I could do with some urgent advice on dog and cat introductions.

[VivaLeBeaver]

New six month old small dog has arrived today.

We have two cats who until recently lived with a dog and were fine. Breeder said new dog would be fine with cats.

We bought the dog into the house on a lead, he seemed a bit nervous of the cat. Cat sat there sizing the dog up. Took dog off the lead, it's all good.

Now he's barking and growling at any sign of the cats. One cat is refusing to come in, the other is refusing to come downstairs.

I've told him no firmly, he carried on. Cat was peering down the stairs.

I've put dog into his crate. Dd bought one of the cats into the room. Loads of barking and growling. I said no again, tapped his nose and after a while he has stopped. I've left him in his crate for now as I'm hoping the cats will be braver if he's crated and come in. Am hoping if they come in he gets used to them.

Anything else I can do?

Keep him on his lead close to you until you are sure he wont attack. Give the lead a sharp yank like you mean business and say NO! when he threatens the cat and face him away from the cat.

Do not leave them in the same room alone until you are sure he won't attack them. Could be a couple of weeks.

Just 'cos they were used to a dog doesn't mean they'll like the new 'energy' in the house yet.

Let him eat the cat.

Cats are shit.

I'd keep him on a lead around the cats and not leave them unsupervised. At some point, hopefully, one of the cats will give him a whack on the nose and it'll settle down.

Ok, thanks. Will have him on the lead tomorrow and try and get the cats in the house.

We are in almost exactly the same situation but three weeks in. The first week was not good - the cats scarpered when they saw the dog, the dog would lunge for the cats and growl and bark. I had vivid nightmares about the dog actually eating one of the cats.

Things have improved - the cats can walk through the same room as the dog, and although the dog is tense she will tolerate it. There is no more barking or growling (although the same is not true for other cats we have met on walks).

What has helped us has been having a stair gate half-way up the stairs, so the dog and cats have their own space, and feeding them in their own spaces; keeping the dog on a trailing lead for the first week or two, so I could grab it if necessary; making sure the cats had collars with name tags on (because I was convinced they would leave home for good, and one of them was gone for a good 36 hours at one point); having a routine where the dog goes in the crate at night (and the cats have worked out that they can wander round freely then); and remembering that this too shall pass.

Now if only I could get the dog to do anything which vaguely resembled walking to heel life would be almost perfect!

Dog is in crate crying and barking. Dh is threatening it with eviction.

I've pointed out this wont last more than a week but he ain't happy.

It'll take time. I'm just about to put our new puppy to bed and steeling myself against the crying which I know will be heartbreaking :(

Don't bop the poor dog on the nose or yank his lead. You want to teach him that cats are nice things to be around.

While barking and growling isn't an ideal response, it is better than the other thread where the dog lunged and got fur. Do you know if he has met cats before?

Don't leave them unsupervised. Make sure the cats have got spaces to go where they are safe from the dog, including high up places in the rooms where the dog spends most time. Equally, make sure the dog has a safe quiet space (like his crate) where the cats won't bother him - much as you have to protect the cats, you also don't want the dog to get a scratched nose.

If you use a clicker, click and treat for ignoring the cats or being friendly towards them. (If not using a clicker, just praise and treat). Don't force them to be near each other if they don't want to be; let things develop slowly. The SF SPCA has a good leaflet about dog and cat introductions here and the Dogs Trust has a really good one too here.

Since your pup is still young I think there is a very good chance you will teach them all to get along.

Thanks for the leaflet links.

Things are a bit better today. Dog and one cat have been in the same room as each other with no barking from the dog.

Dog has been for a walk today and barks/growls at everything, people, bins, trees, other dogs. I'm sure it's a nervous thing, he's scared of everything so trying to make himself sound fierce so he isn't attacked. I'm sure as he realises things aren't going to hurt him he will be fine. Hs fine with other dogs once they get closer and he realises they're friendly.

Keep getting your pup socialised and let him meet loads of experiences. Reward immediately for behaviour you want.

My dog hated main roads but we kept on walking beside it to a field where I could let her off for a lovely long run. She's stopped thinking about the traffic and you can see she thinks of the field were going to now

Meeting other dogs at training classes will teach him how to 'be' with others.