# New Rescue Wants to Kill My Cats



## Seasiren (Jun 15, 2014)

I am hoping someone can give me some advice concerning my cat aggressive GSD. First, I will give you some background info. Recently we adopted a third dog into our household. Prior to the adoption we had 1 gsd and a gsd mix. Both dogs have been living with my three cats. They get along fine with the cats. My GSD Max was 7 years old when I brought a kitten into our house. The kitten was part of a feral colony. Had Max had an adverse reaction I would not have forced the issue. I was not set on having cats at the time. Max had not been a fan of cats -at least those who came in his yard. I knew there was a reasonable chance he would not want one in the house. With that being said, I introduced them and told Max that the kitten was mine. That was that. Perhaps it was little too simple, but 4 years later I have 2 more cats and he knows those cats are mine as well. 

Ruby, our mix, came from a rescue as a puppy. She was also introduced to the cats without issue. Apparently I have just had tremendous luck. Anyhow, a month ago my luck ran out. We adopted a new dog named Magnus. Magnus is 10 months old. I asked if Magnus had been around cats. The rescue said they were not sure but he seemed to love other animals so they thought he would be fine. I should not have eagerly accepted that as an answer, but I was stupid and I did.

When I introduced Magnus to one of our cats, he lost his mind. He growled, barked, lunged and did everything he could to get to the cat. He was on a leash at the time, but the experience was horrible. The cat I introduced him to is an absolute dog lover. Now that cat is scared to death of him. Since then we have been trying to work with him so that he is use to seeing the cats. Only one cat will stay in a room with him, and that is only because she is deaf. When we have him spend time around the cats, either he is in the kennel and they roam free, or they are in a cat carrier and he is on a leash. This has been going on for weeks. At times I feel we are making progress. Sometimes it feels like an exercise in futility. When we are not doing one of our cat sessions, the cats are in the basement. 

I am starting to think this situation is beyond help. At times,he is relatively calm when seeing the cats. But if one of them moves to suddenly, he loses his mind all over again. When we put the cats away, it is if he is on the hunt for them. He claws our closed doors barking and growling as if there is something behind them (like a cat) he wants to get to. He jumps baby gates to get into our back room where I keep the cat carriers and then he attacks the cat carriers. At one point, my son took a cat into his room for a brief period. While the cat is no longer there, the dog can smell its scent and attacks my son's bedroom door. I am incredibly frustrated to say the least.

We are doing obedience training. I am working with him daily. He is a very kind and loving dog in every other possible way, but when it comes to cats he is a terror. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I have had quite a few people tell me their dog has chased cats. This dog does not simple wish to chase them. I am hoping someone else here has a reformed cat killer living in their house and can give me some tips. Thanks in advance.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Have you worked on the leave it command? My male was a little younger then yours and he did the same thing. I have several cats, to this day one of them dislikes Midnite and once he starts hissing it gets Midnite going. The cats pretty much decide everything in the house. Them running also start a commotion, but he knows leave it and that has worked. Now if he is laying down and one of them come to him and rub up against him, he is fine. I have found having him on a leash is the worst thing. A gate to separate them has worked well, because they are still able to smell each other through the gate. Midnite also has a ball in his mouth most of the time which helps him. If he starts to chase one of them I tell him leave it and get your ball, his ball is the most important thing to him and he will take the ball over the cat everytime .


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## Seasiren (Jun 15, 2014)

We have not worked on leave it yet. I guess I can try and see if that helps. My husband is a police officer and the k9 handler thinks we should try an e-collar. I am willing to try just about anything but I am going to exhaust all other options before going to an e-collar. Hopefully something works. The hardest part of this is the stress my cats are under. I really hate making them parade around Magnus when he is acting like a loon. And what makes it worse is that they are very unhappy living in the basement. It is not a long term solution. I need this dog to get along with the cats. 

In the meantime, I am going to watch some dog training videos on Youtube and see if we can't work on leave it. Thank you for getting back to me.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

There is only one rule in cat dog relationships:

The dog chase the cat "NEVER!" You need to make it Crystal Clear to the dog that chasing a cat is an "extremely unrewarding activity!" So far it sounds like that has not happened?

