Trouble with cats and dog

[DaisymooSteiner]

We've had our 16 week old puppy for about 8 weeks now and he and the cats still haven't got used to each other. He goes absolutely MAD if he sees or hears them, barking frantically and trying to get to them. Currently the dog lives in the kitchen and the cats live upstairs, but have to get through the kitchen to get outside and get to their food in the utility room.

The neighbours are complaining that they keep coming into their house at night, but when they shoo them out they come into ours and start the dog barking (which is often late at night).

We love all of them and want them to get on well or at the very least tolerate each other! The puppy has been very quick to give up other bad habits once we've found the right way to go about it, so I'm sure we can sort this problem out if we know how to approach it.

Any advice? TIA

I think more than anything it is a time thing, they will soon find their own level I would let them socialize as free as possible they will be best pals before you know it, or in the least be indifferent to each other,

Ours still pretty much hate each other - puppy is now 5mths old Or at least the cats hate the puppy, he just plays/winds them up. He'll stop if I shout "leave it" but still goes back for more. Daily.

They share the (big) kitchen & utility, don't really have any way of separating them, and don't really want to - was hoping they'd be used to each other by now

Forgive me for cheating and copying/pating advice I suggested to another poster, but its the same and I'm a lazy moo!

This is something I and others often do with foster dogs or new rescues and is maybe worth a try.

Put the bravest cat in a secure carrier and pop it on the floor. Bring dog into the room on lead. Every time the dog lunges towards the cat give a firm but not too harsh tug on the lead with a very loud "NO!". Repeat, repeat, repeat!

As you know, like all training boredom will set in fast so limit these attempts to, say 5 minutes or so a couple or more times a day. It does take patience! The theory is that the cat knows he's safe and so hopefully won't go bananas at the sight of the dog and of course the dog can't harm the cat. Also the cat can't run and so cause the Collie to view him as fair game. Your aim is to work to a point where you can bring your dog into the room with the cat in his carrier off lead, using the sit, stay and leave commands as necessary. Of course all good responses to commands to leave should be rewarded with treats and lots of praise.

Eventually you should be able to get to the point where the cat, braver now as he's smug secure that the dog is no longer going for him, will be able to be in the room uncaged, first with the dog on lead just in case, later with the dog off lead, and the dog will respond to command to leave and eventually ignore (often the dog will ignore without the need to yell leave by this point).

This has worked for my own rescue dogs and my foster dogs and for many other people - a new owner who adopted from our local rescue recently tried it at my suggestion with a SBT cross, with fantastic results. Within a week the owner was posting pictures on the forum of the dog and cat asleep together on the sofa.

I hope this helps and good luck

That sounds promising vallhala, thanks for that, will give it a try. Incidentally, one cat doesn't run off if he comes into the room where she is, so perhaps we can skip the step with the cat in the carrier?

Does your puppy have a good 'leave' command?!

I would have the puppy in the same room as the cats, on alead, and distract him with a new toy or something he will really love. If he does look at/bark at/give attention to the cats, say 'leave' and then when he does, give him a treat. If he ignores your leave command, ignore him and then when he does eventually ignore them, say 'good boy' and treat.

It won't take long and eh will eventualyl learn that the cat are boring and not interested in him, not a novelty as he will see them often and that it is far more rewarding to ignore them anyway.

if you can have the cats and dog (safely) int he same room as each other that will help, as if the pup doesn't see the cats often they'll have real 'novelty' value for him.

He has a pretty good 'leave' command unless it's something dead such as a mouse's head and then he is pretty difficult to distract! We're working on that though....

Tbh, he doesn't really try and attack the cats (particularly since he got scratched on the nose!) he just barks and barks at them!

Will be putting these suggestions into practice - thanks. We've been trying to get him used to them by holding him and taking him up close and praising when he's quiet near them, sounds like we just need to carry it on a bit further.

I must say I am loving doing all the training with him. It's so satisfying to see him learning stuff and I feel like we are really able to change his behaviour when necessary - he's developing into a really lovely dog.