How to Keep Your Dog from Chasing Cats
Choose an appropriate place., Choose a new pet that will fit with your old pet., Keep the meeting stress-free., Introduce the two animals., Give them both praise.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose an appropriate place.
It's best to introduce the pets in your home.
Bringing a dog to meet a cat at an animal shelter or vice versa may be extremely traumatic, particularly for the cat.
For this reason, most animal experts recommend introducing your pets at home., If you're bringing home a cat to a home that's always been a dog's home (or vice versa), chances are the dog will be more likely to chase the cat, and the cat will be more likely to antagonize and even attack the dog.
If you're adopting a new pet to live at home with an existing pet, ask the staff at the shelter or adoption office whether they have any cats that will get along with dogs or dogs that will get along with cats, as the case may be.
This way you know that bringing home your new pet will be more of a minor adjustment period, rather than an agonizing project., Though it may be difficult to make the introductions a relatively stress-free occasion, it's important for the wellbeing of both animals.
Some basic training and reward reinforcement can go a long way towards getting your two pets acquainted.Use treats for both the cat and dog.
Choose treats that you know each animal will enjoy, though cats may be more picky.
Try tuna or chunks of chicken as a desirable treat for your cat.Train your dog, or refresh his training, on key goals like learning to stay, come on command, and "leave it".
This training should be done before your bring home a cat, or before you bring the dog home to a cat, as it will be crucial in getting your dog to disengage when he begins to chase or pester your cat.Take your dog running or let him run around a fenced-in yard before introducing the cat and dog.
This will help take some of the energy out of your dog, making him less likely to chase the cat during their introduction., This should be done under strict supervision.
Keep your dog on a short leash, and if he seems like he wants to chase the cat, keep both cat and dog distracted by feeding them their respective treats.It may be helpful to have a second person in the room, so that you can focus on one animal while the other person focuses on the other animal.
Allow the animals to sniff each other.
You don't want to keep them on opposite ends of the room; aim to merely act as intermediary, in case either animal becomes aggressive., If both animals are behaving well, give them verbal praise, pet them, and give them extra treats.Going forward for the first few weeks, you may want to continue praising the animals whenever they behave calmly around one another. -
Step 2: Choose a new pet that will fit with your old pet.
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Step 3: Keep the meeting stress-free.
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Step 4: Introduce the two animals.
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Step 5: Give them both praise.
Detailed Guide
It's best to introduce the pets in your home.
Bringing a dog to meet a cat at an animal shelter or vice versa may be extremely traumatic, particularly for the cat.
For this reason, most animal experts recommend introducing your pets at home., If you're bringing home a cat to a home that's always been a dog's home (or vice versa), chances are the dog will be more likely to chase the cat, and the cat will be more likely to antagonize and even attack the dog.
If you're adopting a new pet to live at home with an existing pet, ask the staff at the shelter or adoption office whether they have any cats that will get along with dogs or dogs that will get along with cats, as the case may be.
This way you know that bringing home your new pet will be more of a minor adjustment period, rather than an agonizing project., Though it may be difficult to make the introductions a relatively stress-free occasion, it's important for the wellbeing of both animals.
Some basic training and reward reinforcement can go a long way towards getting your two pets acquainted.Use treats for both the cat and dog.
Choose treats that you know each animal will enjoy, though cats may be more picky.
Try tuna or chunks of chicken as a desirable treat for your cat.Train your dog, or refresh his training, on key goals like learning to stay, come on command, and "leave it".
This training should be done before your bring home a cat, or before you bring the dog home to a cat, as it will be crucial in getting your dog to disengage when he begins to chase or pester your cat.Take your dog running or let him run around a fenced-in yard before introducing the cat and dog.
This will help take some of the energy out of your dog, making him less likely to chase the cat during their introduction., This should be done under strict supervision.
Keep your dog on a short leash, and if he seems like he wants to chase the cat, keep both cat and dog distracted by feeding them their respective treats.It may be helpful to have a second person in the room, so that you can focus on one animal while the other person focuses on the other animal.
Allow the animals to sniff each other.
You don't want to keep them on opposite ends of the room; aim to merely act as intermediary, in case either animal becomes aggressive., If both animals are behaving well, give them verbal praise, pet them, and give them extra treats.Going forward for the first few weeks, you may want to continue praising the animals whenever they behave calmly around one another.
About the Author
Barbara Bell
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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