Yes an E collar properly used will deliver that message in a less hands on manner.

If you still want to shoot for a subtle and understanding approach you could try this:
Introducing Your New Dog to Your Resident Cat

And here:
Leerburg | Introducing Dogs or Puppies into Homes with Cats

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

My GSD gave me "issue" with my 85 lbs BullMastiff/APBT/Lab mix!! But the 14, 8 to 14 lb cats...uh 'NO!"

I have lived with up to 5 dogs and 16 cats for more than 14 years and in all that time, I have never had a single cat dog incident! That "law" is laid down from day one!


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

My honest opinion is to return the dog to the rescue. This is very unsafe situation. I have done a lot if rescue/rehab work. And have reformed some dogs, to the cats, but none ever had the violent reactions it sounds like your dog is having. 

I would never trust this dog with the cats. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

gsdsar said:


> My honest opinion is to return the dog to the rescue. This is very unsafe situation. I have done a lot if rescue/rehab work. And have reformed some dogs, to the cats, but none ever had the violent reactions it sounds like your dog is having.
> 
> I would never trust this dog with the cats.
> 
> ...


Most likely that is the best advice! The "hard correction" that dog needs...can bring about a whole new set of "issues" to an owner with which the dog has no bond???

Some dogs don't take kindly to "hard corrections" from leaders they don't respect!


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

gsdsar said:


> My honest opinion is to return the dog to the rescue. This is very unsafe situation. I have done a lot if rescue/rehab work. And have reformed some dogs, to the cats, but none ever had the violent reactions it sounds like your dog is having.
> 
> I would never trust this dog with the cats.
> 
> ...


I agree completely. It is not safe for your cats. Magnus sounds like a dog who would thrive in a home without cats. This isn't your fault, or his fault. It is just a bad match.


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## Seasiren (Jun 15, 2014)

Thank you everyone for your replies. 

Chip18, I initially introduced the dog on the leash. When he acted so horribly I went to the internet looking for another way. I came across the leerburg article and we began putting him in the kennel and allowing the cats to come out. I sprayed him with a water bottle as suggested in the article. There were a couple of times he calmed down briefly. For the most part he wailed, barked, growled and just carried on. In the article he states this could take months. Perhaps I should have continued for months but I don't feel like I have months. I am very conflicted because if he doesn't change he will go back to the rescue. I feel like the longer I have him here, the harder it will be for him to go off to another home.

So after a couple of weeks without substantial progress I decided to put him on a leash and put a cat in one of the carriers. I had read several places that sometimes confining the dog made them more anxious. So I thought we would try something new. Once again he acted crazy. He desperately tried to attack the cat carrier. After maybe 20 minutes we were able to get him to walk past the cat carrier over and over without attacking it. I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought this was progress. But I no more than put the cat and the cat carriers away and let him off leash when he decided to hunt for the cat. Prior to this he was going to the doors. But when he jumped the baby gate and attacked the cat carrier, it really upset me. In my mind our little cat session was over. It ended quite well. It obviously was far from over for him.

llombardo suggested that I work on the leave it command. I started working with him on this last night. I will keep working on it until he gets it. I just don't know if this will override his desire to get the cats.

The cat carrier situation really has me bothered. I really thought he was getting it. I felt like it ended on a high note. Now I think I will never be able to turn my back because while he might act like he understands, the first chance he gets, he is going to go after those cats. Since that experience, we are back to the kennel cage. And he has tried to get to the cat carriers a few more times since then.

I am going to keep at it for now, but if he doesn't show some progress in the next couple of weeks or even month, I think I will have to take him back. I hate that because really he would be such a great dog if it weren't for the fact we have cats. I love my cats just as much as the dogs so no one gets the boot because Magnus can't fall in line. 

gsdar & stevenzachsmom, you are probably right. This dog and his cat issue maybe more than I and my family can handle. Also, I have reservations about using hard corrections with this dog. He is really sweet (aside from hating cats) BUT I don't know that he has bonded with any of us. He really likes our dog Ruby but I don't feel like he is connected with us. I don't even know how to describe it, but the relationship we have with him is not like the other 2 dogs. Granted they have been here a lot longer, but as far as Max and Ruby are concerned they are more interested in the family than they are in each other. Magnus is more interested in the other 2 dogs than he is with us. I am afraid we will turn a sweet dog into a mean dog in order to get any compliance with the cats. I don't know if that makes sense, but that is my fear.

