# Introducing Shepherd to cats



## kuss10

So we just got an 18m old female. She wasn't taken care of the best by her previous owners. Kenneled 10-12hrs a day inside of the house. She has alot of energy and loves her tennis ball. She has been around other dogs and seems to do OK with our 8yr old lab. 
But we have yet to introduce her to our two cats. 
How is the best way to do this? She has never seen or been around cats and last night when she was checking our basement out she didn't even attempt to go into the room where the cats sleep and eat.
Our cats are use to dogs, we just want to make sure things are smooth and we don't have anything horrible happen.


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## HarperGirl

Ugh, I'm eager to hear advice on this! Fortunately, Harper doesn't treat Monster as prey (watch for this!), but she does always try to play with him...and that doesn't go over well. I don't have much useful other than making sure the dog knows "Leave it", the cat has somewhere it can escape to, and keep a close eye on them until they're comfortable together. But...I certainly have a lot of hissing, scratching, and running going on at my house.


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## Bama4us

It would be best to keep your dog on a leash while the cat is around. It was easier for us since Bear was brought home as a puppy, but you just have to make sure your dog knows that the cat is not a toy. We still can't keep Bear from chasing them when they run through the house, but he understands he can't be rough. The cats have swatted him several times. We just kept telling him that the cats are our friends. If you can teach your dog the watch me command or if they know stay, just treat them heavily when the cat comes into the room. Until your sure, never leave them alone together. Just keep her on a leash and she should understand in time that the cats are part of the pack. Here's proof that they can co exist.


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## HarperGirl

Oh, I can dream of that, Bama! Looking forward to playing you this fall! 

Showing Nittany pride, and dog misery (not w/ our GSD, but our in-law's pom)


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## kuss10

Thanks for the advice.


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## Mrs.K

We found an abandoned baby cat and took her in. 

My female literally wanted to eat her. To her, everything smaller than a poodle is potential food. 
She went crazy and literally wanted to chase and kill the baby cat so what I did was crating the cat for a couple of days. I had to watch every step my female did and she had to learn to accept the cat. Crating her was the right thing to do. I used the dog crate to do it. 
It took her a couple of days to accept that there was a new family member. I only let them get together under supervision. It took me a little over a week to be able to leave them alone without having my female eating the cat. 

In the end she not only accepted the cat but also played with the little furball. 

But you have to have an eagle eye and make sure that the dog doesn't go after the cat. It takes discipline and they have to know exactly where they stand in the rank structure.


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## DensterNY

Bama4us said:


> It would be best to keep your dog on a leash while the cat is around. It was easier for us since Bear was brought home as a puppy, but you just have to make sure your dog knows that the cat is not a toy. We still can't keep Bear from chasing them when they run through the house, but he understands he can't be rough. The cats have swatted him several times. We just kept telling him that the cats are our friends. If you can teach your dog the watch me command or if they know stay, just treat them heavily when the cat comes into the room. Until your sure, never leave them alone together. Just keep her on a leash and she should understand in time that the cats are part of the pack. Here's proof that they can co exist.


First, what I wouldn't give to have the scenario above going on in my house with my GSD and our Calico.

Second, my trainer had advised about the same using "Look at That" to condition positive associations with the cat and also "Leave it" when my dog seemed a little too fixated on her. Also, what has helped is I've given my dog outlets to sate her prey drive using various cognitive games and exercises. So far she'll ignore the cat which is a lot better than chasing her.


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## sweetliberty

I guess we were really lucky when an abandoned 3 month old kitten came to our house. She climbed on the wood pile and looked in the house and cried to come in. She wouldn't go away. The dogs barked at her when she was outside. At first look I thought it was a ghost of my cat named Bonus. The resemblance was remarkable. We knew the kitten wasn't going to make it outside ( January). We brought her in the house in a crate. My girls had a giant sniff off, tipping the crate over several times. The kitten would stick her paw out, but just to play, not using her claws.We decided to let her out to see what happened. If it turned into a huge problem we agreed to find the kitten a home. To our total amazement, the kitten rolled over on her back and let the dogs sniff her. No fear at all. Also to our amazement, the girls didn't try to chase her. They gave me the "What the heck is it" look. We held and petted the cat and explained to the girls she was going to be a part of the pack now. ( I swear my GSD understands English ) The cat then settled in to our family. She does bully the lab but my GSD has explained to her the pecking order. I guess we were meant to save this kitten, at least we'll never have another mouse.


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## kuss10

Well the cat into didn't go so well. We have a fairly small home, so we felt to keep Mya in check we would have her in her soft crate, allowing her to see us interacting with the cats and our lab. Not a good idea other than the fact that we didn't have to worry about an escape route for the cats. Our older cat practically jumped out of his skin when she barked. The little one wouldn't even attempt to come near. 
So any opinions about doing this with her in her crate?


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## Mrs.K

Put the cat into the crate for a day or two and let the dogs see it. Only let the cat out while the dog and the cat is under supervision. It will take up to a week or two until the dog will accept the cat around him. 

Close all doors so there is no way the cat can get out of the house but leave enough escape roots for her open. If the dog is going after the cat pull the dog back. You can also use a muscle on your dog for that period of time if she is trying to bite the cat.


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## tonym

I know your post about introducing your new dog to cats was almost 2 years ago, but im going through the same thing with a 1.5yr old rescue GS. Shes a wonderful dog but everytime shes seen the cats at home, she gets so fixated nothing will get her attention off of them. Any suggestions?


