eating the cat

Question
I have a 7 1/2 month basset/terrier mix. He is a rather hyper dog and is let outside to play fetch and play with the other dog about every hour to let out some energy (he hates walks so we dont do them often). We also have a cat that is an indoor/outdoor cat. My basset/terrier mix, no matter what he is doing, playing fetch, being petted, whatever, consistently tries to get the cat. He bites her and puts her head in his mouth. He also pins her down and shakes her when he gets ahold of her. He chases her around the yard and doesnt follow any direction when he is engaging in attacking the cat. Ive tried the 'leave it' and 'drop it' method because he has been trained with those phrases, but he just looks at me and goes back to getting the cat. I'm out of any other ideas...any suggestions? also maybe some knowledge on why he might be doing this would be appreciated...thank you

Answer
Kristen-

He is a terrier/hound mix, that's why he is doing it, LOL!  Both breeds have a very high prey drive and enjoy chasing and wrangling with anything that moves, especially furry somethings. He has no idea what he is doing is wrong, because he is doing what decades and decades of breeding has taught him. He's a hunter!

There are a few things you can do, first and foremost, separate the two animals unless the dog is on a leash and completely controlled- or you are going to be short a cat one of these days! I would try a calming band (its like a cross between a halti and a muzzle, it doesn't actually restrict biting but it puts pressure on the top of his mouth if he opens it and that calms him down) and I would work on him on a leash- if he starts going for the cat, turn him in a sharp circle so he cant see the cat and wait until he calms down, then praise him.

Ultimately, you may never be able to trust him with cats alone. I have Siberian huskies (A very high prey drive breed) and three of them are cat killers- there is no real training that out of them, no matter what I do. If they are alone with a cat and I do not have them on a leash... say goodbye to fluffy.

Good luck, I hope you can find harmony!!!