My last ditch effort maybe to have an animal behaviorist come to our house. Has anyone had any success with behaviorists?

Thank you all for your advice. I really appreciate it. This has been a roller coaster of emotions for me. I will keep plugging away and if it is not meant to be I am going to have to make peace with it.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I always had dogs/cats together. A few years ago we brought home a tiny kitten that one of my dogs seriously wanted to kill. It took me about 6 months to change her mind. It would be easier to send the dog back but if you want to make it work it will take a lot of effort.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/aggression-good-bad-ugly/170990-nipped-kitty.html


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## Wicked Seraphim (May 17, 2014)

Hiya Seasiren 

I have 5 Savannah cats and 2 Burmese cats. I had 2 GSD's living with all of them until recently until my 14 year old male GSD passed away.

My house is a mish mosh mash up of when everyone joined, so there have definitely been adjustment periods. Dogs getting used to each other, dog getting used to a cat, 2, 5, 7 cats. Savannah cat kicking dog bootay.. dog taking it, male Burmese cat falling in love with female GSD and practically pulling a Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction with this poor dog daily, literally chasing her from room to room to roll over her nose and fall over her head.

_Like drops in the water bowl... these are the days of our lives..._ :wild:

We have 1 big girl Savannah that hates everyone, dog, cat, and person, except me. I have worked with some real doozies. My girl GSD came to me because she'd bit a child and was dumped in a shelter. I've had no issue with her. I don't put her in situations where that will *ever* happen again, but she's been work. I have another Savannah that was bought by someone and then basically abandoned in an attic for a year of his life, sick with a parasite that cause horrific diarrhea, and required chemo meds to treat. He didn't get treatment till I found him and got him out of the attic. He was a nightmare. He terrorized the other animals, dogs, cats, us too. Plain mean..more Serval than domestic cat. It took me over a year, but today, you wouldn't recognize him, physically or emotionally/mentally. He head-butts everyone, dogs and cats too for love, cuddles with everyone when sleeping and no longer fears the litter box (it held pain to use it).

To make it short, all of pets are purebred, but they didn't come from the hottest of situations and all but 4 have required rehabilitation and medical intervention. My newest girl.. the big Savannah F-2, I've had almost 2 years, I just stopped bleeding upon interacting with her 7 months ago. My husband and son, cannot even think about getting near her without hawk gloves on, and her claws do get through those. I can now pick her up for 5 minutes at a time, 3 times a day, and get licks on my cheek every time I walk into her room. It's slow, but it's progress.

Many people have told me to give up and put her down as being "too" Serval, and I just can't do it. I'm in it, and she won't be put down for simply being what she was bred to be, then not properly raised. I got her at 2 years of age, Savannahs mature at 3, so I hope I'm helping. I'll keep on keepin' on. :blush:

It sounds like you're doing everything you can humanely do, and then even doing more. :hug: Keep us updated, but for what it's worth, sometimes it takes alot longer, and then sometimes, it doesn't matter how much time you put in, it will never be enough. I hope it works, because that dog would be so lucky to have you.


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## Seasiren (Jun 15, 2014)

Thanks wickedserphim and kiya. I am going to keep plugging away. I am going to try to start over at square one with Magnus. I have been reading over the leerburg site again and again. I am going to try to start over with this dog. I think he likes me, but it is pretty clear he does not respect me. So I am going to try to "establish the pack structure" where he is concerned. I didn't do this when we brought him into the house. 

Our dog Max was 1 year old when he got him from the pound. He was a 2 time loser who was about to be euthanized. He has many issues, and there were many times I wanted to take him back. It was nothing short of moronic that we had him around our children. But to some degree that was his saving grace. As horrible as he was at times, he treated the children as if he gave birth to them. Always watching over them and very gentle. He did not feel the same about adults. We worked through many of his problems. I would say 90-95%. I wish I could say all of them- i simply can't.