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## Shyla-GSD

i am having a problem with cats aswell. i brough home my rescue in june and she had never been around cats before everytime she sees one (i have 3 cats also 3 other small dogs and 2 of my cats are bigger than my small dogs) she trys chasing it and snapping at it trying to bite it. the cats just hide in the basement and wont come up unless its night time and shes sleeping with me with my door shut. any way on how to introuduce her better. i just dont understand why she trys to chase and bite them when i have a pom-a-poo and a yorkie that are smaller than 2 of my cats.


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## Josie/Zeus

My cat beats the heck out of him , usually when we see Koda chasing the cat, we tell him Leave it!, or Corner! (that means he goes to his place and lay down). 

For fun, here's their first meeting


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## mwiacek10

Such good advice. I've been so disappointed in myself with the whole cat vs dog thing. We've had Gunny now for almost 2 years. Had the cat first. She got along pretty well with my Boxer until he passed. Brought the puppy home and the sh&* it the fan. The cat won't come up from the basement and is terrified. The dog barks when ever he hears her or when I say "kitty". I'm going to try the crate idea next week while I'm off from work.


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## kiya

I have 2 out of 3 dogs loving the new kitten. My girl Kiya on the other hand is still giving me a hard time. It's been about 2 months now. Kiya was raised with cats like all my other dogs, but for some reason she wants to bite this kitten. So what I have been doing is keeping the kitten in the dog crate or the bedroom when I can not supervise. 
Right now the only time kitty is spending in the crate is over night. I can let the kitty free while Kiya is on leash. If I have treats she will even lay nicely within inches of him with no leash. She will stay laying down (even if I don't tell her to stay) and watch him walk around. I can let her sniff him with my hand near her mouth. Kiya will chase if she has the opportunity and if she gets him she grabs hold of him with her mouth and will pull hair. So I know she's not playing. When he's on the counter and she can get him she tries to pull him down. She's not trying to rip him to shreds but she's not gentle. 
I'm hoping it will get easier with more time.


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## codmaster

Must think that you got her a nice new toy!


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## kiya

Shyla-GSD said:


> i just dont understand why she trys to chase and bite them when i have a pom-a-poo and a yorkie that are smaller than 2 of my cats.


Prey drive thats why. I do not allow chasing. Lakota loves to play with the kitten. Luckily this kitten doesn't run away from the dogs. It's good/bad. Good that they don't initiate the chase and bad that he doesn't get away from Kiya. Kiya spent the last 2 months tethered to me. If I can't hold her I give the leash to my husband. You can try using a baby gate to block off a room, leave it up high enough that the cats can get away. Try keeping the dog interested in something else other than the cats. Lots of "down/stays" & "leave it" with a ton of patience. With Lakota the only thing to stop her from chasing was the spray bottle. I hate to admit I've had to resort to that but all I have to do is grab the bottle & she stops dead in her tracks. My husband thought he'd try it with Kiya, unfortunately he doesn't know the dogs like I do. Kiya LOVES water, she dunks her whole face in the pool. Needless to say I bit my tongue as I watched him saturate her face & she just licked her chops!


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## kiya

codmaster said:


> Must think that you got her a nice new toy!


Thing is she doesn't really like toys. Maybe she thinks it's a squirrel.


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## HankGSD

Same problem here; Hank was brought in the house as an 8-week-old pup and I had two 4-year-old male cats. I expected the cats to show him who was boss and that would be that.

A year later, the cats hide in the basement unless my daughter brings them upstairs and puts them in her bedroom or in a gated family room. I think they became afraid of him when he got his big boy bark which is very loud and intimidating, and when he grew huge. He also has chased them several times, which was corrected each time, but it has still left the cats terrified of him. The only time he will "leave it" is if I have him on a prong collar and leash and walk him past them. 

I feel like if the cats wouldn't freak and try to run whenever he was around that he would not find them so interesting. A few times I have let him get up to one of the cats, hoping they would give him a good correction, and all they did was cower and hiss and spit rather than give him a good swat or demonstrate that they have claws. He wanted to sniff and lick them, particularly their private areas. I don't think he wants to harm them but I certainly wouldn't trust him for sure.

The crate idea is interesting, but I think it would traumatize the cats because they are so terrified of him.


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## mysweetkaos

We are having same issues with our 9 month old Sherman. We had milenko (siamese) when we brought Kaos home, 9.5 yrs ago she showed him who the boss is and he has never forgotten I think now that she is older (13) she doesn't have any interest in putting the puppy in his place, she mainly just hides in the basement or the second floor which are off limits to the puppy. We do have Sherman in his crate and make her sit on our lap next to his crate while giving him treats to desensitize him. True test will be once he earns free reign:crazy: Hopefully she'll smack him once and that will be the end of it.


