I want to try once more to get an answer without being attacked and called an irresposible pet owner.?

Question

If I were irresponsible my cat would not be 14 years old and still as playful and healthy as a kitten. I've had her since she was a kitten. I also have a 4 year old Peke that I've had since she was 6 weeks old. Getting rid of either one is not an option because I love them both. Button (my dog) is very obedient altho very stubborn at times. We've been through obedience classes together. Gypsy (my cat) is a loner and does not socialize with other cats or animals but she is non-agressive. Both pets are house pets. My problem is I have to keep both pets closed off from each other in different parts of the house. Button hates Gypsy and will attack her at any opportunity. Button becomes a totally different dog when she sees Gypsy. No amount of "No! " or "Heel!" is effective. It's as if she becomes deaf and demented. When I have waded in and physically pulled Button away she has tried to bite even me. Hubby is a vet and even he is stumped on this. Any solution or suggestions?

Okay TOM, I didn't address the kitten issue because that was another problem solved by locking Button's doggie door and not letting her out without a leash and me. This is a whole different ball game inside my house.

Answer 1

I would be particularly concerned about that "When I have waded in and physically pulled Button away she has tried to bite even me". I have been bitten on a few occasions but never deliberately, always because I have been in the way of a strike at an enemy while I was getting my grip, usually during a 3-onto-1 fracas where the 1 is trying to defend in all directions at once and lunges too fast to stop before contacting me. I have on occasion dragged a pair of fighting bitches the length of my property without getting bitten.

When voice control is inadequate you MUST have physical control. Which means that the Peke is on-lead before being allowed anywhere near the cat. Forget the shock-collar - short of temporarily paralysing the Peke's muscles (refer to the action of the stun-guns used by some cops, and what that does to the target's bladder & bowel control), all it's going to do is raise her aggression level - she will blame the shocks on some trick performed by the cat.
It's a pity she's a Peke - about enough weight but too much hair for a slip-chain to be fully effective. But try the walk-towards-the-cat activity. Reward or reprimand as appropriate on every occasion, but for the first few trips you are trying to work out the "aggression perimeter" or whatever you want to call the distance at which Button stops being controllable and becomes a maniac. Once you know that distance you will ENSURE that you never get close to that distance before giving a command ("Heel!" for a left turn, "Heel" for a right turn, "Heel" for an about turn; add "Sit" or "Down" when you are SURE she is nowhere near that perimeter. Always reprimand immediately - a simultaneous deep growl and a snap of the chain is simplest & usually the most effective, tipping her off balance if she isn't paying attention. Always praise immediately - a simultaneous high pitched "Good girl!" and a reward (a rub from your hand or foot, a sliver of cheese landing in front of her nose - whatever SHE sees as a reward worth working for).
Now, whether the cat is caged or quietly lying on the window-sill, whatever, during all this, depends on how good Gypsy is at staying still even with Button being obnoxious a few feet/yards away.
(By "snap" I mean to firstly quickly move your hand with the leash in it - should be the right hand, but I'm not always a purist - in the direction Button is going so that the leash goes slack, then suddenly jerk it in the direction Button SHOULD be going. Part of the "snap" is the sudden brief strangulation effect of the slip-chain; part is the sudden change of direction of her front end, which invariably results in her hind-end making a skid-turn and ends up with her facing the required direction.)

I do NOT expect this to produce a calm Peke in just a few days, but if your timing-etc are good you MIGHT be able to gradually shrink that aggression-perimeter over a period of several weeks.

Had Button been a "normal" dog and the situation hadn't already arisen I'd have said to "put your protection" on Gypsy by rubbing your hands into every bit of her fur, but it's too late for that.

A couple of people in my e-group have the situation the other way around - their kitten or cat plays VERY rough with their long-suffering GSD - but it IS just play.
Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly
"In GSDs" as of 1967

Answer 2

You wrote:
"Button hates Gypsy and will attack her at any opportunity."

Tony comments:
Probably not ... but your writing it (and I assume you to believe it to be true) tells me that you have not received the proper instruction to correct it, or that you are not following it through.

Now, I'm not going to take the time to try to fix this here, but I will tell you that if you seek out a qualified trainer, and you follow his/her instruction ... this can be 'fixed' (and I use that word loosely, as there is probably nothing really broken here) in very short order.

Call around and find a trainer that can work you through both Novice and Open level obedience - and let him/her know, right up front, that you expect to be able to get-r-done in areas where cats (or anything else for that matter) are within ready reach of your Peke.

The real question becomes, are you willing to put in the time (about 120 hours over a 16 week period) to get the job done, AND are you willing to maintain the training (about 15 minutes per day - each day after the basic requirements have been met) in order to maintain peace and freedom of all three species living in your household? If the answer is a committed "Yes I am!," then this situation is very resolvable.

So ... How much committment can you make to establishing this peace and freedom in your household?

Tony Ancheta

Answer 3

Wow,, that was a month ago, why are you resurrecting it now??

You didn't say anything at all in this post about the dog killing kittens like you did before. Me thinks that is an important tidbit, don't you??

Now to answer your question:
Your dog has a high pray drive, that means that you don't let it be around cats.

