# Dog/cat food aggression



## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

The cats and dog go round and round sometimes through the house. Our big tomcat will play back and start chasing the dog. The other cat is a female and she just runs off and hides from the dog. Tonight was the second time we have given Shekby, our 15 week old GSD, some pumpkin purée mixed into her food. All the tapping on the bowl to mix it in her food got the cats attention. Our tomcat walked over while Shelby was diving in and the reaction was bad. It was full on attack mode towards the cat. I separated them and then checked to see how she reacted with me and then my wife petting her as she ate. She was completely fine with being rubbed on her paws, legs, back, and head. It's probably best to keep the cat away during feeding anyways but just wanted to get thoughts from everyone. Should I stop the dog cat chasing through the house or is it healthy play time?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My GSD is now 14 months and she has always chased the cats. It is play time in her mind. She leaves them when I tell her leave it with no problems. She can be chewing on a bone and the cat can walk up to her, rub up against her, and share that bone. I'm positive that if the cat took her bone she would not react by growling or biting. She would watch the cat, follow the cat, talk to the cat, then if all of that fails she will come to me and tell on the cat. In saying that I try to keep them separated, so that they can each eat in peace. But I know that if by accident one approaches the other, there will be no problems. The puppy needs to be taught that its not good to react that way. You don't want the puppy to react that way either. Not to you, other people, other dogs, or cats.


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

I was glad that she didn't react that way with us. Ive always pet her when giving her food to avoid that and test her to see how she'd react. I wonder what else I could do to help eliminate that behavior. Thanks for your reply. 


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

tsfarling said:


> I was glad that she didn't react that way with us. Ive always pet her when giving her food to avoid that and test her to see how she'd react. I wonder what else I could do to help eliminate that behavior. Thanks for your reply.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


My last two dogs have been trained using positive training. In certain situations, this being one of them, I would step up the training. Now is the time to teach the puppy. You don't want a full grown GSD to react that way towards the cat, it can kill the cat and not even know what its doing. Right now, firm no's and dislike towards the behavior might help. In this situation, I would have immediately took the food away or not given it to the GSD with a very firm no. After the situation calmed down I would have given the food to the GSD and brought the cat in the area(holding the cat), so the GSD knows its okay for the cat to be there. Repeat until there is no reaction. Even if the situation never comes up again, you need to make sure the cat is safe. Lets face it, cats think they rule the house and will do whatever they want..its alot easier to train the dog


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

I did remover her food briefly but didn't bring the cat back in. I will definitely try this next time I see the situation unfolding. I'm not sure if it will the. My usually tough, 17lb tomcat, looked like he just used up one of his 9 lives after that encounter. Ha!


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

you find your cat being attacked by a german shepherd funny?


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

I found the look on my cats face hilarious. If you knew my cat It would make more sense. He's a bit of a tough guy and used to think he ran things until Shelby came home. I don't think the situation overall is funny in any way shape or form. It could be a deadly situation, especially as she gets older. My cats have full claws and I've let my GSD experience them from both cats so she knows her boundaries and she has respected them until it came to the food ordeal. It is an easy fix though. I just need to keep the cats away when she is getting a special meal like the pumpkin purée. They heard the tapping and mixing of food and that usually means a fantastic treat for them. They have never approached her normal dry food bowl. 


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

pets4life said:


> you find your cat being attacked by a german shepherd funny?


 
Chill- it's just a cat!!!!!!! More seriously, it didn't appear that the dog "attacked" the cat. If a GSD (or other large dog) attacks a cat = dead cat).

just telling the cat "I don't share my food!".

yes, got to train the dog to accept it but also teach the cat it is not wise to try it.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

tsfarling said:


> I found the look on my cats face hilarious. If you knew my cat It would make more sense. He's a bit of a tough guy and used to think he ran things until Shelby came home. I don't think the situation overall is funny in any way shape or form. It could be a deadly situation, especially as she gets older. My cats have full claws and I've let my GSD experience them from both cats so she knows her boundaries and she has respected them until it came to the food ordeal. It is an easy fix though. I just need to keep the cats away when she is getting a special meal like the pumpkin purée. They heard the tapping and mixing of food and that usually means a fantastic treat for them. They have never approached her normal dry food bowl.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


Rather than just keeping them apart, I would work on training both just in case.


