We recently adopted a six month old puppy (husky/cattle dog mix, have had her about two months). Over the last few weeks she has become increasingly OBSESSED with our resident cat (9 years old, have had for 9 years). Any time she sees her (the cat) she goes crazy and chases her endlessly trying to nip and bite until the cat finally is able to jump high enough so she can’t get her. Yes, I know she has herding dog in her & that instinct will be hard to change, but I am at a loss. I don’t know what to do. We have had her in private dog training lessons since we adopted her and none of the methods are helping. We’ve tried a time out room when she goes after the cat, rewarding with a million treats on the rare occasion she doesn’t go after the cat, both of them eating on opposite sides of a gate, reintroduction. I need help. I can’t give up either of them, but need to find a way to have them coexist semi-peacefully. TIA.
6 month old puppy OBSESSED with our cat. I’m feeling defeated
- Thread starter curtis697
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@curtis697 Keep her on a harness and leash at all times. When she gets excited, use a vocal interruption, and remove her from the room. Look through the wiki on calmness, reactivity, and place training. How long have you been doing the training? Did the private trainer come to your house and show you what to do? How much exercise and mental stimulation does she get to take out that energy.
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@fickles We’ve been doing the training once a week since we got her, so about 8 sessions now. The trainer hasn’t come to our house - we go to her facility. She gets tons of mental/physical stimulation. We live on five fenced acres, so she gets to run around to her hearts content. My in-laws adopted her sister and live across the street, so she sees & plays with her sister almost every day. We have also been doing nose-training with her.
@curtis697 Perfect! I like to double check;; I see so many of that exact breed mix returned for behavior issues that could be addressed with exercise.
Okay, so I would encourage you to have a trainer come to your house specifically to address this situation. That way the trainer can see the situation, environment, behavior, etc,. Especially because the dog is getting its needs met, and you are working on it using positive reinforcement methods. It would be good to have that third party see it happen.
I think a harness and leash will help you keep control of the situation, and continuing to strengthen place training, leave it etc. You are definitely on the right track;;
Also. If the behavior is getting more intense. it sounds weird, but maybe take your cat to the vet for a health checkup. My male cat aggresses towards my female when she has stomach problems. Just as a thought.
Okay, so I would encourage you to have a trainer come to your house specifically to address this situation. That way the trainer can see the situation, environment, behavior, etc,. Especially because the dog is getting its needs met, and you are working on it using positive reinforcement methods. It would be good to have that third party see it happen.
I think a harness and leash will help you keep control of the situation, and continuing to strengthen place training, leave it etc. You are definitely on the right track;;
Also. If the behavior is getting more intense. it sounds weird, but maybe take your cat to the vet for a health checkup. My male cat aggresses towards my female when she has stomach problems. Just as a thought.
@curtis697 They gave you some excellent advice, but I wanted to add a reminder for you: your pup is 6 months and a very demanding combo of even more demanding breeds.
They’re also six months, which is a common point for “rebellious” streaks and backsliding behavior. Consistency is important, even when it feels like you’re against all odds – you can do everything right and it feels like nothing is getting through, because you’re so used to the behavior you don’t notice incremental improvement, only larger gains. They’re right though: you need a trainer in that house, seeing this behavior, to really help you, especially if there’s really not even the slightest improvement in behavior, at all, after two months.
Also just a perennial reminder that pups can get too tired and/or too stimulated, and become hyperactive monsters as a result. Absolutely not saying this is the case, but it’s good to remember when you’re dealing with naturally stimulation-demanding dogs.
They’re also six months, which is a common point for “rebellious” streaks and backsliding behavior. Consistency is important, even when it feels like you’re against all odds – you can do everything right and it feels like nothing is getting through, because you’re so used to the behavior you don’t notice incremental improvement, only larger gains. They’re right though: you need a trainer in that house, seeing this behavior, to really help you, especially if there’s really not even the slightest improvement in behavior, at all, after two months.
Also just a perennial reminder that pups can get too tired and/or too stimulated, and become hyperactive monsters as a result. Absolutely not saying this is the case, but it’s good to remember when you’re dealing with naturally stimulation-demanding dogs.
@curtis697 Honestly, mine was at that point around April/May of 2020 (yeah, great time for a pandemic, a month after I adopt a puppy…), and I’m not going to lie and tell you I didn’t spend many (many, many) hours sitting and trying not to cry because I was so frustrated (and failing at not crying).
Puppyhood can be hell, and it’s moments like those that make me feel quite a bit of empathy for my parents and my teenage years. This is much more common with “high energy” and working breeds – it’s just part of having a highly intelligent, easily bored dog.
Eventually you realize it’s gotten better, and then there will be more backsliding, and then more improvement. Two steps forward, one back – then three forward, one back, and so on.
You’re doing everything right (including changing what isn’t working, e.g. training facility vs. in-home training), and you’ll likely see improvement much faster than I did since it sounds like you have help (family, roommates, whomever “we” is) throughout the day. So long as everyone is on board and consistent, you’ll get there.
