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If Your Dog Chases, You’ve Probably Heard This

Your spaniel locks eyes on a rabbit. Your pointer stalks the garden. Your mongrel won’t leave the cat alone. And somewhere along the way, someone’s told you: give them an outlet. Buy a flirt pole. Teach them to chase a toy. That way, they’ll stop chasing the real thing.

It sounds reasonable. It feels kinder than just saying no. But does it work?

This comes straight from my conversation with Claire Deyer on episode 207 of Found It, Fetched It. Claire’s spent ten years rehabilitating high-drive dogs that chase sheep, squirrels, birds, and cats. She’s worked with dogs that have killed prey while their handlers thought they were being trained. And she’s got clarity on why predation substitution training alone doesn’t work.

What Predation Substitution Training Actually Is

Predation substitution training (PST), is exactly what it sounds like. Your dog has a natural drive to stalk, chase, and grab. Instead of crushing that drive, you give them something else to chase and grab instead.

Think of it like Claire’s example with her spaniel, Genie. Genie loves to run. It’s her most favourite thing. But in formal retrieve work, she needs to bring the dummy back without turning it into a runabout. So Claire taught her that on a specific cue, “Yahoo”, Genie is allowed to grab a toy and run around the field with it, no rules.

The result: Jeanie gets her running fix in a controlled way. And because she knows when she’ll get to do it, she’s rock-solid on her formal work.

That’s predation substitution training. You’re not eliminating the drive. You’re giving it a legal outlet.

Why Outlets Alone Don’t Work

Here’s where the conversation gets real. Claire was direct: predation substitution training alone doesn’t work. Not in her experience. Not in ten years of professional practice. Not with a single dog that actually had a serious prey drive problem.

The reason is simple. A dog that has chased and caught and killed a rabbit gets a thrill that no flirt pole will ever replicate. The actual predation sequence, the stalk, the chase, the catch, sometimes the kill, is self-rewarding in a way that a toy substitute just isn’t.

Jo shared a story about her first lab. He would sit with lambs on the farm without touching them, He seemed perfect until a neighboring farmer told him the dog was killing his lambs. Her father watched him that night and realised the dog was killing lambs when no one was looking. Same dog, different farm, still lambs… different context. The dog understood the rules when the handler was present. When he wasn’t, all bets were off.

Dogs are opportunists. They take opportunities to do what they find self-rewarding. If chasing is rewarding, and you only give them a toy as an outlet, they’ll still take a real chase when they can.

The Real Framework: How PST Fits Into Training

This is the part that changes everything. Predation substitution training isn’t the answer. It’s one part of the answer.

Here’s what you actually need alongside it: a reliable recall, a solid stop whistle, steadiness under distraction, and genuine self-control. These aren’t nice-to-haves. They’re essential.

Because here’s the truth Claire kept returning to: your dog also needs to know that the behaviour is completely off limits. Not just redirected. Off the table. Not allowed. You can have this outlet, but you cannot chase the squirrel, the sheep, the cat, or the rabbit.

That boundary has to exist alongside the outlet. Otherwise, PST becomes permission dressed up as training.

And your timing has to be flawless. If your dog has already committed to the chase, you’ve lost the moment. You have to interrupt before they’re too far away, before the behaviour is in full flight. That’s why self-control and a reliable recall aren’t negotiable.

Diagnose First, Train Second

Before you reach for any training protocol, PST or anything else, you have to know what you’re actually solving.

Jo asked this brilliantly: is your dog chasing because of prey drive, or is something else going on? Is the dog trying to show off? Is it seeking attention? Is it pure predatory impulse, or is it opportunistic behaviour that only happens when you’re not watching?

The answer changes everything about how you train. If Jeanie was running with the dummy to show off or get attention, giving her a “Yahoo” toy wouldn’t solve anything. But because her issue was genuine predatory drive combined with a need to express that drive, the outlet worked. Because it was paired with clear boundaries and rock-solid formal work.

Diagnosis first. Then you know whether PST is the right tool, or whether you need something else entirely.

Questions about predation and prey drive

Is predation substitution training a bad idea?

No. It’s not bad. It’s incomplete on its own. If you use it to teach your dog an alternative way to express natural drive, alongside clear boundaries and solid control,  it’s a kind and sensible approach. Your dog gets an outlet. You maintain safety. Both things matter.

Will a flirt pole or tug toy stop my dog chasing real prey?

Not alone. A toy will never be as rewarding as actually catching something. If your dog has already experienced the thrill of the chase or the catch, a substitute won’t eliminate that drive. What it does is give them a legal way to express it, if you’ve also taught them where the boundary is.

Why does my dog behave differently when I’m not watching?

Because dogs are contextual learners and opportunists. Your dog may understand “no chase” when you’re present, but the moment you’re out of sight, the cost-benefit changes. If chasing is self-rewarding and you’re not there to enforce the boundary, many dogs will take the opportunity. This is normal. It’s not your dog being deliberately disobedient. It’s your dog being a dog.

Is gun dog training the same as predation substitution training?

It’s similar but different. Gun dog training gives your dog constant outlets for their predatory drive through retrieve work. But even in gun dog training, you still teach boundaries. Your dog can’t just chase any bird. They have to wait for the cue, bring it back, stop on whistle. Outlets plus boundaries. That’s what works.

What do I need to actually manage prey drive?

A reliable recall, a stop whistle that works at any distance, genuine steadiness under varied distractions, good self-control, and a clear understanding of where your dog is at right now. Then, if PST fits your dog’s specific situation, layer it on top of those foundations. Never as a substitute for them.

Your Dog Needs Boundaries and Outlets

Here’s what sticks with me from this conversation. Claire said something that cuts through all the noise: you can flatten your dog, squash their drive, and they’ll comply through fear. Or you can say, “That’s off the table. But here’s what you can do instead, and when you do the work I ask, I’ll give you that outlet.”

The second option respects your dog’s nature while maintaining your leadership. Your dog doesn’t have to kill their predatory drive. They have to understand how to live with it inside the boundaries you set.

And that’s not about predation substitution training alone. It’s about the whole picture. It’s about diagnosis, boundaries, outlets, timing, and the kind of consistent, clear leadership that helps your dog thrive.

The next time you’re thinking about whether to use PST, ask yourself: What am I actually trying to solve? Do I have the foundations in place? Am I using this as a band-aid, or as part of a real strategy?

Your dog will tell you the answer.

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