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

I took the food bowl tonight and got them both interested. I set it down on the floor by both of them and nothing happened. I'll keep doing this so it's not such a shock to the dog to see the cat near her bowl. 


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

And correction, to my first post...full on attack mode actually wasn't attack mode. It was an angry growl and jaws snapping in the direction of the cat. Shelby never actually touched the cat with her mouth. I was just out of the incident and now realized I could have worded that better. 


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

tsfarling said:


> I took the food bowl tonight and got them both interested. I set it down on the floor by both of them and nothing happened. I'll keep doing this so it's not such a shock to the dog to see the cat near her bowl.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


This is good. Since you are doing this, you can up the value of the food. Take some boiled chicken and feed both together...The pup needs to learn that no matter what is in the bowl it's not acceptable to react. Its good to do this because the puppy is young enough to train how you like.


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

Brought home a new roast beef flavored Nylabone and tried to let one of the cats be around. It did not turn out well at all. I let both sniff it and Shelby immediately went into death stare at the cat. I removed the bone but lost the grip on the dog and she started her territorial bark and chased the cat off. She didn't just do a short chase to scare her off. She was going after her. I'm worried now more than before because I know the male cat wouldn't run. He'd stay and shred her face. Not a good situation. Please help! Should I give up on making peace and let cats stay away during the food and special toy time?


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

tsfarling said:


> Brought home a new roast beef flavored Nylabone and tried to let one of the cats be around. It did not turn out well at all. I let both sniff it and Shelby immediately went into death stare at the cat. I removed the bone but lost the grip on the dog and she started her territorial bark and chased the cat off. She didn't just do a short chase to scare her off. She was going after her. I'm worried now more than before because I know the male cat wouldn't run. *He'd stay and shred her face*. Not a good situation. Please help! Should I give up on making peace and let cats stay away during the food and special toy time?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


 
I suspect that if the cat stayed and fought your problem would be half over! (Not well though! as the cat would be dead)

Is there any pro trainer that you can contact there who can actually be with you to advise?


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

We can't get her into any classes until February if we go with the best in the area. So frustrating!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

For now I would give bones in her crate only. She is resource guarding. I would work with her, using positive reinforcement, that it is ok for the cats to be around when she has something really good. So, put her in her crate with the cats in the room. When the cats go by and she doesn't react reward her with something better than her bone (like sliced chicken) and reward the cat too. The idea is that you want her to associate the cats with good things, not bad (as in the food getting taken away, etc.). 

Ultimately, as you realize, you have to protect your cats.


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

On a side note, she just had a regular interaction with the male cat in which she slowly approached the cat, he meowed, step towards her, and she did an immediate 180 away from the cat. it's only a food aggression and its only food aggression towards the cats. 


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

BowWowMeow said:


> For now I would give bones in her crate only. She is resource guarding. I would work with her, using positive reinforcement, that it is ok for the cats to be around when she has something really good. So, put her in her crate with the cats in the room. When the cats go by and she doesn't react reward her with something better than her bone (like sliced chicken) and reward the cat too. The idea is that you want her to associate the cats with good things, not bad (as in the food getting taken away, etc.).
> 
> Ultimately, as you realize, you have to protect your cats.


This is good advice. 15 weeks is kinda young to do this and keep doing it I would find a class that was half way decent and get her going on basics, socialization, etc. You can take her to the classes that you want in February, but I would do something now to tide you over.


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

I had an idea about this tonight. I might try using a mirror by her bowl. Dogs react to mirrors and this removes the possibility of hitting the dog cat relationship. I'll try using the mirror first then I'm going to do the cat food on a plate in neutral territory and dog on a leash trick after that. 


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