Outside our house, he was a cat killer. I would not have thought so until I saw a stray cat enter our yard. I say that because my husband use to take him for runs off leash. Running was Max's job. He was not distracted by cats, squirrels, other dogs, people etc. He ran ahead when he was told he could. He turned, he stopped, did exactly as he was told with total focus. I thought he did not care about these things. Apparently when he is in his own yard he cares. 

The first cat I brought into the house is named Jeep. He was part of a feral colony. Max had chased his mother up a tree. She managed to get away, but she left a kitten behind. When I found him, I decided to bring him in. It was gutsy and stupid. I felt like 'hey, you did this, Max. This cat's mom took off without it because of you. Now deal with the consequences.' He poked it with his nose and looked at me. I told him in a very stern voice, "that's mom's kitty." And that was the end of it. 

Granted Max is 11 now. He does not get around like he use to. But if I think back to the one year old Max we brought home and compare him to 10 mos old Magnus, Max was a loaded gun. It is hard to understand how my devil dog understood the cat was off limits but the sweet dog does not. Maybe Magnus will never get it. I don't know. But I can't ignore that the sweet dog doesn't obey me. So I am going establish authority and once that is resolved I will go back to work on the cats. And if after I get done doing all I can do and we make no progress, I guess he will need to go to a cat free house. 

It is good to know other people have had issues similar to mine. It gives me some hope that I can work it out. I love all of my animals. I just want them to have a happy existence. I will keep you posted. Thanks everyone for your input.


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## LoveSea (Aug 21, 2011)

Our dog Rocky grew up for 8 years in a no cat household. We had 3 cats when we adopted him. When we had the home visit & wanted to see how he handles cats, we brought him leashed downstairs to where they were & he ferociously barked at them like he wanted to kill them!! We were like, "oh no!". But we figured we would give it a try. 

It was hard at first because all the cats had to stay downstairs. It was about a month until they were able to be in the same room together without trouble. What we did was let them smell each other under the door. Another thing we did was hold each cat while he was leashed. *We did little at a time. Don't overdo it*. A few minutes at a time is best. It felt like we would never live in a house with our dog & cats roam freely without killing each other. 

*Another important thing that we did was make it fun when they were around each other*. Put the other dogs away & just work with your new dog & cats. Get some chicken or other high value treats. Leash your dog & give them lots of the treat while they are all together. Make it fun when they are together, so the dog will think when I am with the cats good things happen. Again, it takes a lot of work, time & patience, but it will pay off. Like I said it seemed like they would never get along &* look at my avatar photo to see that it can be done*. Just be careful & not leave the new dog & cats alone until you are sure they will not get hurt.


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## LoveSea (Aug 21, 2011)

And to add that the turning point was when Rocky started barking at our cat who rules the house & she gave him a long hard swipe across the nose & he backed off. She won!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Take a look at this also:
I just got a rescued dog – what do I do? | stickydogblog

Forming a bond will make everything easier. Keep the cats safe.

And this;
A Great Small And Lightweight Nylon Mesh Muzzle

I used it on Rocky my GSD to deal with his "people issues" it never seemed to come into play, as far as I could tell?? But I have found out that using a muzzle can change a dogs mind set..."I can't bite/defend so I best not act like a fool??

Also going to say I am not a fan of "holding" cats in the presence of unstable/excited dogs! I did that with a feral and it did not work out to well for me! Cat bit through my finger nail, got infected! ICU and tons of IV's followed!

But yes you have two issues to work on forming a bond and the cats! Form the bond first and the rest "might" fall into place with little effort??

Or you could also go the E collar route with proper instruction! It would be a lot faster! Don't know how that works in the long run though??

In any case the "just got a rescue" or the leerburgh essay, I would see as the first step. 

Oh and Ed Farley DVD's can be found here:
It works like Netflix BowWowFlix.com: Dog DVD Rentals | Dog Training Dvd | Dog Dvds | Rent Dog Videos

E collar stuff I would start here again not saying do this but it is an option after the ground work is done on your relationship with the new guy and after two weeks..who knows may not be needed??:
How To...

