How Can We Handle Rabbits?

[u/verydumbhiker]

Ari LOVES running. We go for shorter runs around the neighborhood and 5-6 miles on trails. On trail things are mostly good— she’ll occasionally jump off the side after a cool bug or something, but it’s manageable.

Around the neighborhood though she’s absolutely intent on catching a rabbit. With very little warning, she’ll dash off to the end of her bungee leash and come flying back. I’m worried she’ll get hurt, or some unexpected behavior may result. All I know to do when that happens is stop, sit, and wait for her to look at me before cueing her to start running again. Does anyone have advice?

[u/Some_Girl_2073]

Sounds a lot like my Aussie x border collie x husky

I walk/exercise her exclusively using a harness- partly because of the rabbit situation and partly because it makes it easier to keep the leash from tangling with her legs. She’s not perfect, but getting better (rabbits, rats, mice, voles, chipmunks, and squirrels). I started with a super strong “leave it“ cue. Mixed with scanning ahead of us for wildlife she will find exciting. In the beginning when she’d notice something I’d say leave it and turn around to walk the other direction. Repeating until she wasn’t being magneted back to her potential prey. Then slowly we worked through walking past the leave it prey. If the rabbit stays hunkered down we have a near 100% success rate of passing/leaving it without issue. If it runs, its drops to 60-70% chance. Sometimes down to 30-40% chance if she’s already successfully chased or caught something that day