Cats and Dogs

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tric7400
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:09 am

Cats and Dogs

Post by tric7400 »

I have 3 cats and recently I got a 6 year old rescue dog (mixed breed) he is really good and has totally ignored the cats until today. They like to sleep under the spare bed and he keeps going under the bed to bark and growl at them, he wags his tail when doing it so I don't think it's aggression, he cannot keep away. Naturally they are very scared and start hissing , spitting etc and because they are under the bed I cant always get him out and I am afraid one of them will get hurt. Naturally now when they see the dog the cats are immediately hostile and start hissing and spitting which in turn makes him want to bark at them.
Suzette
Posts: 1518
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:45 am

Re: Cats and Dogs

Post by Suzette »

An easy and quick fix would be to put a baby gate on the spare bedroom door. That way the cats can go in to sleep in peace under the bed but the dog cannot get into the room to bother them. :D Sometimes it's about training, but sometimes management is the way to go. :wink:
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
tric7400
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:09 am

Re: Cats and Dogs

Post by tric7400 »

That is a really good idea , thank you :D so obvious too !
1Stella98
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2011 11:51 am

Re: Cats and Dogs

Post by 1Stella98 »

Good Morning! Your home must be a little chaotic right now! Great advice from Suzette! You can train the dog to leave the cats alone, but that is a process, so in line with "first things first"...you have two ways to go.

1. Manage your environment (keep the dog separate from the cats with a gate).........and THEN....

2. Solve the problem

Solving the problem will take a bit, but you could teach your dog a basic "Leave it" command and he will be rewarded when he does not react to the cats. Does your rescue know some basics, like "sit" and "watch me"? If so, use those to your advantage. Get a handful of something yummy and put it right near his nose when he notices a cat and you should get his attention on YOU. Then ask him to sit and watch you for a treat. Ask your self what you want your dog to do when he sees a cat. I know what you DON'T want him to do (chase/terrorize) the cat, but what should he do instead? Come over to you and sit? Lie down and let the cat pass by? Go to his bed and lie down? Ignore the cat? By having a goal in mind, you will be better able to train toward it. If you don't know what you want him to do, you can be clear he won't know an alternative, either.

You will get great guidance here, I sure have! The expert trainers will want to know how long you have had your dog, what his day is like, and what he knows already. It takes an adjustment period for you all to settle in. Best of luck!!
tric7400
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:09 am

Re: Cats and Dogs

Post by tric7400 »

He seems to know stay and sit and is well trained into whatever his previous owners routine was - I will try these things. His previous owners were Cantonese so I need to teach him English lol !
dontpugme
Posts: 1294
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:01 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: Cats and Dogs

Post by dontpugme »

tric7400 wrote:His previous owners were Cantonese so I need to teach him English lol !
Hahahaha! That made my evening.

My parents are Filipino and speak Tagalog in the home, so max has picked up on "Tara na!" which means let's go and "Kain na!" which means let's eat.
--dontpugme
tric7400
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:09 am

Re: Cats and Dogs

Post by tric7400 »

Lol ! He knows 'chore die' for sit but not sit lol ! It's funny your dog can speak Tagalog :D :D
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