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## tonym

Heres how my introduction went down:

Yesterday i decided to give Dyna her first real chance to meet the cats (4yr and the other about 7mo). I started with the older cat Andretti since he is so mellow and could care less about dogs. I put him in his crate and brought it to the middle of the yard so it could be on more neutral territory. I brought Dyna out on her leash and let her get up to the crate to sniff things out. I squatted next to the crate with my arm over it to try and let her know it was mine. I stayed like that for a good half hour or so. I then went inside and did some other things and peeked out the window from time to time to make sure everything was okay. Dyna just laid there and looked at the cat. I then brought out the kitten and put her in the crate with andretti. She is a lot more verbal about her dislike of the new dog. I have a few battle wounds from trying to put her in to the crate while Dyna was nearby. I let them all stay like that until Dyna calmed down. I then brought the crate inside to the living room, then Dyna on leash after. I let them stay like that for a a good amount of time until everyone seemed relaxed. Andretti was starting to get a little playful and rolling around in the crate but seemed like he wanted out. So I put Dyna in her room for when i let the cats out of the crate and brought her back up on leash. She went straight for Andretti and just seemed to want to sniff him out. He held his ground and pretty much beat the crap out of her. She got pretty excited but seemed a lot more cautious about her approach after that. I ended up letting go of the leash and just supervised. She still gets fixated on the cats but shes definitely not trying to hurt them. I wont let them be alone together but it was very encouraging to later have one cat on the back of the couch, the other sleeping on the stairs, and both Dyna and Murphy (Golden Retriever) sleeping with us in the living room. In the end, i got the most injured from the introductions. Dyna did take a few hits including one on her lower eyelid which was certainly scary but she didnt retaliate and get aggressive towards the cats. I think she now knows what the gatos are capable of and will keep her distance for the most part. Hopefully with a little more time she will just ignore them.


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## kiya

tonym said:


> Hopefully with a little more time she will just ignore them.


HA HA HA! Ignore! Lakota loves playing with the kitten sooo much, funny thing is now the kitten initiates the play. 
My other dog, Kiya, she's still being very difficult. We have some good moments, I'm hoping with my 4 day weekend I'll be able to work on her. I made a fresh batch of liver brownies this morning so I have plenty of amunition!


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## nitemares

tonym said:


> I think she now knows what the gatos are capable of and will keep her distance for the most part. Hopefully with a little more time she will just ignore them.


Well dont count that LOL my pup has been here for 3 weeks and still try to go after the cat although my cat got him twice in the nose and it bled both times. I can tell Dumpty doesnt really want to harm the cat, but the cat just hasn't got the memo yet.


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## codmaster

Wow! I don't know that I would take a chance with my GSD's eyesight in trying to introduce him to a cat. Sounds like a couple of close calls with the cats claws! 

I think if we ever have a cat again I would have it declawed first (would only be an inside the house cat naturally) - too much of a chance of disaster otherwise.


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## kiya

Lakota plays with the eye closest to the cat closed. Even if shes not that close she closes her eye. My kitten bites harder than he claws.


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## kiya

codmaster said:


> I think if we ever have a cat again I would have it declawed first (would only be an inside the house cat naturally) - too much of a chance of disaster otherwise.


I had 1 cat declawed (over 25 yrs ago) she ended up getting out, never found her, I swore I would never do that to a cat again.


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## codmaster

Good idea if one favors the cat over the GSD - I just happen to think the other way, esp. if the dog is friendly toward the cat.

Cats can certainly be taught not to use their claws in an aggressive manner (if not, then treat them like an overtly aggressive dog!).


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## HankGSD

I gave the cats in the crate a try today, one at a time for a few minutes. The cats were NOT happy but I think they realized Hank couldn't get at them when they were inside.

Hank did ok for it being the first time. With the first cat, he obeyed "leave it" every time and "come" since I had a treat waiting for him. He also did a down stay for a few minutes.

The second cat didn't go as well, so I put a prong collar on him and we sat a few feet from the crate and allowed him to watch the cat from a distance while continuing to tell him "leave it."

Both times, I opened the crate door and put him into a sit stay while holding the leash so he couldn't chase.

I also had a few minutes where he was in the crate and I held a cat in my lap while sitting on the couch a few feet away. He had on his "Petsafe" bark collar which sprays citronella if he barks. (I am not ready or interested in going to an e-collar if I can avoid it.)

I think this is going to be a very long process but could be successful if I work on it with him every single day. The cats need to be desensitized to him as well since they have worked up to be so terrified of him. They both have claws but for whatever reason have not clawed him when he has gotten close to them.


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## nitemares

kiya said:


> Lakota plays with the eye closest to the cat closed. Even if shes not that close she closes her eye. My kitten bites harder than he claws.


same here, he also does a duck and snap movement LOL kitty tries to slap, puppy ducks then try to take a quick snap at the kitty. Tamtam the cat is starting to relax a lot around the puppy, he can sleep and clean himself in the same room. As long as Dumpty doesn't try to play they are both in the same room together fine, never unsupervised of course.


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## tonym

*Success!*

I took this a few weeks ago while doing some remodeling around the house. I had success with the dog and cat thing shortly after my last post on this thread. It didnt take much after that one day that i spent as much time as i did with all the animals. Now Dyna and the cat are like best friends. They even spoon. I just thought about this thread and figured I would prove to you all that it is possible, even with a non declawed cat and nobody lost their eyesight.


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## scottkeen

I know this is an older thread, but I need help with this cat vs. GSD situation.

I'm a cat person, trying to become a cat & dog person.

I just got Ruger from a breeder, a 2 year 3 mos old GSD with Sieger and working lines. Ruger is a playful and innocent seeming dog, who grew up in a family with 3 children until the family had a divorce and Ruger was returned to the breeder. But Ruger has never seen a cat before. Ruger was pretty well trained, but like any adolescent, loses his focus sometimes.

I'm a first time GSD owner and first time dog owner, and so far I like Ruger very much and he likes me. I've had Ruger for 5 days so far.

