Dogs add so much fun and pleasure to our lives. Cats keep us guessing, and entertain us with their individual personalities. When we put them together, they can combine all these wonderful qualities, or they can become a headache or even world war three! So how do we make sure that we get the best of both worlds, and maintain a peaceful home?
Bringing a new dog into the home can cause friction, and when it comes to cats, they hate change. Even if the change has already occurred, these tips may be what you need to create a home of peace.
The very first step is to teach your dog a few helpful behaviors. My favorite is the positive interrupter.
The positive interrupter is a sound that you condition your dog to respond to, no matter the circumstance. I use kissing lips and a whistle. Choose one sound, you can add another later if you find it's important for a new situation. I personally use kissing in the house, and whistle out in the field where my dogs need a louder sound. I do not use my dogs' names, as they hear it far too often, and also because you must reward every time you make the sound.
After choosing the sound, make it and reward the dog. I enjoy using a marker in my classes, and teach my students to make the sound, click as soon as the dog turns its' head toward them, and encourage the dog to run towards them for the treat. By clicking the instant the dog turns its' head, the dog will turn more quickly each time. Having the dog run towards you for the treat is very important! Do this in low distraction areas, gradually using it in more difficult situations. The harder the situation, the better your treats must be in order to maintain the same energy.
The energy in running towards you will be crucial in recalling the dog when near the cat. Use this to keep intense focus when working near the cat.
Having a perfected leave it is also helpful. Teach leave it in a completely positive manner. If your dog does not want to leave it, then chasing the cat will be more rewarding than listening to you. You must be more rewarding than any interaction with your cat. Also remember to take the time to perfect your leave it command with distractions and distance before attempting off leash work with your dog and cat together.
As with any situation, you must control it well from the start and not allow the dog and cat to practice undesirable interactions! This will only make matters worse. A few tips for keeping the situation under control :
1. Keep the dog on leash, and do not be in a hurry to do off leash work. When you do want to take the dog off leash, do so gradually. Let the dog drag a long line first, then a 6 foot leash. Remember to use a harness when connected to a long line for safety purposes!
2. Give the cat space. Use a baby gate to keep the dog from entering the cat's space for a time, or close doors to prevent the dog access.
3. Put the cat's litter box, food, and water in a place they feel safe. Do not expect the cat and dog to share a water bowl. Many cats will refuse to drink where the dog can get to them, they are vulnerable. And the dog may not appreciate the cat near the water. Also, you do not want your dog to have the habit of eating cat food. Being high in protein, cat food is one of the ultimate junk foods to pack on the pounds for your dog.
4. Do not force any interactions. Dogs do not need to actually be in contact with something to work on socialization, they simply need to be within hearing or seeing range of the object or animal. Let the dog and cat get very comfortable at a distance. (cat eating treats on couch while dog chews on bone across the room ect.) - make sure it's a very pleasurable time for all involved! The more positively they can associate time together, the more quickly they will learn to tolerate and even enjoy one another!
5. It does not matter if the dog is on leash or not, always provide many escape routes for the cat! The last thing you want is for either of your pets to feel at all trapped. If your dog happens to be scared of the cat, make sure that the dog can escape! With this situation, do not hold the dog, or keep it still with the leash. If he wants to run, let him...work at a comfortable distance.
As always, remember that basic obedience can help keep the peace. Not only will your dog know behaviors to help control him, but your dog's energy will be more controlled. The more calm and relaxed the better. So use both physical exercise and mental exercise to help your dog manage his energy.
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