Reddit mentions of Guardian Gear Cotton Web Training Lead 30 Ft Black

That's... not good barrier training. I wouldn't recommend an electric fence in the first place but if you are going to do it you have to do it right. The way that trainer did it is confusing and unfair to him. Why on earth would they have you stand outside of the fence lines? Obviously your dog wants to go to you, but in that case when he does he is getting shocked, so for all he knows the shock means it's wrong to come toward you while outside in the yard. Dogs are not good at generalizing; they learn in a very specific, quite simple way (operant and classical conditioning). You need to find a trainer who is educated about conditioning (and, ideally, uses mainly positive reinforcement methods; most positive trainers would not recommend electric fences but some may work with you if you are set on using one). You can find a positive trainer by searching on APDT.com like someone else suggested, or on the Karen Pryor website.

For now, take the collar off (no need to traumatize your dog any further) and stick to walking him or playing with him in the yard on a leash. You can buy 20-40 or even 50 foot training leads if he can't be trusted off-leash (Amazon, Walmart, or any pet store carries them). Honestly I would even recommend a tie-out or trolley style tether (Menards has them for pretty cheap!) over an electric fence; most dogs can understand leashes as a barrier, though I would suggest putting your dog on a harness with it rather than a collar in case he does run to the end of it on accident.

I don't know how much electric fences are but if you really need a fence, can't you afford a physical one?

Sorry if my comment is kind of all over the place or offensive. I'm mainly just trying to list the different options for you to consider. Not trying to judge; we all make mistakes! This can be fixed, but I would definitely remove the collar immediately so, again, no further damage is done.

I'm going to tackle a few issues here. I hope they help.

While I know Huskies are often considered to be "stubborn," it's better to look at it this way: dogs aren't stubborn, they're often extremely willing to work with humans (as long as there's no fear/abuse). It's all a matter of how motivating YOU are. If you're keeping things fun, quick, entertaining, and using absolutely amazing treats, it should be less of a challenge.

Huskies are high energy breeds. A slow click-treat (or whatever your method) won't keep him engaged. With my dog, he maintains focus and interest when I quickly toss him a treat for him to catch the instant he's done what I asked.

But I digress.

You'd REALLY benefit from a long leash. I used a 50' leash for my recall training. Since you're in an urban area, here's a 30' leash that will help you with recall.

I also HIGHLY recommend you use a good harness with your dog (if you aren't already). Since he tends to bolt after cats, if you're on a walk with him and he bolts with a regular collar (or gentle leader) he can 1) break the collar, 2) slip out of the collar, or 3) hurt himself in which case you have a bigger problem than him chasing a cat.

I'd like to mention something about recall training. Recall training, I think, is one of the hardest concepts to convey to your dog. It really is sending a message of "I will ALWAYS be more exciting than whatever you're sniffing/chasing/looking at."

There are some great videos and articles out there (and in the side bar) describing methods of recall training, but I'd like to mention that recall training should almost always be first mastered in the house. Make a game of it by calling him when he's in another room and treating him heavily. Only when he's mastered recall in the home can you move to more distracting environments. And even them, they can only gradually become more distracting. Don't put your dog in a position to fail or get hurt.

Now, on to the cat.

This is a good video showing how to get your dog to leave cats alone. Since you have one, that makes it much easier.

I won't go through the steps. The video does that well. But be sure that your dog is fully exercised and pretty tired before you attempt any training. The best training comes from a tired dog.

As far as the predatory behavior. Yes, this is a prey drive, but I think it may stem more from the fact that the cats run away from him, making them exciting. Dogs like to chase (another good way to teach recall: call him and run away so he chases you), so when he sees a cat and it runs, he wants to chase it. As he's encountered cats, and probably most have run away, he's likely associated cats with something exciting.

I hope that helps. I feel I've missed something, so please ask any questions you have :)

Edit: Since he attempts to escape the leash, I recommend an escape-proof harness. This is a good example, but I prefer ones like these

Thank you so much for your response!

If your local trails are off-leash trails, by all means let your little one run free! But as someone else here pointed out, often those signs are meant to protect local wildlife and forest habitats. Plus, it's a good way to keep your dog from trampling through poison ivy.

We got this 30-ft lead from Amazon, and we love it! We keep it coiled tight when we're around other people/dogs, and then give her some room to sniff and explore when we're alone or making camp. Also works phenomenally well as a bear bag rope!

A long training lead would be a good option if you can find a safe area to take him to for exercise, and they are also very good tools to use while training recall. I've also heard of people going to baseball fields, high school track fields, and football fields that are fenced when they aren't being used. If you have any family or friends with fenced yards, consider asking if you can bring your puppy over.

What sort of activities do you do for mental stimulation? training and using puzzle toys,and playing games that challenge your dog mentally can also help to reduce energy.

You can also buy a long line to give some more freedom in areas where it's appropriate but not safely fenced. It's like a giant leash & comes in various lengths. Also a great training tool for skills like recall:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Y8YRG6/ref=psdcmw_3024193011_t1_B000A7UZA8

I absolutely second the flirt pole if you can get your backyard fenced in. Hell, I use it in my house for Charlie (though he's only 8 lbs and I have a decent sized living room.) I also take him in the backyard with a flirt pole and long line attached to his harness. You might look into those too. Long line and Flirt Pole

Your lab will love it. Get some flea and tick prevention from your vet. I got some at walmart once and put it on my dog and he went nuts like it was burning him or something. Freaked me the hell out too so I pretty much just get the tablets now from my vet. They are expensive, but they don't make my lab act like he's being burned alive.

Most animals won't approach you. If you are worried get some bear spray, that should ward off any critters.

If you are worried about recall and your pup chasing something get a 30-50 ft lead/leash. I have both of those sizes in 5/8 inch widths and it works well when i want to let him have some freedom in parks and fields around my town but can't let him off the leash. In heavily wooded areas it might not be feasible, but it is a decent option. My guy was around 8 months when I took him to a cabin in the middle of the woods/by a lake and he took to it as well as you would imagine.

30 ft lead

50 ft lead

I give my reactive dog an "off leash experience" by letting her run around empty ball fields or parks on a long lead, like this: http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Gear-Cotton-Training-30/dp/B000Y8YRG6

It does take some practice keeping the lead from getting tangled around you or the dog, but it works.

I also live in the city and I can't take her to dog parks (the only area she's allowed to be off leash) so the long lead works for now. Occasionally I'll take her to a partially fenced baseball field and let her off leash for a few minutes. But otherwise, she's always leashed. Don't feel too bad about it. Give your dog other ways to be a dog like making him work for his meals through puzzle toys or frozen kongs, provide him with a variety of chew toys, teach a bunch of silly tricks, do nosework at home, hide treats in boxes and let him rip them up, go for walks in different neighborhoods. A good dog is a tired dog for sure, but dogs can get tired in other ways besides running off leash.

The crate shouldn't be used as a punishment.

This sounds like training issues. I caution the possibility of over rewarding the dog.

You should not be chasing the dog to get it anywhere. The dog should recall. Get a long lead if you have to. If the dog begins to run you go to the end of the lead, not to the dog. You then call the dog and gently pull the lead until the dog comes to you. Eventually you can graduate to a leash and then one day nothing. This may take days, weeks, months depending on how badly out of control the behavior is. This programs the dog to always come to you.

In reference to the attacking, unfortunately I have no guidance to offer you that falls within the guidelines of this subreddit nor do I have any experience with dogs that get this aggressive. I have always had dogs from being a puppy and never managed aggression so I can't help you there.