But Ruger and my cat Kilia who I've had for 5 years need to live in harmony. On the first day, Ruger found Kilia hiding under my bed and tried with all his might to get to her and created quite a commotion. Kilia bolted out the cat door and wasn't seen for 2 days.

Tonight I saw her on the edge of the property and she was glad to see me (anyone who says cats can't have personalities or affection doesn't know what they're talking about). I put Kilia in an airline crate and brought her inside. Ruger went ape-nuts barking and whining and panting very heavily. Kilia cowered, growled, and hissed.

I need these two to get along or at the very least ignore each other, but Kilia needs to feel safe inside my house even when I'm not home. That is the ONLY way this is going to work. I can't have Kilia who has lived indoors, all of a sudden have to move out and live outside.

I've seen photos here of people with GSDs and cats snuggling together and living in harmony -- I want that!!!

Please look at this photo, and see how Ruger is fixated on Kilia inside the airline crate.
Am I doing this crate introduction right?
How long do I do this?
What's the next step, and when do I take it?
Is Ruger exhibiting something I need to be concerned about long-term (I won't own a dog who will attack my cat given the opportunity)?


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## Chip18

Top of my head, the dogs fixated on the Cat/Crate and no effort to counteract the fixation...oh cool what's in there??

Not an expert but what I do have is 13 years experience with dogs and cats living together in harmony. BullMastiff/Pitt,Boxer/Pit,Boxers and now my GSD. I started with Cat rescue long before I had dogs,And I have had up to 15 cats and three dogs in the home without a single incident in all that time.

Number one rule of Cats and dogs living together is "THE DOG NEVER CHASES THE CAT...EVER!!!" Not one paw forward towards the cat! I don't care what the cat does if the cat wants to go to the dog fine but the dog never steps a single paw towards the cats!

Leerburg did it a bit differently than myself and I have also never had a cat play with the dog like his does, even so notice his dog never chased the cat!

My cats and dogs don't play with each other but they live and sleep together and in the morning if I have let the cats out first and Rocky comes out later some of the cats will run up and greet him! I never did the cats and dogs eating treats together thing? For Rocky that would be a bridge to far! 

I fed him away from the cats so it's not worth the headache to me.

I'd put a drag leash on the dog put the dog in a down stay and let the cat be a cat, dog can look if he wants but if he makes a move towards the cat he gets a correction! Verbal should be enough if it's not you have other issues.

If you're unsure of the dog you can use a soft muzzle on him for extra protection but it shouldn't be needed because "he is not going to move! 

When the dog is at the point where he shows "no interest in the cat whatsoever" your job is done!

Added benefit, if a cat pops up out of nowhere, your dog won't bolt after it! 
http://leerburg.com/dog-cat.htm


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## scottkeen

Thanks for the reply, advice, and link.

I will get a drag leash to put on Ruger to wear around the house so I can easily and quickly give him a correction. Is this how a drag leash is used? About, what, 18" long or so?

So, from everyone I've heard from, I had the crating arrangement all backwards. The cat was in the house before the dog, so it was the dog which should have been crated not the cat.

I'm starting to crate Ruger at night when I sleep, and in the evening during dinner/TV time before I take him out for a bathroom break before bedtime. This gives the evening to the cat to hopefully come home and be safe. I'm hoping to eliminate crate time once and if they can get along.

But I noticed something disturbing about Ruger today on our 1-hour morning walk around the neighborhood. One of the neighborhood cats was crossing the street. Ruger noticed immediately, ears perked and _shoulder hairs bristled_. This is very worrisome, because he sees other animals -- birds, small dogs, but I've never seen his shoulder hairs bristled. I can only attribute this to a high prey drive.

If this is a sign of a high prey drive, can he ever learn to accept cats?

If the answer is "No" or "very unlikely", then I may have to decide that I can't keep Ruger. I've had Ruger for 1 week and I've had my cat for 5 years. Ruger is a great dog in all other aspects and I'm enjoying his companionship, but if he will likely never accept coexistence with my cat, then sadly I cannot keep him or he may have to be relegated to an outdoor dog run and he can only have limited visiting hours when the cat isn't around.

I welcome all of your advice and opinion, anything that will help my situation.


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## Tratkins

scottkeen said:


> Thanks for the reply, advice, and link.
> 
> I will get a drag leash to put on Ruger to wear around the house so I can easily and quickly give him a correction. Is this how a drag leash is used? About, what, 18" long or so?
> 
> So, from everyone I've heard from, I had the crating arrangement all backwards. The cat was in the house before the dog, so it was the dog which should have been crated not the cat.
> 
> I'm starting to crate Ruger at night when I sleep, and in the evening during dinner/TV time before I take him out for a bathroom break before bedtime. This gives the evening to the cat to hopefully come home and be safe. I'm hoping to eliminate crate time once and if they can get along.
> 
> But I noticed something disturbing about Ruger today on our 1-hour morning walk around the neighborhood. One of the neighborhood cats was crossing the street. Ruger noticed immediately, ears perked and _shoulder hairs bristled_. This is very worrisome, because he sees other animals -- birds, small dogs, but I've never seen his shoulder hairs bristled. I can only attribute this to a high prey drive.
> 
> If this is a sign of a high prey drive, can he ever learn to accept cats?
> 
> If the answer is "No" or "very unlikely", then I may have to decide that I can't keep Ruger. I've had Ruger for 1 week and I've had my cat for 5 years. Ruger is a great dog in all other aspects and I'm enjoying his companionship, but if he will likely never accept coexistence with my cat, then sadly I cannot keep him or he may have to be relegated to an outdoor dog run and he can only have limited visiting hours when the cat isn't around.
> 
> I welcome all of your advice and opinion, anything that will help my situation.



