# Cat and pup play fighting



## intothevoiddd (Feb 11, 2014)

My cat and dog have seemed to take a liking to each other. The past few days the dog (who is about the same size as the cat for now) has been chasing the cat around, and it seems to have been all in good fun. The cat would come back and antagonize the dog so it seems to be mutual play. Yesterday they started to get a little more rough, but if one of them yelped they would stop. The cat hasn't been using his claws or anything, but now he will sneak up on the dog and bite the back of his neck and pin him to the ground. The dog doesn't seem to mind, he even acts like he enjoys it, but it just seems kind of violent? They are still stopping whenever one yelps, and it seems to be more of a show than anything. Neither of them have gotten hurt. Should I separate them when they do this? Or is it ok to let them play like that?


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

i always separate my dogs from the cat when things get too rough. my year and a half usually just smells or licks the cat but my 4 month old likes getting way too rough. i just yell stop or no and he stops. he's going to get a lot bigger and i don't want the cat getting hurt someday. but that's just me, i would also like to hear what other people do.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Some links are in this thread. And the primary rule of cats and dogs living together 
is the dog "never" chases the cat! 

I have lived with 15 cats and three dogs for more than 14 years, Never a single cat dog "incident!" The cats are free to interact with the dogs as they please. 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-behavior/132410-introducing-shepherd-cats-5.html


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## Tratkins (Feb 15, 2014)

I was really strict with our new puppy at first around the cat. We taught "leave the kitty" command and he does well with it. Fortunately, my 20 lb cat isn't afraid of the dog either and doesn't run (instigating a chase) and it sounds like you are lucky in that too. They actually enjoy each other's company. I don't allow any rough play though. I used to think my cat was so huge...until my GSD started growing! Now I truly see how fragile kitty's little legs are and know it would only take one innocent little play bite to break his leg. My dog know the "easy" command and "leave the kitty" and he obeys that or I take him off the cat and put him in a down/stay. You should see his face then when he isn't allowed to play...so pitiful! 

For the most part, kitty just comes out a slobbery mess where the dog has slobbered all over his back!

Advice would be 100% supervision with kitty always being the one to allow or not allow interaction. My cat also has his tall kitty condo and other escape places if he wants to be left alone.

This is puppy learning down/stay with cat as distraction when he was 4 months old. I control their interaction.








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## Diesel7602 (Mar 12, 2014)

my cat and pup was like that too, in tell my pup got bigger then the cat. Now he tried to maul the cat and Bite. I don't think it's in anger, just rough play. Since this is the case now, I won't let my dog by my cat. He will try to run after the cat every time he see my cat, and I would have to stop him in action and tell him NO! I don't know how to get my boy to like cats. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Looking at the problem from the wrong end at this point. The dog has to learn chasing/harassing the cat is unacceptable!

When you tell a dog to "Stay" the dog should 'Stay!" He's blowing you off if he moves. I use the car my dogs don't step foot out of the car until I tell them to. 

You can use the car to train stay. Put him in the car so stay if he moves back in the car he goes, he'll figure it out pretty quick. At some point he will to you to see if it's OK to step out!

You can teach a down at the same time, in the car with the stay. Once done "if" he goes after the cat "Down" and "Stay."

Try "fixing" the problem at the other end with the basics!


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## njk (Jan 11, 2014)

We have this issue as well, but the cat proves too much of a distraction for the pup. When she's not in a playful mood the cat is fine around her, and they even nap together sometimes (see below). It's just she always wants to engage the cat in play and doesn't seem to take us seriously. She's not very treat motivated - she'll ignore us and the treats in favour of other pups (we've tried training her around my mum's dog and sister's pup but she decides she prefers playing than listening to us for treats. She was also the only pup in her puppy class who didn't care about the treats they gave us to practice training). The cat isn't scared of her and doesn't even run from her, but I'm not sure how to get the pup to listen to us... she knows 'sit' and 'down' and 'stay' and 'leave it' and obeys them fine in other circumstances, just not around other pups or animals


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