There is a question that bothers us. Do dogs chase squirrels because they hate them, or do they hate the squirrels because they chase and usually don’t catch them?
Both may be true in some respects. Our loyal friends are a species with a strong protective instinct and hate small visitors like squirrels. If they encounter small and furry squirrels in the garden or outside the house, they hate it and chase them until they get tired.
Whether this is hate or not is debatable. But one thing is certain, it is instinctive. Because squirrels are quick and agile, they can easily run away or hide. But that doesn’t prevent the hate felt towards the squirrels, it is just postponed.
Introduction
In many ways, dogs in our lives are sometimes the joy of the house, the center of attention, and sometimes the protector. Their best trait is their loyalty. Loyalty is their most important and distinctive trait. Their communication and relation with humans are unique, unlike other animals. You can entrust your baby and, if necessary, your home. And their friendship wins everyone’s heart.
They understand and feel us not only on our good days but even on our bad days when we feel bad. Their senses and sense of smell are highly developed. Even the police use them in many incidents and searches. Guide dogs help visually impaired people in times of need.
On the other hand, if your pet does not hate or chase after small prey like squirrels, it may also ignore them. Should we be worried about this? Of course not. Not all of our loyal friends may hate squirrels, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be friendly with them. At least they may not chase squirrels or other small animals. If our loyal friends are not interested in such actions, it may be related to instinctual impulses or their breed. Not all breeds’ inner drives or hunting desires are equal. Some species have more, some less hate against the squirrels.
Your pet’s age, habits, and, of course, the environment in which it lives are as effective as the species difference. A species with no squirrels around cannot be expected to hate these small animals. Or a puppy that has never encountered a squirrel/rabbit/mouse before cannot be expected to hate them or chase them as prey. Of course, there may be some exceptions to hate.
There will be those who want to chase or play with the squirrels when they first see them instead of hate, but this first action will still take place under the name of recognition. On the contrary, if there are many such creatures like squirrels around our loyal friends, it will be necessary to take precautions and be as cautious as possible.
For example, timely pruning of trees in the garden, checking fences, and covering small holes, if any. All this reduces the risk of encountering creatures that our faithful friends hate.
Sense of smell
Whether it is for exercise or to enjoy the good weather, there is nothing quite as good as walking with your dog. But sometimes, that is not so easy. Especially in places with a large crowd of people, it can be difficult for people to walk their dogs and dominate possible sudden situations.
One of the most important and common reasons for our pet’s reactive movements is the desire to smell and chase (maybe hate) small and active animals like squirrels, birds, bunnies, and small critters.
Another reason dogs do this chase is to protect both their owners and their territory from supposed danger. Although the threat is small, their devotion to their owners aims to eliminate that threat with their instincts. Their instincts send them impulses to chase, follow, remove, or even destroy.
As is known, dogs’ instincts and sense of smell are quite strong. These features enable them to organize their lives and prioritize their survival. For dogs that stand out with their olfactory feature, smelling other animals is important both in terms of locating and tracking. They have this trait of their ancestor wolves, and it is incredible quality for dogs. In this way, they can hunt and survive.
Although nowadays, dogs fed by humans today do not need to hunt, it is in their nature to smell and follow. Their sense of smell is so developed that it is between 1000 and 10000 times that of human beings. It doesn’t matter whether they are big or small. In any case, the sharp-smelling characteristics are in the foreground.
They also have distinctive features such as storing the smells they take. This sensitive center in their brain records all the information and smell. They are used when necessary. Squirrels, which stand out for their mobility, rank high in this center. They are considered prey for dogs. Mostly, chasing is more valuable and fun than catching.
Most of the time, curiosity and the desire to play dominate, and even though they hate, they chase these little creatures.
So what about the squirrels? Do the squirrels also hate?
These cute little squirrels love to play with dogs and other animals. It is in their nature to hate, run, chase, and climb. When they see a dog, they know that they will run after it and join the game. The squirrel, on the other hand, will either with its food in its mouth or, after burying it, will climb the tree and look at its hunter halfway through. The goal is to make sure it is chasing him. Because that’s the game. The game continues until the squirrel climbs to the top and disappears. The dog pretends to climb and just barks downstairs. The situation continues until the owner comes or sees something else that will attract his attention.
These small but freely roaming animals may also be at risk of disease. Squirrels may have fleas and ticks. And some of them may be ill. Squirrels, mice, bunnies, etc., wild animals may be at risk of carrying and spreading the disease. Therefore, a squirrel can be harmful to the dog to eat or to be bitten by that small squirrel.
For this reason, if our dogs have a problem after any bite or close contact with the squirrel, we should consult the veterinarian.
Besides squirrels, birds, bunnies, and some critters are also chased by dogs. These animals, which dogs prefer because they are small and active, are also hunting animals. At the end of the chase, the squirrels, generally known to be fast and good at climbing, win the game. But this may not always be the case. Sometimes squirrels do not have enough time to run, which does not prevent them from becoming prey. In the end, the winner of the game becomes the dog, not the squirrel.
And this chase can result in different and undesirable situations, such as your dog getting lost, being attacked by other animals, or having an accident.
So how can we, as the owner, prevent this situation?
How to stop your dog from chasing squirrels
It is known that dogs do this instinctively, both for fun/game and to hunt the squirrels. Changing this instinctive and often repeated behavior can be challenging but not impossible. You can train your dog not to hate and chase when it’s a puppy. Because, as a puppy, it will be more obedient and follow the commands about squirrels, the training in question will be easier. But if your dog is older, you may have difficulty teaching new habits and behaviors.
It can take a long time to train the dog not to chase any moving creatures it sees, especially squirrels. It is very important to be patient and consistent in this regard. Because if you give up, your dog will give up too. If you are not stable, although it has learned the behavior, it will not become permanent, and you will get back to where you’ve started.
Getting your dog’s excess energy with a tiring game and then taking it for a walk,
or
To control its movements by wearing the leash in a busy area,
or
To command your dog on what to do and what not to do can also help train your dog.
Leash training and rewarding your dog with toys or food can pay off, especially outdoors. Having your dog on a leash in crowded and public places is good for him too. Of course, a leash should be used if we don’t want it to get lost and damaged.
It is also important to be able to manage our dog in crowded environments and not to take our eyes off it. It may disappear or put something harmful in its mouth in a very short time. Or it can go with a child who wants to play with it. In this sense, the leash saves lives. It allows us to spend quality time. Because it is our most basic duty to take care of, protect and love our pets.
As a result, meeting its needs, loving it unconditionally, and understanding it are the main things pet owners should know.
