Cats and dogs living together

Play between puppies and cats may look innocent, but it's possible that it's actually not innocent play at all, but practice for hunting and fighting. Some dogs are hard-wired to find hunting, fighting and killing very enjoyable activities. Once a dog is no longer a little puppy, the balance may change. The cats don't like playing any more so they run, which in turn winds the dogs up further so they give chase, wanting to grab them.

Management

The best way to teach a dog to be fine around other animals is to deny him access, so he can't go wrong. Have dog-free areas and cat-free areas in the house. Acclimatise dogs to cats being there and teach them that cats are boring.

Always prevent chasing, because the more fun a dog has chasing, the more difficult it will be for him to choose an alternative behaviour.

The solution really is to separate them. Even playing with cats often ends in tears and vets bills. Make sure the dogs can't get to the cats. Make sure the cats can get away from the dogs easily. Use baby gates, for instance.

Training

Don't introduce them formally or expect them to get along happily, but do teach all of them to be okay with living under the same roof. Set up a situation where you are with the dog in one room and someone else is in charge of the cat in another room, with a baby gate in the doorway between the rooms. Then you can use "click the trigger". Sit with the dog on a lead and have your clicker and pot of yummy treats ready. Have someone else get the cat to walk past the doorway that has the baby gate across it, using a toy or liver treat, for instance.

As soon as the dog sees the cat appear in the doorway you click and give him a treat. If he is too obsessed with the cat to take the food, you either need a yummier treat or you have to find somewhere where you can have a bigger distance between the two to start with.

The treats stop as soon as the dog can no longer see the cat. The sessions should be short and end before everyone becomes bored - just a few minutes at a time. The result will be a dog that likes the cat (sort of) because the cat predicts Good Things, so the dog should have no desire to chase the cat.

The dog will also have an alternative behaviour of looking at you and asking for a treat. Once the behaviour is learned, the clicker will no longer be needed, and the reward could change to a toy or lower value treats. Treats can be part of the dog's daily food allowance.

For more information. contact george@edenk9abilities.com.

- Taken from an article by Louise Thompson