that chase after them, and refuse to leave them alone.
While your canine may have no serious intention and is only chasing the squirrel for fun, the squirrel won’t usually know that and may interpret the dog’s insistence as a threat and an open sign of aggression.
Now, you don’t want a squirrel biting your dog, because they carry numerous diseases, such as rabies, Lyme Disease, and even plague.
So what can you do?
1. Train your dog to ignore squirrels
Remember that your canine is probably chasing squirrels out of boredom. Dogs are highly inquisitive creatures by nature, and so it’s natural for them to want to investigate the foreign activity, particularly in their own backyard.
It’s also a way to make things interesting, which is why it’s important for you, as the dog owner, to keep things interesting for your four-legged friend.
How can you do that? Well, usually, the best way to do this is to rigorously train your dog to focus on different things. Many dog experts recommend using delicious snacks and treat to refocus your dog’s attention elsewhere.
A particularly good game you can play with your canine is hiding treats all over the yard at specific points in the day, thus creating a ritual.
That way, the dog will be focused on something else, and will have less interest in chasing around a squirrel, should one appear.
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2. Call a professional
Many homeowners are reluctant to call in a wildlife removal professional, as they feel it’s an issue of money. And while it’s true that calling a professional will cost you more than attempting to handle the issue yourself, it will also be easier and vastly more effective. The reason why wildlife removal professionals are ultimately worth it is their experience.
Here are some people who’ve spent years taking care of similar situations, so they’re not only more skilled at removing the squirrel in question from human property, but they can also spot potential weaknesses.
This is why it might be a good idea to call a wildlife removal professional even if you don’t have a squirrel living on your property right now. They can spot entry points, or other attraction points, and direct you on safeguarding your property.
A wildlife removal professional also understands the threat posed by a squirrel to your canine, which is why you may want to hire a professional at nywildlifecontrol.com to prevent squirrels from attacking your dog. They will help you figure out what you need to do, as a dog owner, to ensure a safe haven for your canine.
In the long run, you can teach your dog to avoid and ignore squirrels, sure, but right now, we highly recommend calling a wildlife removal professional to keep squirrels away.
3. Keep squirrels away
Another important step you need to take, in order to protect and ensure the safety of your canine, is to do what you can to keep squirrels off your property.
Sure, this might be easier said than done, as there are many sources out there, some teaching worthwhile tricks, while others don’t.
For one thing, you could try using strong odours to repel squirrels from your property. These include black pepper and garlic, and an effective way to use them might be concocting a mix and spraying it around your garden.
Other effective measures you might take include keeping a tidy backyard by frequently trimming your trees and your hedges, and eliminating attraction points.
Remember, squirrels are flocking to your home to find food and shelter, so a good idea might be to pick up fallen fruit, nuts, seeds, and so on from your backyard.
Here is a great resource to learn how to keep squirrels away, that we recommend you browse through, to learn what you can do to protect your furry friends.