Our sweet cat Joey is a stray that showed up in our back yard about 4 years ago. He is the easiest going cat I know (kind of actually acts like a dog in most respects!). He even runs to the door when the doorbell rings and even though he was our only pet for the last 4 years, we had dog sat for several of our friends' dogs while they were away and Joey always got along with the dogs.

Soooo, we just got our first GSD about 5 weeks ago and our new puppy showed a lot of interest in our cat and still does, but primarily when he is in a high energy mood (puppy crazies we call them). But, if he is just chillin on his bed, he might look up but not chase. 

What has worked for us is:

1) Long lead so we can correct in the moment.
2) We have given the command "leave the kitty" as opposed to the normal "leave it" which applies to so many things. We wanted him to understand "kitty". Of course as soon as he turns his head in the slightest from fixation on the kitty, he is treated. It took him a few days to learn this but it is working like a charm. Now he knows when we say "Leave the kitty" and he obeys he gets a big treat. I have treats on me ALWAYS!
3) When our dog is just waking up from sleep and in "slow, calm, sleepy mode", I have been down on the floor with the dog and the cat together and treating the dog for paying attention to me and not the cat. Our cat is not in any way scared of the dog and even likes to clean his ears while he is sleeping so that actually helps me with training the dog!  I just have to be constantly ON GUARD when they are both in the same room to catch the dog in the act of looking at the cat. If I happen to see the dog just casually walking by the cat, I will remind him to "leave the kitty" and he will walk right past the cat now and focus on me. I love seeing the progress.

So far it is going well and working, but it is certainly a process and just involves a lot of training and time. 

Our last dog was a German Shorthair Pointer with a very high prey drive. We got her as a rescue and she loved killing birds and rabbits, but she lived very peacefully with the two cats we had at the time (even sharing water bowls). It CAN be done, but you will have to set very clear boundaries to the dog and NEVER allow chase games between the two. Good luck and I hope you can keep Ruger. So cute!


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## scottkeen

Oh, thanks so much for the encouragement and your story.

I want to keep Ruger too, he's such a great dog. He's my first dog, and I'm enjoying the companionship, the exercise I'm getting.

Ruger is 2 years 3 mos old. I can see if he was raised as a puppy around cats, he would be used to them. My cat is probably the first cat he's seen.

I will use the "Leave the kitty" command as you have done. I use "Leave it" when I don't want him to pay attention to something (chained up barky dogs, kids on bikes, etc). The problem right now is that the cat hasn't been inside since I got the dog so I'm not sure how to get the cat to come indoors and stand her ground. She has a cat door which she can use freely anytime.

With Ruger being 2 years 3 mos old, not a puppy, do you recommend crating Ruger and catching the cat outdoors and bringing her inside and letting her see him in a crate and decide if she wants to run out or not (she will).


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## Tratkins

Our GSP (Pointer) was a 2 year old rescue that had also never seen a cat and it worked out, but with time. Since you definitely can't teach him without the cat, I would try crating the dog and let the cat come in or if you can have another person hold the cat and you be in control of the dog on a leash while treating the dogs good behavior. Let the dog look at the cat (he will!) and you have some treats and say "leave the kitty" and treat heavily when he looks at you. ETA: Build up slowly to getting closer to the cat, walking by the cat with you, etc in time. And we are talking GOOD TREATS TOO (hot dogs, chicken, small pieces of steak). And while your dog is in the crate, let him see you interacting with the cat (soft voice, loving, petting, etc) so Ruger learns the cat is part of the family. I know it sounds crazy and maybe it's for my own comfort, but I explain to the dog in a sweet voice "This is our kitty and we love him". I think time will be on your side and a lot of patience. In the meantime, to keep your kitty safe, I would keep them separated except for during training and when you are solely focused on the two. Increase time together as your dog gets more comfortable. 

When we leave the house and the dog is not with us, which is rare, the dog is crated and our kitty has free run of the house. Also we crate the dog at night and our cat sleeps on our bed so I don't feel like our cat has been "shunned" by any means. Our cat also hangs out on the back of the couch while the dog is asleep. 

It is important to always let the cat have a way to escape if she wants (while not in training). We have stairs in our house and we don't let the dog upstairs yet. It is gated but our cat can jump it if she want to. We haven't let our dog upstairs yet (our master br is downstairs).

Good luck! You will get through this! Your cat is obviously freaked out right now and it will be a learning curve for her too to get more comfy with the idea of the new dog.


