The Application of Predation Substitute Training in a Rescue Dog Displaying Uncontrolled Predatory Behaviour and Affecting the Dog-Guardian Relationship: Lumi—A Case Study

This case study documents Lumi, a 1–2-year-old ex-street dog from Bulgaria. She had an extensive learning history of successful and self-rewarding predatory behaviour. When Lumi was in the presence of wildlife scents and sights, she presented with extreme over-arousal, a complete loss of responsiveness to her guardian, frantic zigzagging with her nose to the ground, and redirected frustration through lunging at the end of her lead and barking. This behaviour left her guardian feeling helpless and disconnected from Lumi and made walks stressful for both of them. PST was introduced to provide a structured, need-oriented, and holistic approach to training. Four in-person sessions were required, alongside practising at home in between. The key interventions included: encouraging Lumi to take food outdoors, building focus and engagement with her guardian, controlled exposure to predatory triggers, teaching Lumi how to switch between her ‘predation mode’ and ‘thinking mode’, building impulse control and emotional regulation, and restructuring Lumi’s recall. The outcomes achieved included: reliable recall, even when Lumi was actively tracking wildlife scents; voluntary disengagement from wildlife stimuli; the ability to be off-lead in certain environments; and improved focus and engagement towards her guardian. The key finding of this case study is that even when working with a dog with a known history of intense predatory behaviour, focusing on their natural predatory motivation rather than battling it enables us to achieve long-lasting, sustainable behavioural change.