Slow and steady keep everybody safe!


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## Joolz (Aug 1, 2013)

*GSD Hates Cats*

My male GSD hates cats with a vengeance. Luckily I do not keep any. If he caught one he would kill it I'm sure. I have to make sure he's on his chain in the garden and walk him in cat free zones only.
He also had the same reaction to a neighbour's guinea pigs when she took them into her garden - he went berserk and was trying his best to get at them. It was horrible. 
Cats, rodents and small dogs set him off big time.


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

Cats are perceived as prey animals by some GSDs, it's not a matter of "hate". It's natural prey instinct.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

how are your older two dogs reacting to the tension that Magnus has brought into the house?
Sounds like there was some harmony before . Have to be fair to them as well , especially at that age.

 Sounds like you will have to be on guard anytime you are out with the dog , prepared to have a cat cross your path or come into view (on a porch or such) and Magnus will spring into action.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Chip18 said:


> Or you could also go the E collar route with proper instruction! It would be a lot faster! Don't know how that works in the long run though??


I have no personal experience using electronic collars, but some good friends solved a cat issue using one. The rottweiler wanted to hunt and kill cats, and in a pretty short amount of time, they fixed it. He came to believe cats possessed the lightening bolts of Jupiter and won't go near them.

I do think you need to work with someone who can teach how to use such a tool, though. You can cause problems you didn't meant to by using it incorrectly.

Have you called the rescue for support and advice? A good rescue should be there for you post-adoption.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

The other day Midnite cornered the cat on the stairs. I got there and all he was doing was watching the cat, which I don't normally allow but it gave me time to get there. Well the cat decided to take the dog on and it almost went south real fast for the cat. Needless to say I wasn't happy with either of them but Midnite got reprimanded heavily, since I can't make the cat realize he is the bigger problem. For the last few days now when the cats are in his view I only have to look at him or tell him let it go. Midnite definitely doesn't want to feel my wrath again and walks away huffing and puffing. I have been nice and positive and it works most of the time, but now I'm not being nice anymore, Midnite will not win this battle.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

gsdsar said:


> My honest opinion is to return the dog to the rescue. This is very unsafe situation. I have done a lot if rescue/rehab work. And have reformed some dogs, to the cats, but none ever had the violent reactions it sounds like your dog is having.
> 
> I would never trust this dog with the cats.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't either. 

I also adopted a dog - for 3 days - who spent the entire time trying to get and kill my cat. Tried to climb the bannister; my cat spent the whole time in the back of a closet. This is a dog savvy cat, who probably thinks of herself as more dog, having been raised by my dog since she was 4 weeks old. 

There was a total level of predatory desire in that dog that I have not seen since in almost 40 foster dogs in almost 12 years, to get to and kill my cat. When I asked the foster if she was okay with other prey type animals she said oh wait, she's pulled things off our house trying to get chipmunks. Well, duh. I was ticked. 

I was not willing to invest the time - dangerous for my cat while it was ongoing - or type of training that would be necessary to try to make this dog not kill my cat, when that was her nature. It wasn't fair to her, and it was most certainly not fair to my cat who was there first, and was outgunned by 60#. 

There will be a nice no cat home for that dog, and you can find a dog who will enjoy and be as safe as a dog can be, with yours.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

OP, what other corrections have you used besides spraying water at your dog? I know you say you don't want to use heavy corrections, and I'm not suggesting that you alpha roll your dog or get all crazy on him, lol - but IMO, the crating and spritzing him may just be antagonizing him, and the crated cat could have just been teasing him. Have you ever directly told him that his behavior was unacceptable?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

I havent read all the responses but this is a dog I would definitely rehome. My cats are family and do good with the dogs. A dog trying to get at them or reacting the way you are describing is not only throwing off the harmony in the house, but it's causing extreme stress to your cats. A cat severely stressed can actually develop health issues related to stress. Been there. Lived it. My sister in laws cat developed bladder stones and we didnt know about it until it was too late. He was stressed by the new animals in the house at the time. 

Some dogs just cant be around cats. You are putting your cats at risk by keeping him.


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