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## Elvis2016

I have been reading the post and I have a similar issue. I have a 5 year old German Shepherd and my girlfriend has two cats, one 7years old and in great health and one cat that is 12 years old had has bad hips. I am a college student and have lived at her house during weekends as well as summer and xmas breaks and we always seperate out animals to avoid trouble. My shepherd wants to kill her cats. I had him on a prong collar and one of the cats walked up to him and things looked like they were going good until he lunged for the cat and only stopped because of the prong collar. As it turned out he got a deep cut in the corner of his eyelid and a second cut above his eye. The injury did not slow his advance and he would have continued to go after the cat if I had not had him on a four foot leash. When the cats are in the upstairs bedroom, my Shepherd sits in the corner and fixates on the bedroom door and softly whines. I have tried stacking baby gates on the stairs and to make the upstairs "cat land" and the down stairs "dog land". He will sit next to baby gate and fixate on the upstairs all day. When he is on leash in the house with the cats in the same room it is constant whining. I have sat at home with him for hours, thinking he will eventually tire of whining, but he doe not tire. I have tried to scold him for whining while on leash with the cats in the same room, but I am not even sure he realizes he is whining. He is well exercised and has plenty of toys. He has a very high chase drive. Several years ago he caught a porky pine and was very lucky I was within 30 feet of the start of incident and was able to quickly put it to a stop. He was not deterred by 25-30 quills in his muzzle and mouth and continued to bite the porky pine despite his injuries. I really beleive he would have not stopped biting the porky pine until he had seriously injured himself. I was walking him on leash a few months later and he tried to go after another porky pine despite his painful negative encounter. His is plenty smart and his energy level and chase drive are so high that I use him pretty effectively to hunt birds and flush quail. In summery after dating for 2 years I feel like the dog and cats will never be in the same room. My shepherd is indifferent to getting scratched and has a high chase drive. The cats are getting older and dont move as quick as they used to. I have read the threads would like to hear some new ideas.


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## HankGSD

Hank has turned out to have an enormously high prey drive. If he was about 40 pounds lighter he would be an ideal police K9. But in regards the cats. My two were both 6 years old when I got Hank and I had no doubt they would show him who owned the house, who was boss, and who had the claws. But nope, didn't turn out that way. They are terrified of him and stay in the basement or in my kids' bedrooms. The few occasions when they have "met" since he was a pup his main motivation before I have intervened is getting to chase them, then he wants to smell and lick them and mouth them; their fur ends up wet but they are not injured. I am not the least bit happy about this but it is the way is. My dog has a high prey drive. My breeder suggested crating the cats and training the dog to ignore the cats; not worth the stress put on the cats.


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## ZoeD1217

This is stressing me out as well. My cats have always mostly stayed upstairs hopping from one kids room to the others. Zoe stays downstairs where she has all living areas and our room to roam. Even without the cats she wouldn't be upstairs until older bc there are just too many fun things to chew among the children's rooms. 
Anyway... So the cats are not afraid to come down and I have been consistent with having Zoe sit when the cats are around. She desperately wants to see them and she doesn't bark or try to run after them but everytime my older cat comes near she (the cat) just growls and makes all sorts of racket. Zoe and Emma (9 yr old cat) were about a foot from each other and neither stepped forward but both leaned their heads in and Emma swatted Zoe in the face. She has claws but I don't see any scratches and Zoe didn't scream. I feel bad for Zoe though. It scared her and she's just a baby (10 weeks) and she has listened so well. Even when Emma is staring her down she will stay focused on me and sit or lie down. I don't know how to get them used to each other since I'd prefer to not take Zoe upstairs and I can't really make the cats come down without ticking them off. 

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## Tratkins

Try watching this video from Zac George. I found it very helpful! And also the key is lots of patience and baby steps. Good luck!

How to train your dog to leave your cat alone - YouTube

It the link doesn't work, it is Zac George how to train your dog to leave your cat alone.


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## Chip18

Elvis2016 said:


> I have been reading the post and I have a similar issue. I have a 5 year old German Shepherd and my girlfriend has two cats, one 7years old and in great health and one cat that is 12 years old had has bad hips. I am a college student and have lived at her house during weekends as well as summer and xmas breaks and we always seperate out animals to avoid trouble. My shepherd wants to kill her cats. I had him on a prong collar and one of the cats walked up to him and things looked like they were going good until he lunged for the cat and only stopped because of the prong collar. As it turned out he got a deep cut in the corner of his eyelid and a second cut above his eye. The injury did not slow his advance and he would have continued to go after the cat if I had not had him on a four foot leash. When the cats are in the upstairs bedroom, my Shepherd sits in the corner and fixates on the bedroom door and softly whines. I have tried stacking baby gates on the stairs and to make the upstairs "cat land" and the down stairs "dog land". He will sit next to baby gate and fixate on the upstairs all day. When he is on leash in the house with the cats in the same room it is constant whining. I have sat at home with him for hours, thinking he will eventually tire of whining, but he doe not tire. I have tried to scold him for whining while on leash with the cats in the same room, but I am not even sure he realizes he is whining. He is well exercised and has plenty of toys. He has a very high chase drive. Several years ago he caught a porky pine and was very lucky I was within 30 feet of the start of incident and was able to quickly put it to a stop. He was not deterred by 25-30 quills in his muzzle and mouth and continued to bite the porky pine despite his injuries. I really beleive he would have not stopped biting the porky pine until he had seriously injured himself. I was walking him on leash a few months later and he tried to go after another porky pine despite his painful negative encounter. His is plenty smart and his energy level and chase drive are so high that I use him pretty effectively to hunt birds and flush quail. In summery after dating for 2 years I feel like the dog and cats will never be in the same room. My shepherd is indifferent to getting scratched and has a high chase drive. The cats are getting older and dont move as quick as they used to. I have read the threads would like to hear some new ideas.


To me it sounds like you have more dog than you can deal with as regards the cats. Get qualified help. keep them apart or lose the dog or the cats,

If I tell my dogs Down and Stay!!! They down and stay! That's the kind of control you need over your dogs. 