Just remember to appreciate the moments you see improvement.
And all the other ones, too. I love my dog to bits now, but there were certainly some “puppy moments” I could have appreciated a bit more at the time, instead of in hindsight.
Definitely one of those “this too shall pass” things, so long as you’re working for it!
Puppyhood can be hell, and it’s moments like those that make me feel quite a bit of empathy for my parents and my teenage years. This is much more common with “high energy” and working breeds – it’s just part of having a highly intelligent, easily bored dog.
Eventually you realize it’s gotten better, and then there will be more backsliding, and then more improvement. Two steps forward, one back – then three forward, one back, and so on.
You’re doing everything right (including changing what isn’t working, e.g. training facility vs. in-home training), and you’ll likely see improvement much faster than I did since it sounds like you have help (family, roommates, whomever “we” is) throughout the day. So long as everyone is on board and consistent, you’ll get there.
Just remember to appreciate the moments you see improvement.
And all the other ones, too. I love my dog to bits now, but there were certainly some “puppy moments” I could have appreciated a bit more at the time, instead of in hindsight.Definitely one of those “this too shall pass” things, so long as you’re working for it!
@curtis697 Definitely try to find a trainer who will come to you, going to their facility only means they will never understand the dynamic in your own home.
allbutnone
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@curtis697 You've got basically the two highest prey-drive breeds I can think of in there.
My puppy was always on a house leash or crated. In the crate, I would try to bring the cat by. For a while, when he was tired, I would sit with him on the lead and bring the cat over. Show some boundaries, have a sniff, a sharp "ah ah!!" when he was too much.
You can also exercise the prey drive to satisfy it. A flirt pole is an easy way. I think fetch hits the spot too.
Part of the goal was to have my cat not flee -- triggering the prey drive.
And creating lots of high pathways for the cat to get around on his own terms.
A year old, and things were fine. The dogs will still run half-heartedly if the cat is sprinting across the lawn, but nobody's stressing out.
My puppy was always on a house leash or crated. In the crate, I would try to bring the cat by. For a while, when he was tired, I would sit with him on the lead and bring the cat over. Show some boundaries, have a sniff, a sharp "ah ah!!" when he was too much.
You can also exercise the prey drive to satisfy it. A flirt pole is an easy way. I think fetch hits the spot too.
Part of the goal was to have my cat not flee -- triggering the prey drive.
And creating lots of high pathways for the cat to get around on his own terms.
A year old, and things were fine. The dogs will still run half-heartedly if the cat is sprinting across the lawn, but nobody's stressing out.
@allbutnone Sorry to piggy back into this thread, I just wanted to ask you, as someone who has used a flirt pole with their dog that cohabits with cats, did you find it de-escalates things? I wondered about using one with our grey as outside the house she exhibits prey behaviours but is mostly okay with our cats. (She has a tendency to bark at our cats but her body language suggests she wants to play rather than prey).
Good luck OP, I hope some of the advice given helps.
Good luck OP, I hope some of the advice given helps.
@isoloen I had a friend who suggested a flirt pole after I told him about my 10 week old Aussie's obsession with one of our cats. He said that the flirt pole should help to ease the prey drive, but obviously it may be a moot point if you have a situation like mine.
We have a gray tiger and a calico both are 6 and 5 respectively. Our aussie leaves the gray tiger alone because she is mellow, loves being high up, and doesn't trigger his prey drive. Our calico on the other hand? Will sit there and stare the dog down and then when they make eye contact, she bolts so he will chase her down and then she can whack him.
Sometimes its not always the dog, its the cat being a cat. Our flirt pole comes in the mail tomorrow. I am going to try to play with the dog and the cats separately with it and then try to see if they will play together and bond that way.
We have a gray tiger and a calico both are 6 and 5 respectively. Our aussie leaves the gray tiger alone because she is mellow, loves being high up, and doesn't trigger his prey drive. Our calico on the other hand? Will sit there and stare the dog down and then when they make eye contact, she bolts so he will chase her down and then she can whack him.
Sometimes its not always the dog, its the cat being a cat. Our flirt pole comes in the mail tomorrow. I am going to try to play with the dog and the cats separately with it and then try to see if they will play together and bond that way.
@theyownus This is my cat exactly! She's a calico and I swear sometimes she's trying to egg the dog on. I'll have to try a flirt pole. Many have suggested that. Thank you!
allbutnone
New member
@allbutnone That seems to be a big part of the issue. Our cat flees when she sees the dog coming, which definitely makes the situation worse. She has tons of cat castles, shelving, and hideaway furniture. I'll have to try the flirt pole. That has been a common suggestion. Seems like time, patience, and consistency is key. Thank you!
@curtis697 Don’t give her a chance to go after the cat, keep her tethered to you and reward disengagement, use a clicker when she looks away from the cat. That’s what I did when we got a new puppy and even with the older dog when we got new kittens until the cats got boring.
@curtis697 The tethering does sound difficult if you’re also running after a toddler, but maybe the puppy would like the excitement of toddler chasing 