# stoping obsession with cats?



## leigha33 (Jul 28, 2008)

My 6 month old pup ayla is obsessed with cats!! She chases, stalks, jumps on and chews on them! All the time! How do I stop/controle this? She is getting way to big for this and hurts the cats. Any suggestions??


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

*Re: stopping obsession with cats?*

Make sure the cats always have a way out, hopefully they have claws. You are right, this can get out of hand and your cat get injured or killed.

And then ask your instructor at dog class. They probably aren't aware you are having this situation. It's called a 'distraction' and they can probably start upping the training and help so you can practice it at home.

Meanwhile, my dogs tend to annoy the cats WAY more when they are bored and full of energy. So if I am proactive with their general exercise, socialization and training for the day, when we get home the dog is too pooped to bother with the cats. So all the hiking, miles of walks, chuckit, meet and greets with family and friends make an appreciative cat and a sleeping dog!


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## leigha33 (Jul 28, 2008)

*Re: stopping obsession with cats?*

The cats do have claws and they are not afraid to let ayla know! she is crated when I'm gone due to the fact that she will eat EVERYTHING insight! So the cats do have a way out.yeah, if she plays with my other dogs all day she does seem to be less bothersome to the cats. Ill see what the instructor has to say about this. Thanks!!


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## KAKZooKpr (Jul 6, 2002)

*Re: stopping obsession with cats?*

My girl Lexi is also extremely obsessed with the cats. One is declawed & the other isn't. The cats have the upstairs with a gate at the top & bottom of the stairs. The cats usually stay up, but occasionally they wander down if they don't realize Lexi is out. Unfortunately the cat behavior only reinforces the obsession of watching the stairs, because Lexi knows that eventually she WILL see a cat. UGH!!! Now, she has never hurt a cat and she has had opportunity, but I don't trust that she wouldn't eventually hurt one. My oldest one is 17 1/2 and is only slightly more substantial than tissue paper







, she is also the one most likely to wander down for an appearance. 

Now, having a new puppy is great for distracting Lexi to better pursuits, but not 100%. I look forward to seeing what others have to say here.

Kristina


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## gretasgifttome (Jul 26, 2003)

*Re: stopping obsession with cats?*

I look forward to the answers or guidance too. In my pack, I have two totally cat obsessed gsds.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

*Re: stopping obsession with cats?*

We have 3 adults that are in the house with the cats all the time and just love them as if they are their babies, They are the ones that help teach the younger ones that cats are ok by watching what the adults do, So far we have been real lucky although we do leave 2 rooms that are the cats only room and the dogs are in another part of our house.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

*Re: stopping obsession with cats?*

Wow, your puppy would have no face left if she lived in this house! My 16 yo old cat does not tolerate being chased or mauled.









Until you get better control of your dog around the cats you need to keep them separated unless you've got her on a leash. You've also got to teach her the "Leave It" command. And you need to start a counter conditioning program where she learns that the cats are off limits. That will have to be done on leash and she should be rewarded whenever she so much as looks away from the cats. This would be a great one to do with a clicker, actually. Check out this video on teaching Leave It: 

http://revver.com/video/94417/dog-training-teach-leave-it/


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

*Re: stopping obsession with cats?*

Isa is also obssesed with my cats, and I mean every use of that word. She will stare at the cats all day if she could. And the fact that 2 of the 4 cats LOVE the dogs doesn't help either. *slaps head*


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## ldonker (Apr 3, 2015)