Regards the prong you've used it wrong you might as well lose it now your dog doesn't care about it, been there.


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## Chip18

Tratkins said:


> if you can have another person hold the cat and you be in control of the dog on a leash while treating the dogs good behavior


This sounds reasonable but....

I made a mistake in cat handling, new skittish cat,my guys we in a down stay when i "tried hand carry this new cat into the house, the dogs never moved but got excited and started
to bark , the cat freaked! Being a moron I persisted in hanging onto what had now become a buzz saw of a cat by the scuff of his neck, I scoped a hand under his butt and that's when he the cat bit me through a finger nail!!!

At that point I decided this battle was lost for now. That mistake wound up with me going to the ER, serious infection, talk of amputation of finger, $$$ etc.
Six years ago, cat is still with us today one of my favorite cats and gets along with the dogs just fine.


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## Chip18

Elvis2016 said:


> I have been reading the post and I have a similar issue.


PM sent.


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## Mocha

My working line male has tremendous pray drive and I got a kitten when he was about 6? Months old. He chases her like crazy but she LOVES it. I was doing the absolutely no chasing thing until I realized she was trying SO hard to entice him. One time he was doing a little "nibbling" thing to her, possibly cleaning? her and I went to "rescue" her and she was purring as loud as a motor boat. Whenever he falls asleep she tries to sneak and lay with him... I guess I got lucky with a strange dog loving cat. 
Anyways, moral of the story is they can definitely live together with a heavy prey drive. If he catches her, he never hurts her .


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## Tratkins

Chip18 said:


> This sounds reasonable but....
> 
> I made a mistake in cat handling, new skittish cat,my guys we in a down stay when i "tried hand carry this new cat into the house, the dogs never moved but got excited and started
> to bark , the cat freaked! Being a moron I persisted in hanging onto what had now become a buzz saw of a cat by the scuff of his neck, I scoped a hand under his butt and that's when he the cat bit me through a finger nail!!!
> 
> At that point I decided this battle was lost for now. That mistake wound up with me going to the ER, serious infection, talk of amputation of finger, $$$ etc.
> Six years ago, cat is still with us today one of my favorite cats and gets along with the dogs just fine.


Good point. Luckily my cat isn't afraid of our new dog at all so we didn't have that problem, but I have seen cats send people to the ER like that and it is ugly! Bit through your finger nail??? Yikes! So glad your story turned out to be a good one down the road and you stuck it out. We have to know our own animals and take that into account how much they can handle. Much like Mocha's cat, mine will sneak to lay by and clean our dog's ears and lay near him when he is asleep. When dog is awake but out of reach, our cat will roll on his back like he want to play, but puppy is too rough if he actually gets to the cat. I hope that when the puppy stage is over, they will learn to be great friends like yours!


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## Chip18

Neighbors cats sorta, at that time, mine now!


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## Chip18

Mocha said:


> My working line male has tremendous pray drive and I got a kitten when he was about 6? Months old. He chases her like crazy but she LOVES it. I was doing the absolutely no chasing thing until I realized she was trying SO hard to entice him. One time he was doing a little "nibbling" thing to her, possibly cleaning? her and I went to "rescue" her and she was purring as loud as a motor boat. Whenever he falls asleep she tries to sneak and lay with him... I guess I got lucky with a strange dog loving cat.
> Anyways, moral of the story is they can definitely live together with a heavy prey drive. If he catches her, he never hurts her .
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Glad he hasn't killed your cat, no one that trains cat dog intro's advocates dogs chasing cats perio,d end of story! .

No, I have no cute cat chasing dog or dog chasing cat stories but what I do have is a history of very old cats passing away of old age.


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## Mocha

Chip18 said:


> Glad he hasn't killed your cat, no one that trains cat dog intro's advocates dogs chasing cats perio,d end of story! .
> 
> No, I have no cute cat chasing dog or dog chasing cat stories but what I do have is a history of very old cats passing away of old age.


I didn't introduce them that way. I just realized they enjoy playing with each other and he doesn't harm her. I introduced them over a two week period before allowing either of them in a room together freely and it worked just fine. I realize this hardly works out for anyone else so perhaps I got lucky. 


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## Chip18

Mocha said:


> I didn't introduce them that way. I just realized they enjoy playing with each other and he doesn't harm her. I introduced them over a two week period before allowing either of them in a room together freely and it worked just fine. I realize this hardly works out for anyone else so perhaps I got lucky.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Well so far you have. Not a big fan of "luck" myself. I much prefer a "trained" response.

So if your happy with your arrangement that's fine.

I'll try and help folks who "don't" feel "lucky".


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## Chip18

I kinda went off earlier and I apologize for that. You can't brow beat someone into listening, and chasing away folks is not helping anyone! So in order to try and make up for that:

Found this articular in an older thread

Cat-to-Dog Introductions | Little Big Cat


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## Chip18

I also had two opportunities (unplanned) to test my "dogs who live with and don't chase cats..don't chase cats" theory.

Yesterday I took Rocky for a walk he's next to me in a fenced yard, I see first one then another black cat behind the chain length fence. The cats freeze I watch Rocky waiting for a reaction... nothing ,zero nada!

Hmm well maybe he did'nt see them???

So today on a walk we go around the block, Rocky takes a dump, I bend down to clean it, notice his collar needs adjustment so I remove it and his leash and tell him to stay.

I'm on my knees cleaning up dog poo and I look at the neighbor's open gate!!! I see a large black cat again freezing in the open gate entry! This time we are 20 feet away, Rocky is off his leash and the cat is there exposed!

