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Home Pets The Woof
Gang The
WOOF Gang: Playing like cats and dogs

The
WOOF Gang: Playing like cats and dogs

Friday, 20 November 2009 14:32
Laura Garber

Earlier this week, I
discussed dealing
with multi-dog households. But what if you're like me, with a dog and three
cats? If weren’t for my very resolute husband and a smallish apartment, I have
no doubt there’d be at least another dog in the mix. If there were, would the
fur fly?

Not necessarily. First and foremost, you should know
your dog.  Certain predatory breeds such as terriers, bred to route out
small rodents, will be a constant terror to cats and other small animals.

Laura
Garber

Introductions should be done carefully, safely, and
gradually.  Start with the animals separated by a door, so that they can
get used to each other’s scent before facing the challenges of proximity.
You can put their food bowls on either side of the door (starting at a distance
and gradually moving the bowls closer to the door) so that they associate the
presence of the other with pleasant times in their day.

After a few days of this, try a short introduction.  The dog should
be kept on leash or crated at all times in the presence of the cat.  Do not
allow the dog to chase, as it will give him opportunity to practice and perfect
a potentially dangerous routine and could also prove quite harrowing for the
cat.

Instead, have a handful of tasty treats with you so that you can
reward the dog for polite, quiet behavior as the cat moves about freely.
Do not punish your dog for excited behavior, as he may start associating the cat
with unpleasantness. Instead, ask for some basic obedience commands such as sit
or down and reward him.  If, at any point, the cat becomes overly stressed
or afraid, it can take hours for her to return to a state of calm.  It’s
best to terminate the interaction and try again another day, perhaps more
gradually.

Be the master of all initial interactions between the
animals.  This means keeping them separated when you are not home or not
actively supervising.  It can also be helpful to establish safe zones for
the cat.  Cats particularly enjoy the refuge of vertical space, so I
decided early on not to allow my dog on the furniture; this left the furniture
as a safe zone to which the cats can escape should they want some
distance.  Cat trees or nooks in bookshelves also make good, high
refuges.

Ultimately, as time passes and they become more comfortable with
each other and you become more comfortable with their interactions, you may
notice patterns emerging in their relationship.

I recently introduced my
dog Trista to a cat who lived in our building.  At the start, the cat Niño
gave Trista a fair number of warning thwacks across the snout -- his way of
establishing that he was no push-over!  As they became more familiar with
each other, Niño’s thwacks became more playful, but his corrections when Trista
overstepped her bounds more severe – a nip to her ear (eliciting quite a yelp!)
or a battery of thwacks with hissing, to which Trista was quite
respectful.  It was at this point in the relationship that I knew that not
only were they safe companions but also fond, playful ones!

The time
spent carefully establishing the relationship will be richly rewarded with years
of companionship and harmony.

In their earliest interactions, make
sure that good and rewarding things happen in each other’s company so that their
being together is not simply about sharing their favorite resource – you!
Play with one while the other enjoys a puzzle toy filled with treats in his
crate, for instance. And, as a final caveat, remember that having more pets
means more of your time, not less; so, if you are pressed for time with the
family you have, be grateful for the love you already share and leave it at
that.

Dog trainer Laura
Garber of Hoboken regards training as an exercise in building relationships
rather than obedience. She believes such an approach promises greater
understanding and symbiosis within our family packs. Laura works with private
clients in Hudson County and beyond. For information, go to myWoofGang.com or contact
her directly at

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Comments (1)

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jodi sh doff
said:

introducing new animals
Thanks for this
article. I've done the same with intro-ing new cats to each other. I
actually set up a fence down the middle of my apt using wire shelving and
hanging it across an arch way all way from the floor to the ceiling. The
cats could see and smell each other and get as close as they wanted
safely. They could both see me no matter which side I was on. It worked
perfectly and more than once....

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