How to Introduce a Dog Into a Family of Cats

Some dogs practise fine living with cats; others simply cannot live safely with felines. Sometimes, a dog tin live with certain cats (depending on their age, temperament and activity level), simply not others. Fifty-fifty if your dog has successfully lived with cats in the past, information technology is important to recall that each dog and each cat is an individual and therefore each introduction is different.

Body language of dogs and cats

When introducing your canis familiaris to a cat, pay attention to the body linguistic communication of both animals. If the cat's ears are pinned back or his tail is swishing back and forth, this is a good indicator that he is displeased. You specially want to be aware of domestic dog body language that could exist potential warning signs. If your domestic dog has a strong casualty drive (the inclination to seek out, chase and potentially capture animals seen as prey — normally smaller animals such as cats or rabbits), she might go very focused on the cat. She'll stiffen, stare, and may start barking or whining. If you see these signs, practice not allow her almost the cat. Ideally, her torso language will be loose and relaxed around the cat. Information technology's OK if she pays attention to the true cat, simply y'all don't want to run into her fixated on him.

In addition, a dog's interaction with a cat can change depending on the environment. But because your dog is OK with the cat within the house doesn't hateful she'll exhibit that same behavior outdoors. She might fixate on the cat and start stalking him when they are exterior together. So, be enlightened of her body linguistic communication around the cat in each new situation, until you lot know how she is going to answer toward him.

Examples of domestic dog torso language

Methods for introducing a dog and a true cat

There are many different ways to innovate a dog to a true cat. If the first method of introduction you try doesn't work or y'all don't feel comfortable with it, endeavor a different option. Fifty-fifty if the canis familiaris has had feel with cats and the cat has lived with a dog before, proceed cautiously during the introduction. It'south best to have two people nowadays — 1 to arbitrate with each animal, if necessary. If you take more than than i domestic dog, introduce each domestic dog separately to the cat.

Option 1: Tiresome and steady desensitization

If your dog is too fixated on the true cat, you can endeavour desensitization, the goal of which is to reduce your dog's reaction to the true cat by gradually increasing her exposure to him. Put the cat in a room (e.thou., a bedroom, a bath or a spare room) with a tall baby gate across the door. The room you choose should be one the domestic dog cannot admission and doesn't demand to access. For case, if the dog sleeps in the chamber with you lot at night, don't pick that room for the cat. The idea is to split up them and only allow them to view each other during specific times.

In his room, requite the cat all needed supplies: litter box, toys, food and h2o. Continue in mind that cats are good at squeezing through small gaps and are besides expert climbers and jumpers. So, make sure your true cat tin can't get past the gate you lot put up. The gate needs to be a barrier that allows the cat and canis familiaris to come across one another, merely does not let them to access each other.

To begin desensitization, let the domestic dog view the cat briefly through the gate, and and then get the dog to focus on something else, such every bit playing with a toy or practicing cues. Sometimes it helps to keep the dog on ternion so that you can move her away from the cat when you lot attempt to refocus her attention. Praise and reward the dog for being able to focus elsewhere. Continue to give the canis familiaris curt viewings of the cat throughout the twenty-four hours.

Sometimes, even seeing the cat at beginning is besides exciting for the dog. If this is the case, close the door and begin feeding each animal on his or her side of the door: The cat eats his food in his room, right adjacent to the door, and the domestic dog eats her repast on the other side of the door. This allows each animal to associate the smells of the other with something good: food. Y'all can also bandy out the blankets and bedding of each animal, giving it to the other. That way, the dog can get used to the true cat's smell and the cat tin go used to the dog'southward odour, without overstimulating either of them.

Hopefully, through this process of slowly letting the domestic dog meet the cat and get accustomed to the cat's presence, the domestic dog will eventually become desensitized and lose interest in the cat. In some cases, the dog will lose interest in the true cat within a couple of hours, but it can take days, weeks or fifty-fifty months. Each dog (and each cat) is an individual and will larn at his or her own footstep.

With that said, though, it is possible that your dog may not always be able to safely share space with a true cat. If you lot don't feel yous can trust your dog around your true cat, you should go on them apart. Many dogs can injure or kill a cat very quickly, and your dog can also exist injured past the true cat. Your showtime priority should exist ensuring that everyone stays safe.

Option ii: Contiguous introduction

This is a more fast-paced introduction. One person should hold the domestic dog on a loose lead and watch the canis familiaris'south body language. Someone else should spotter the true cat's body linguistic communication. If the cat is not raising his back or hissing effectually the dog, he tin can be allowed to motion around freely. A cat is rarely a threat to a dog, but some cats will exist on the offensive when meeting dogs.

