Training Your Dog To Live With Cats

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Dogs and cats can make natural bedfellows – really literally. Although various dogs chase cats naturally mainly because of their hunting instinct, it can be simple for them to co-exist. All it takes is a little patience.

Why is cat training significant?

It's especially important to socialise your dog with cats even if you do not have one. That way you can go to other places with cats - pals houses, pubs/bars, hotels, vets (you will want to do that occasionally of only for vaccinations!) – and know that your dog will be well behaved.

I have ex-racing greyhounds as portion of my ‘pack'. In all, I've owned 6 greyhounds of my own in the last 10 years and fostered quite a few by means of rescue. I've had other dogs as well, most through rescue routes. And I've still got my fat cat Hoolie who has lived with dogs all her life.

ALL of these dogs have been trained to live with cats reasonably quickly. In some circumstances it was a matter of minutes, in others a few weeks. I know that I can go anyplace with them and they will enjoy to meet the resident cat – even if the cat doesn't like them!

Initial hints

If you get a rescue dog, constantly see if the rescue centre can give you any indication of results of their own cat testing. Some locations do cat testing and others do not. Yet remember that some dogs are so traumatised by their background that you could possibly not get a fair reading of the situation until they have been in a residence environment and settled down.

If you get a puppy from a breeder who has cats themselves, this is a very good start out but you should continue that cat training as the puppy matures. That will construct on the decent foundations they already have.

If you don't have a cat of your own, come across a friend with a cat who can help out. Or possibly a nearby rescue centre that has ‘centre cats' (eg they lie on the reception desk) may possibly help you. Dog behaviourists or the breeder may possibly also be willing to assist.

The process

I thought I would describe what I do with my dogs, such as puppies. This works with a cat which is reasonably well adjusted and not overly timid or nervous. This is just my technique and is has worked nicely for me in the past.

• I introduce them initial inside the house. Obtaining the dog applied to the cat indoors indicates that you can then do the same training outdoors. This is so the dog learns that cats are not to be chased indoors or out.
  
• I continually introduce the dog to the cat. It is challenging to get a person to bring a cat close to a dog if the cat doesn't want to go. Have you tried giving a cat a tablet, or trying to put it into a cat box to take it to the vets? It is like trying to untangle a quite strong, slippery octopus.
  
• I have the dog and cat in the similar room with the doors closed. There is generally somewhere high for the cat to leap to, out of reach of dog nose, such as the back of a high sofa, window sill, bookshelf or comparable.
  
• I try as far as probable to have a person else with me, armed with a squeezy water bottle or decent water pistol – you'll see why in a minute (it is some thing to do with not very getting sufficient hands!)
  
• The cat is allowed to be zero cost in the room. The dog is kept leaded (leashed) and muzzled in the case of ex-racing greyhounds or any rescue dog where history is uncertain. In the case of new puppies, leaded (leashed) really should be sufficient.
  
• Keep the dog sitting or standing next to you. Hold the lead firmly. Watch the body language – if the hackles (fur on the back of the neck) rise and the dog goes stiff, it is squaring up for a lunge.
  
• If the dog lunges at the cat, immediately right with a sharp pull back on the lead accompanied by a firm loud ‘NO' or ‘LEAVE' command. Do not shout or scream but raise your voice enough to make it understood this is not acceptable. (The cat may possibly leap up high to get out of the way.)
  
• If you can, at the same time, the dog lunges, get the other individual to squirt the dog with water between the eyes. If you don't have a friend, squirt the dog oneself as very best you can as soon as the lunge starts. And it's only water so the floor or carpet will dry out pretty quickly. Greyhounds and sighthounds commonly don't tend to like water so this is a superb non-physical strategy of making it unpleasant for them to lunge at the cat. Countless other dogs are the same. It does not tend to function so well with water dogs or working dogs such as labradors or spaniels!
  
• Repeat the procedure until you see the dog is calming down and learning that lunging at the cat = being reprimanded and squirted.
  
• When the dog stops lunging reward with praise ‘good boy/girl', a pat or stroke and a treat.
  
• Repeat the procedure until the dog and cat essentially meet up and can sniff each and every other. At this point, assure that the dog is still held rather firmly on the lead (leash). If your dog is muzzled, do not take off the muzzle until you are sure they will not lunge and bite. This may well take a even though. Some dogs are pretty intelligent and will bide their time. Reward all decent behaviour positively with praise and treats.
  
• Immediately after the dog and cat have sniffed each and every other, a very good sign is when the cat basically rubs against the dog. This is saying ‘you are my friend'. Cats have scent glands on their heads so when they rub their heads against you it's marking you as ‘territory' and ‘friend'.
  
• If the dog responds well to that by calm acceptance and sniffing the cat's bottom, rather than lunging and barking, reward with treats.
  
• At this point, I would try letting the dog have the full length of the lead (leash) but keep it muzzled if a muzzle has been used all along, walking it about the room with the cat nonetheless in residence.
  
• As soon as all lunging behaviour, which includes any suggestion of lunging has ceased, I would then permit the dog off the leash. This is when having two folks working together on the dog is helpful – if you do suddenly get a lunge/chase, there is far more than one set of hands to grab the dog.
  
• Usually throughout the process reinforce superior behaviour with praise/treats so the dog learns ‘nice to the cat = treats' and ‘lunging at the cat = unpleasant things'.
  
• As soon as the dog and cat have accepted each other, allow them to reside in each other's space under close supervision. Never leave a dog and cat alone together in a room or a residence until you are totally satisfied that they get along fully.

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