Oh,,, and if you shock it, the dog will think that the cat did it and really go to town. That is also what happens when the dog tries to bite you,,, it thinks you are the cat. That simply is not a proper use of an electric collar.

Answer 4

Anyone who attacks you or calls you irresponsible hasn't been in this situation. In our case, the cat hates the beagle
who's 11 years old and doesn't need to be terrorized by this
demented little black cat, which doesn't attack the St. Bernard or the Lab, by the way. At first, we separated them
by room, then realized we could cage off half the sunroom,
giving the kitty a jungle of plants. Recycled screen doors
with wooden frames is a nice option. We did find that absence makes the heart grow fonder....and the attacks
grew less belligerent. There are days when the cat has to
go in her pen only for meals, and of course, when I leave the house. But of course, the houseplants are complaining! I wouldn't put her in a small crate, but 6x8
and vertical with things to climb, isn't too bad for a loner.
Do wish you luck,

Answer 5

I think alot of your problem is both your dog & the cat are very jealous of the other.They don't want to share you.If it were me I would do my best ot make sure each gets the same love & play time with you.Like when your sitting in front of the tv have one on each side of you,pat them both & tell them you love them both the same [ yes,really talk to them ].And use your voice to let them know you don't like it when thier mean to each other.I know it may sound a bit silly but they understand alot more than some people think.I have a cat & dogs,if its just 1 dog & the cat they get along fine till I come into the room then its more of a fight to see witch one can get more love than the other.It well take time,but just keep loving them,Good Luck

Answer 6

keep your dog on a long line when in the house, with a small prong collar, and correct her whenever she even LOOKS at the cats. Her aggressiveness isn't starting when she lunges at the cat, but when she is following it around with her eyes....this is when you need to correct the behavior. Give a pop, enough to make her not want to go after the cat again.
Little problems require little corrections, but big problems(and aggressiveness within a pack is a BIG problem) require big corrections. You need to come down on her so hard, she will think, my god, master will KILL me if i do that again!
Shouting doesnt work, when she is in that state, she can't hear you. That is why you need to snap her out of it.
Of course, don't actually kill your dog, but if she yelps, that is good.....(waiting for the thumbs down.....). Have you ever seen one dog correct another? The submissive dog SCREAMS and yelps, and they are fine, they get over it, and they have learned that what they just did is NOT ok, and if they expect to live in that pack, they will never do it again.

Answer 7

***WOW, if you really want to teach your dog to hate that cat, then zap him with a shock collar. That's terrible advice - do not do this!****
I didn't read your other question, but I think I have enough to go on here. When your dog Button sees the cat, he becomes so aroused that any calling, scolding, or "NO!" falls on deaf ears. The dog is overstimulated by the sight of the cat. It is counterproductive to try and command the dog to do anything when he is in this state - best to be silent and separate them as quickly as you can.
By managing your home and keeping them separate, you are being responsible and preventing the death of the cat, which is of course a good thing. I would continue to manage things that way, and in the meantime I'd work hard on desensitizing Button to the grabbing that you may need to do grom time to time. It's important that the dog not always associate a collar or body grab with "You're in Trouble!!!"
Instead, be sure that you have a hungry dog. Get a bowl of great treats (Diced chicken would be good, and also substitutes for dinner - if this were my dog, this would be the only way he'd be fed) Have the treats in your hand and take the dog's collar with the other. Immediately say "Yes!" as your hand touches the collar and treat. Watch your dog carefully for signs of being uncomfortable....(yawning, licking lips, freezing in place, showing teeth) and modify your 'grab' so that it's not intimidating for the dog.
A NILIF program would help you a lot. Here's how to do that:
http://k9deb.com/nilif

Answer 8

Have you ever watched Caesar Millian? He does have great 'dog psychology' techniques. I have practiced his techniques with all of my dogs for quite sometime now, and it works..Try putting your dog on a leash, and your cat in a carrier...start form a long distance and slowly move closer..your going to want to tug to the side ( to throw the dogs thought process off) whenever you see the dog going into that 'mode'. When your dogs energy starts to calm you'll see your cats energy start to calm as well..Don't pat the dog at any time while he's acting like that..you'll be rewarding him for the behavior..Keep your energy calm and assertive. This may take weeks to get the dog to the state of mind that you want...the key is being consistent and calm...good luck..

Answer 9

why would you be called an irresponsible pet owner? i dont' get it. but to answer your question i would say that you might have to permantly seperate them.
or it might be a territory thing (as the cat probably thinks that the dog is moving into their territory) and a very costly solution would be to move. how did their introduction go for integrating them into the family?
but the cheapest solution would be to just keep them both away from each other and have time share with you and your hubby. good luck =)

Answer 10

Put the cat in a crate in the dogs room or visa versa - with you right there. dog goes for cat, bops nose on crate gets you snatching him off by the scruff with a firm no - eventally he'll stop going for cat on sight- probably. This worked for me (though it took 2 months) with my own dogs.
I'll warn you though it DIDN'T work for a foster dog I had so it NOT a guarentee
Note: the foster was placed and in the first 5 mins was raked from head to foot by the new owners big tomcat - and swore off chasing cats!