If the dog is calm around the cat, y'all can inquire the dog to sit, or prevarication down and stay, if she has been taught those cues, while the cat moves about freely, sniffing the dog if he wishes. The domestic dog should exist praised and rewarded if she ignores the cat. If the domestic dog is besides fixated on the true cat (e.one thousand., staring at the cat, has stiff body language, will not mind to you when you lot call her name) or if she lunges and tries to chase the cat, you should try a different strategy for getting them to share space, such every bit Pick 1 or Selection three.

Option 3: Look at That

If the quick introduction did not work and your canis familiaris is not becoming desensitized to the true cat, you might need to try some more structured training. By playing Wait at That (LAT) with your domestic dog, you can help to teach her not to fixate on the true cat. You lot'll exist teaching her to look at the cat and then look back at you for a treat. Essentially, she'll learn that it is more rewarding to not pay attention to the cat.

Look at That training plan

To offset working on LAT, you need to figure out the dog's threshold while on ternion: At what signal does she notice the cat, merely nevertheless reply to you lot when you say her proper noun? That is her threshold. Each dog has a dissimilar threshold. For one canis familiaris, five anxiety away from the cat might exist her threshold; for another dog, it might be 25 anxiety. You'll know you have gone past the threshold when she starts barking or lunging at the cat. Another sign that you're getting likewise close to the cat is if she starts moving more than slowly, staring and stiffening her body. If you call her name and she doesn't respond to yous, motion a few feet away from the true cat.

One time yous've figured out the dog's threshold, grab a clicker and some really delicious, pea-sized treats. If y'all don't accept a clicker, a exact marker (a word similar "yes" or "good") will work just fine. Put 10 treats in your hand and continue the bag close past for later.

Clicker training instructions

When you see the dog looking at the cat, click the clicker or use your exact marking and requite her a treat. The first few times, you might have to put the treat right in front of her nose, just fairly soon she should offset looking expectantly at you as shortly as she hears the marker. That's because the marker (either a clicker or a discussion similar "yes") always means a treat is coming. Use up the 10 treats, clicking equally soon as she looks at the cat.

The 11th fourth dimension, before using the marking, wait and see if she will look at the true cat and and so expect right back at you. If she does that, either click or employ the verbal marking when she looks at you then give her a care for. If that doesn't happen, go back a step. Mark her ten more times for looking at the true cat and then try again. One time she is reliably looking at the cat and and so looking back at you, you can slowly start moving closer and closer to the cat. If the dog becomes fixated on the cat when you move closer, you've gone past the threshold and need to move back.

As you train, her threshold decreases, which means that the two of you volition be able to move closer and closer to the cat. Continue practicing LAT with your dog until she can be right next to the cat without an issue. How apace your dog'due south threshold decreases will depend on y'all (how much yous practise and the types of treats you lot use), your dog (since every canis familiaris learns at a different pace) and your cat's comfort level.

Introducing kittens and puppies

If you are introducing a kitten to a domestic dog, keep in mind that kittens may not take any fearfulness of dogs, so you lot must watch the canis familiaris carefully. Because kittens are small and want to run and play, dogs with a strong prey drive may be very excited by a kitten's movements. Fifty-fifty if your dog is OK with your adult cats, it is important to watch her closely when she's with a kitten. If your domestic dog is young and high-energy, she could hurt or kill the kitten only by trying to play. So, for safety'southward sake, proceed kittens and dogs apart any time yous are not watching them.

Introducing adult cats to puppies tin can sometimes be easy, since a well-socialized adult cat might be fine with a puppy acting like a puppy. All the same, if your rambunctious puppy is chasing your shy cat, information technology is up to y'all to arbitrate. Until the puppy is onetime plenty to have more self-control and has had some grooming, you lot will want to manage their interactions. You don't want your puppy to larn that chasing the cat is a fun game. Baby gates tin be used to keep the animals safely and comfortably apart. To aid you continue an heart on your puppy, y'all can also put her on a leash. That fashion, if she begins to hunt the true cat, you volition exist able to easily straight her away from that beliefs.

Seeking assist from a professional

Animals with good past feel often adjust well and quickly to a new pet in the house. But if introductions don't become well, seek help from a professional canis familiaris trainer or behavior consultant. Don't e'er use punishment: It will not assist and it could make matters much worse.

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Source: https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/how-introduce-dog-cat