Acquainting Your Dog with Cats

For many pet owners, a house full of animals is a dream come true. However, many pets have other ideas. It is a well known fact that many cats and dogs do not necessarily get along as friends. Though they may fight in the beginning, or even all through their lives together, it is possible to have cats and dogs living under the same roof. As a dog owner, the key to success is teaching your dog to respect your cat and his personal boundaries.

Whenever you are introducing a cat and dog, keep the dog on a leash. Make sure that you cat has ample opportunity to run for cover in case things become uncomfortable or even threatening. Keep your dog on the leash as you hang out in the same room as the cat. This will allow your dog to become used to your cat’s presence, and your cat can become more comfortable around your dog, yet neither will harm the other.

Once you introduce your dog to a cat, be sure to supervise the interactions. If your dog becomes aggressive or threatening, firmly tell him to “quit” or “stop.” However also make it a priority to reward your dog for positive behavior, like outright ignoring the cat, or interacting gently with it.

It is always best to be sure that your dog understands basic obedience training in order to control situations between your dog and cat. If the situation should start to get out of hand, you will need to be sure that you can get your dog under control in order to protect your cat. Never leave a dog and a cat unsupervised in an enclosed area together unless you are extremely confidant in their abilities to get along with each other. Remember, it takes time to build any sort of relationship, but eventually dogs and cats can learn to co-exist.