Cat chasing

[Nigel49]

We have just got a15 month old dog from a rescue centre.

What is the best way to stop it wanting to chase our 10 year old cat, we have had him only 10 days, he has settled in really well apart from the cat, we are keeping them apart at the moment so they can get used to the smell of each other

He also wants to get to other dogs when he is on the lead and gets really excited and pulls

 

[gypsysmum2]

I would pop your cat in a cat carrier and put it somewhere up high, well out of reach of your dog. Using high value treats teach your dog to come away from the cat.

Gradually lower the carrier over a period of time and repeat the training each time.

Once the carrier is on the ground, and the dog can be called away, go to stage 2.

Put the dog on a lead and release the cat into an enclosed room. Train the dog to leave the cat.

Next, put a long line on the dog that you can step on when necessary. Allow the cat to roam but make sure it can jump up out of reach or go through a stair gate to safety. Keep up the rewards for the right behaviour. Make sure the cat always has an escape route.

If he is friendly to other dogs then I would not interfere too much with his behaviour around them. It is easy, by tightening the lead. to make dogs nervous around other dogs. This leads to aggressive behaviour. Over time you can use treats to distract him into looking at you and sitting when other dogs approach. Things will improve when he can run off lead and express his body language properly. The more we interfere the worse dogs behave towards each other.

Is there a training class run by a member of the APDT near you?