Dog wound up by neighbour’s cat

[Ferniebrook]

Neighbour has a new cat and it is on next door’s shed looking into my dog everyday. Dog goes completely mental but it doesn’t go. Lots of other cats in area but they all keep a distance or scarper quickly when barked at. It’s stressing me out because dog gets very wound up and is then causing a disturbance. I have put netting up so cat can’t get in and tried to block the view but nothing is working. Any ideas?? Thank you

Supervise the dog when outside?

Never letting her outside unsupervised is a shame tbh because she loves being out there and I am usually working/ chores etc. If she barks I am out there straightaway. We are in a small house/ garden so she is only a few meters away

The cat's not in your garden. You have a Dog problem, not a Cat one.

This cat isn't in your garden and it isn't actually doing anything.

If your dog is reacting to something merely for existing then it's your dog than needs to change it's behaviour.

Some breeds of dog will never stop reacting to cats, it’s instinctive. I could keep her in constantly or was wondering if anyone else had any ideas/ experience. The other cats just stay on their side of the fence and peace is maintained. I’m not interested in which animal is at fault tbh.

You have a dog problem not a cat problem

Have you considered training your dog not to bark at the cat…?

Lots of understanding comments here. I'd be gently trying to disuade the cat from sitting on the shed water pistol

Honestly, I'd throw money at the issue and plant a pleached or espaliered tree along your fence line in such a way as it will block the view of the NDN's shed roof.

Supervising a dog all the time in its own garden or instructing it not to bark at cats will never work.

Try training the dog not to react, it may take a while and plenty of high end treats!
Good luck

A carefully sited sprinkler could possibly achieve the same without offending the NDN, or needing so many woman-hours. You just need to position it so its arc "accidentally" catches the shed.

Thank you. Finally a practical idea. Training my dog not to bark at a cat is like training a cat not to chase a mouse (I assume that is impossible :-)

I feel like I’ve possibly moved the garden cat-dog war to mumsnet :-)

You can teach any dog to not react to a cat. It really is possible if you want to do it. You really can't stop a cat from looking into your garden.

You cannot spray water at a cat that is not even in your garden . Keep your dog indoors .

Of course it’s impossible if you won’t put the effort in! 🤷🏼‍♀️

How would you like it if your neighbours sprayed your dog with water every time it barked?

Nope. I had a qualified trainer to work on my dog’s recall. Cats, foxes, squirrels forget if (with this breed) according to her years of experience.

I am more a cat person than a dog person, but they can certainly be evil little buggers. Mil has a hunting type and cats on both sides that delight in walking along the fence just to wind it up. They absolutely know what they are doing!

Ha ha. That is the vibe I’m getting!

The cat is on its own property. Either supervise your dog or train it.

My cat lived quite happily with a gerbil, he was a useless fuzzy lump though 😆

You'll get your message
Across, reward,repeat, no reward for woofing

What breed?

My spaniel is exactly the same with cats, but she is getting better with training, honestly it does work, it does take consistency and time though. We have a cat that likes to sit on the fence and it used to wind my dog up no end, and it's taken 6 months but she's starting to get the message. I distract with something of higher value - in her case the ball, playing and treats, the intention being to teach her to be in the same space as the cat without reacting.

It's even having the same effect out walking when she spots a cat/rabbit/anything she could chase she still has the initial reaction, which is reducing, but then comes straight back to me on her own (is always on a long line anyway )and heels automatically, and then when the focus is on me I treat (has to be a bloody good treat though so you get the attention!).

You can try blocking the view, but cats are persistent buggers I've found, and it'll likely find another place and you'll have the same issue again, and at least in my case training the dog is having more far reaching benefits than just not barking at a cat.

Edited to say I did have to use a lead in the garden to 'break' the attention and move the dog away.