Strategies for Introducing Dogs to Cats In Your Home

If you're a pet lover, there's a good chance that you'll end up bringing a dog into a home that already has cats in it. You also are probably already aware of the potential trouble this can cause. But if you take some time to understand pet behavior and take some good precautions to make sure the introduction goes off smoothly, you can really set the stage for a healthy long-term cat/dog relationship in your home. Here are some strategies to help.

First, bring in your dog safely and in a controlled way - you can do this through using a crate (keep the dog in the crate), or by keeping the dog on a leash. Why do you want to do this? Because you're going to need to set the tone for how these animals meet each other, and in order to accomplish this, you'll need to have a degree of control over the conditions in which their introduction occurs. In other words, you'll want to be able to control things should they get out of hand.

You'll want to control any aggression through quick, assertive correction - verbal scolding, for example. "No!" is a great order to get dogs to stop something because it is a clear word that can be said quickly and firmly. If your dog is out of control, remove it from the house - you are in control of how the pets meet each other, and you can't let your dog determine the circumstances. Remember: you're the one in charge, so if they don't meet each other calmly, then they don't meet each other. You have to make this happen.

Slowly introduce the dog - this means you might not let it out of its crate and near the cats for days, or weeks even. It will depend on your dogs and cats and how well they get along together. You might want to put a muzzle on your dog during this transition time, as it will get used to having it on, and eventually when you let your dog out, it will be used to the muzzle. Eventually, once the right pattern of behavior has been established, you'll be able to remove the muzzle.

Again, the pets' attitude will determine how quickly they can be put together. Once they can be around each other calmly, try letting the dog out of the crate - with a leash attached so you can still control it. Remember that at the first sign of aggression, you're going to be stepping in and correcting it through verbal scolding or through a collar correction - in which you get the dog's attention by firmly and quickly pulling the collar to disrupt the dog's mood. If the pets get along, be cautious. You can let them be around each other, but still let the dog stay in its collar for a while until you're sure you can control the situation (through verbal commands) without one.

Photo Credits: Yukari*

This post involves:

aggression, animals, attitude, circumstances, clear word, dogs and cats, good chance, muzzle, pet behavior, pet lover, pets, potential trouble, relationship, term cat, transition time

... and focuses on:

Dog Training, Dogs and Other Animals

Posted by Dog Training Pet on February 27, 2010 in Dog Training, Dogs and Other Animals. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.