the dog is a little over a year old and i have had him for not quite a week, he is a very good dog and i am already attached to him, the only problem is he growls at and chases my cats that i love too. one of the cats will hide for hours and not eat. what can i do so my pets will get along?
2007-03-25 06:11:51 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
make sure that the cats have a safe place to go, and let them sort it out. your dog isn't that big, and the cats will get tired of it and take care of it on their own.
2007-03-25 06:18:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi,
Although it likely won't be an easy process it is very likely do-able. I have taken in many abandoned and feral cats (although my primary rescue is dogs) and there were plenty of non cat loving dogs,believe me! The first step is to keep them away from each other until they adjust, or someone *will* get hurt. Put a baby-gate up in the door of two primary used rooms in your house (around the areas family would likely be), where they can see and smell each other but have no contact. I'm sure the cats are terrified, so have a couple of comfy little "hide-a-beds" or boxes with blankets in them for them to hide in should they want to. Make sure that you spend a lot of time with all three, but lean towards extra time with the cats as it was the home was their territory first. Have the dog be watching through the gate --if he's sitting quietly praise him and give him a treat. You have to be consistant-if he lunges towards them or barks-trying to jump the gate-a sharp "no" and one squirt in his face with a water bottle (I use a plant sprayer set to thin spray, and it shoots 15 feet). Use ONLY water in there, then turn your back on him and IGNORE him while cuddling the cats. Spend time on the dog's side of the gate as well, praising him when he sits quietly. The worst thing you could do would be to force contact of any kind. A quiet, slow introduction in moderation at first will work the best. It won't be too long before you will be able to take one kitty out at a time, snuggled to your chest, and gently pet and talk to the dog )good boy...etc) as he sniffs the kitten. Then the other...at short doses. Treat the dog after a "good" session! Hang in there, it won't be long before they are all friends! BTW, make sure and do the close introductions OUTSIDE of the cat's room so they have an area that they can always feel safe..
Good luck!
Kimmons
2007-03-25 06:34:55 · answer #2 · answered by Kimmons 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't say how old your cats are but if you've had them for a while, they are used to you and each other. Cats get very attached to their little routines and you have just introduced a major change into their lives, so this is going to take some time and patience. Check with the vets and see if they have any suggestions for you.
First, make sure that the cats have their own place to get away from the dog with all their own familiar things, in a separate room if necessary, and maybe feed them in there too especially since one of them isn't eating. Make sure to spend plenty of one on one time with them to reassure them.
Take your dog to obedience classes and be firm with him when he chases the cats. Make sure he gets enough playtime and outdoors time to burn off some energy. To him, the cats are toys so you have to teach him the right way to play. You might also consider keeping him separate from the cats when you're not home to avoid fighting.
Take care and good luck!
2007-03-25 06:31:27 · answer #3 · answered by mom of 2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is going to take a while. My cats hid for 3 weeks when I first brought home my dogs. Did you expect them to get along instantly or something??? come on. My cats hid in the basement. I moved there food and water down there so they didn't starve so find out where they hide and put their food there. give them a while to get used to each other.
Also, I would hold my dog by his collar and lead him over to the cats. When he would try to take off and chase them I would pull him back, say no and make him sit. Eventually he will learn some restraint when it comes the cats
I've had my dog for 4 years now and he still chases them every once in a while, but the cats know that and they just go hide under the couch, or else just lay there. They will get used to each other.
2007-03-25 06:19:26 · answer #4 · answered by tigerfire2002 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What a rough spot.
You're going to have to train him the same way you trained him to not do other bad things: by telling him 'No!'. It would be easier if he were still a puppy: Then the cats themselves could (and would) help by swatting his nose: I've known a number of dogs trained like that. But since you say he's a good dog, he should learn quickly.
Good luck!
2007-03-25 06:19:55 · answer #5 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I got a lab that was not quite a year old too and he started to chase my cats. I had to be right there to tell her NO every time she would chase my cats. I had to be consistant with her and it finally worked one day. Now my cats love her and she actually goes up to them and she licks them instead of chasing them. It may take quite awhile but if you're consistant it will work. You may have to be quite persistant with him but if he's a good dog he will learn not to do it.
2007-03-25 06:19:45 · answer #6 · answered by garden2007 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need to take him to training try petsmart. My lhasa apso grew up with my cats and is one of them now. so it is not in the breed to chase cats. This one obviously was taught to be aggressive around cats but it can be reversed with training. try petsmart
2007-03-25 06:33:39 · answer #7 · answered by katie d 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kick him in the A$$
2007-03-25 06:15:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think u should prevent them from seeing each other until they can be friends,that's wat happened to me and now my cat and dog are friends.
2007-03-25 07:02:03 · answer #9 · answered by twilight dawn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