Can behaviour training stop cavalier chasing Cat ?

[ny20005]

We adopted a King Charles cavalier 4 months ago & he's become part of our family & we couldn't imagine life without him.

Only issue is we have a cat & the dog is still chasing him.

We keep them apart & hoped they'd get used to each other but dog keeps chasing the cat

Does anyone think behaviour training would help or is it just his nature ?

He's 2.5

Ours overstepped the mark as a puppy but the cat soon trained him out of it with a few hisses/swipes. Usually in our experience, cat has always been able to show the dog who’s boss!

In your case is the cat scared of the dog?

He never gets near the cat - he's like a cartoon dog, legs going but not getting any traction & the Cat runs

The cat hissed at first but doesn't really now

Yes, I think the dog can probably be trained. We’ve got a CKC (aren’t they the best dog ever) and a cat and they are fine now but it took time. It can become a bit of a catch 22 situation where the dog chases because the cat runs and the cat runs because the dog chases. We had a stair gate which allowed the cat through but not the dog. It gave the cat chance to move away but he was also able to observe the dog. We also had high spaces in the lounge for the cat, where the dog couldn’t reach. This allowed the cat to be with us and observe. We would distract the dog if he yapped or darted towards the dog and reward when he ignored the cat. Good idea to try a behaviourist. Good luck.

I have a cavalier and two cats. Cavalier came into 2 cat household as a pup; some years later elder cat died and I brought in a new cat. I kept all the introductions very, very slow and always restrained the dog while ensuring the cats had an escape route. I still keep the cats' litter trays and food behind a safety gate (because the dog would eat food and litter if he could).

Is it possible for you to give your cat an area of the house that the dog can't reach - he will eventually get bored if he realises no reward can come from chasing the cat because the cat can simply jump over a gate .

DDog is now 11, oldest cat is 18 and young cat is 5 - no issues with them at all, which I attribute to having always made sure the cats had a completely dog-free area.

You have to stop the chasing as soon as it begins. It is a self rewarding behaviour for the dog (even if he never catches the cat), and it's not likely it'll just stop without intervention.
Maybe try a time out for the dog each time he chases the cat, and make sure he knows you aren't happy with the behaviour.
Try to call him or tell him no just before he starts chasing (observe closely when he tenses up ready to go), and treat/praise like a maniac if he listens.
Is there any way you can persuade the cat not to run, for example if you hold the dog on the sofa, would there be any way to get the cat to get closer? You can then treat and praise the dog for being calm (albeit held) with the cat nearby.

I have a 1 year old jrt and we regularly visit the inlaws who have 10 cats. She would work herself up with the cats until she just couldn't calm down at all, pawing at the door and crying when they were in another part of the house. Luckily there was one kitten who would not run and we worked hard using the above methods to get her to stop trying to chase the others. 6 months ago I was sure we'd never crack it, but little by little she has improved and now won't even chase them outdoors.

That's great, thanks everyone

I'll try a dog trainer & go from there

The cat can escape - he goes on top of the fridge in the kitchen & upstairs, he sleeps on the kids top bunk bed

Dog is told off when he chases & knows he's done wrong & we're annoyed with him but doesn't stop him doing it again

You're getting some good advice on here, ny20005, and you are planning to try a dog trainer (pick carefully), so all good.

I've little to add apart from a couple of things that stand out.

You say "We keep them apart" but I really don't think you should be (other than the cat having access to entirely separate and safe eating, sleeping and toileting areas).
Set up all parts of their environment so that there are plenty of cat safe spots where the cat can get out of the way, but remain within the vicinity of the dog. So climbing trees, small entrance cages, taller pieces of furniture with no ornaments blocking them, things like that. That way the cat can maintain a safe distance, but they are still very much in each other's presence.

Try not to be too tense or worried about it (unless there is real hunting behavior/aggression there) ... but be watchful for the signs that a chase is about to start, intercept with a firm "No" and immediately change the focus by offering a (close-up) game (with you) with the most high value toy ... whatever type your dog loves most a squeaky, a ball, a raggety (carry it in your pocket, and only allow play with that much loved toy as a diversion).

Squirt water in dog’s face as he runs towards cat. Cheaper than a behaviourist and worked instantly for our Jack Russell.

Dog is told off when he chases & knows he's done wrong & we're annoyed with him but doesn't stop him doing it again

That's the problem as soon as he starts chasing he has got instant reward/gratification, then you tell him off but it's after his mind has felt rewarded for chasing so next time his brain still see's chasing as rewarding/ gratifying behaviour.

You need to learn to spot before the chase starts and distract, then treat for focusing on you not the cat, so that it becomes normal for cat to come close and him see remaining still and looking to you as the rewarding behaviour.

Also yes spraying water in a dogs face will "work" immediately (in the same way that if I punched you in the face for glancing in my direction, you learn to look away fast), however and this is the biggest part they still want to chase the cat and know it's rewarding to chase the cat so long as you aren't looking. Thus an accident waiting to happen and something all modern dog trainers, using modern research into canine behaviour would tell you not to do that and that methods like that don't fix a problem they mask it and create a ticking time bomb.

One cavalier (13 months, so still insane) and three cats. One cat had him trained within a few days of him arriving that he did not mess with her and he still doesn't. The other two cats are easy going, were way too tolerant and he chases them every chance he gets. But his flight/prey drive is very high compared to my previous dogs and he can't resist anything that runs. Stairgates, lots and lots of work on 'leave' with treats has helped, but I live in hope that at some point he is going to calm down. A bit. Even a tiny bit.