I'm having the same issue. I have an almost 9 month old GSD whom I brought home from the breeder at 11 weeks. I have (2) cats. Both cats are in house cats and have their front claws removed. One cat is the dominant one and the other is super laid back and won't ever fight back. My dog, Calypso, is obsessed with just the one laid back male cat. The female cat she will occasionally sniff, but then leaves her alone. However, with Morpheus (male cat) she chases him, pins him down, is rough with him, if he's downstairs (she won't go down stairs yet), Caly will pace back and forth to the top of the stairs to where I am. I also have a gate that separates the rest of the house with the hallway to the bedroom so she can't get through. During the day the cats sleep in the bedrooms or they are downstairs since she won't go down there. I've worked with behavioral specialists on what to do. I've tried putting her on a long lead when I'm home and the cats tend to want to come out when I get home from work to be by me. I've done the leash. Also have several soda cans filled with 30 pennies in it and will shake it at her or throw near her when she goes after the cats. Also have a pet corrector (somewhat like an air horn), squirt bottle with water, etc. I feel like I've tried everything. Once in a great while, she will just sit in the recliner and watch Morpheus cross the room to be on the other side of me. The whole time she's watching him, I'm constantly praising her for being a good girl. She knows the term "leave it" but doesn't listen at all when she's in her "prey mode". I've even done a animal communicator and had a session with the dog and cat. So as you can see, I've tried everything. Caly goes to day care several times a week so she has plenty of play time. I will be adopting an older dog once she's at least a year, and I think that will help take the focus off of the cats, but until then.............does anyone have any other ideas of stuff I can try?

Desperate for some ideas!!

Thanks!!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

There is only one rule in cats and dogs living peacefully together The "DOG NEVER CHASES THE CAT EVER!!" period, end of story!

Up to 16 cats and 5 dogs living together for more than 15 years now and "never" a single cat dog incident so yeah..."i'm" pretty sure that's the secret.

All the tool free methods can be found here:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/6715746-post2.html

If you can't do those hire a trainer and use an E collar, it's called "crittering."


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

You know whats funny? Samahar dwand = Inherent mutual opposition : a grammatical form in Sanskrit for the last 3 to 5 thousand years, and one of the first examples in this type of opposition: snake vs mongoose, dog vs cat.

Its inherent, its been going on for as long as humans have walked this earth (with dogs by their side). You can train them to ignore cats, I have trained my silly little guy. But deep inside this instinct is going to be there.


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

Chip18 said:


> Up to 16 cats and 5 dogs living together for more than 15 years now ..


I will buy a Lysol and Glade dealership, if you promise to be my customer!


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

Dogs chase cats not only for the reason of getting rid of competitors who prey on the same territory. Hungry canine will eat a cat if catches, that is what a pack of strays do in hard times. So, here are two instincts work at once: guarding the territory from possible competitors, and instinct of a predator. Work on each separately by choosing some specific methods according to your dog unique character . For some dogs feeding him and cats (so to persuade him to accept cats as your pack members) + replacing cat-chasing with a ball-chasing is good enough, for other dogs more tough methods. You cannot remove natural instincts by forbidding command, you dog wouldn't change with it, only obey in your presence. You have to show your dog that cats have the same rights as him without applying any force on your side.
Then, it is important to know when your dog and when your cats appeared in the house, who was first? Sometimes, if a cat was brought into the house later then the puppy, growing puppy takes it as it was his dog mother brought an injured prey for him to play with. Months will pass by, but he wouldn't forget, and his attitude to cats wouldn't change until you start training to ignore small prey objects like cats and small dogs outside your home.
Normally, all dogs finally accept domestic cats in their own house, but it doesn't mean he wouldn't expose hostility towards them or wouldn't prey on them outside your home. Your cats - are your cats, and other cats (they smell differently) are the enemies. 
Cases differ from one to one, and I recommend finding a good trainer. The matter is serious enough.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Big Brown Eyes said:


> You know whats funny? Samahar dwand = Inherent mutual opposition : a grammatical form in Sanskrit for the last 3 to 5 thousand years, and one of the first examples in this type of opposition: snake vs mongoose, dog vs cat.
> 
> Its inherent, its been going on for as long as humans have walked this earth (with dogs by their side). You can train them to ignore cats, I have trained my silly little guy. But deep inside this instinct is going to be there.


Aww BBE, I could do a more nuanced argument but screw that it's late and I'm tired!

I'll simply say that if folks can't stop there GSD from bothering a freaking cat, then they have a crap load of trouble heading their way!

That's pretty clear and straightforward and I insulted no one!


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