I look at Rocky...nothing, no reaction, he never moved. Course it's just a one dog sample so hardly representative but I'd be curious of others, cat trained dogs experiences?


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## meldy

Im struggling a little with this (only I have a rottie) and the issue at first was not the dog.
The dog seemed to ignore the cat. Walked by her, didn't seem to care....and then the cat lost her **** mind and has decided this dog does not belong in her house.
And, as far as I can tell, has declared war on the dog.

This seems to have set the dog off too so now all they try to do is eat each other. I mean the cat full on runs AT the dog like a little furry whirling dervish making noises I didn't think cats could make. All claws and hair. No fear at all.
The dog is more than down for a fight now although thus far Ive pulled her off as soon as she pinned the cat to the floor (broke my toe and wrenched my shoulder in the process)...This only happened twice. The first time the cat attacked the dog and again yesterday. The second time the dog went after the cat (I was right there both times but it happens awfully fast!)
They're now separated by a room most of the time (the cat is locked in her own room) but Im not sure how to get them to just ignore each other or whatever. 
As far as I can tell the cat is the instigator I just don't know how to get her to stop. They both want to kill each other now.


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## Chip18

Oh crap! Usually the introductions work by controlling the dog not the cat!!! Principle is still going to be the same. Dog needs to be non cat reactive.

Can I guess that the cat dog intro was not well planed? Was this dog every around cats? I'm guessing while the dog might not have gone after the cats, he might have been sending out bad vibes?

Needless to say the dog never should have been able " to pin the cat". Certainly not twice, dog is still new to you, "drag leash" should have been on her if other animals are involved.

Water under the bridge now I know but fill in the blanks..I think I have a plan!


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## meldy

Chip18 said:


> Oh crap! Usually the introductions work by controlling the dog not the cat!!! Principle is still going to be the same. Dog needs to be non cat reactive.
> 
> Can I guess that the cat dog intro was not well planed? Was this dog every around cats? I'm guessing while the dog might not have gone after the cats, he might have been sending out bad vibes?
> 
> Needless to say the dog never should have been able " to pin the cat". Certainly not twice, dog is still new to you, "drag leash" should have been on her if other animals are involved.
> 
> Water under the bridge now I know but fill in the blanks..I think I have a plan!


 
The first intro I honestly was unprepared. My cat has been around a few dogs without issue. She's overly cocky and dogs, as a general rule, just don't know what to make of her so they tend to avoid her. Even my daughters lab who actually goes out of her way to eat cats avoids mine like the plague. The rottie seemed to be ignoring the cat when I first brought her home so I let them both be loose.
That didn't work. Since then they have only been together supervised. The second incident the dog was on a leash but she's probably 150lbs...Im not....she pulled me right over in her lunge under my kitchen table at the cat and managed to wrench my shoulder, my back is sore and I broke a toe somehow in the process. 

The dog isn't used to cats. She's used to everything else and seemed to ignore the cat until the cat pulled her Tasmanian devil routine and now it's all out war.


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## Chip18

I saw it done on this show but I can't find the full episode! 






Feed the cat and the dog with a solid door between them a bedroom maybe. You'll need a second person in the room with the cat.

You can just put the dog's food outside the door. The cat's food you need to see how close you can get the cat's bowl to the closed door. They can smell each other and that's the goal.

When you can get the cat to finally eat very close to the closed door then you can move to the next step a baby gate. Same deal once again and start over for distance, dog close and move the cat closer to the gate. Soon as they can eat close to each other then you can try feeding then in the same room.

When they can be in the same room I would feed the cat high and the dog low..and make sure the cat has save places when they are in the same room no point in pushing it! 

Mostly what went wrong was you moved to fast, the dog was new the cat didn't trust him and unfortunately "that" cats first reaction was not to run!

So you have to build a relationship of trust between the two of them. 

You also need to bond better with the dog. The dog should "stay" when you tell him to more obedience exercise games and bonding time required, 

But a stay is out the window for this cat/dog situation so the door thing is a better option. Did I explain it well enough? Ask questions if your unsure.

I saw this on TV a couple of weeks ago but I can't find the full episode, My Cat from ****, is the show. 

Also I guess it goes without saying, don't hold the cat in the dogs presence!


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## Lacey1986

My cat Patches reacted with hisses & growls when we first got our dog, Chase, he was a Dane/Lab mix. He passed a few days ago at 7 years old & we took in a 2 year old female GS. 

Patches was NOT happy. It was a bit worse than when Chase moved in, but I believe she is grieving the loss on top of this new dog in the home. I have her in the spare bedroom with her cat tree, Chase's kennel & everything she needs. I even make visits to her to share the new dogs scent & play.

Storm, the newest addition was around cats before, but the cats just ran away from her. She barked at cats that were outdoors. I've grabbed a pillow case with the cats scent on it, gave it to Storm & her reaction was to curl up and sleep on it after sniffing.

Storm is still very unsure, we just got her yesterday, I don't want to actually have them meet again until Storm is okay around the house & Patches can have her time to grieve & get the scent down.

Just a few minutes ago, Storm opened the door to the room Patches is in, she got her nose in there, but Patches only puffed up (no growling or hissing this time). Blocking the door off later when we sleep. 

I have an ecollar already, so I can use that. 

Thanks for sharing all these tips, they will come in handy big time. Patches is the queen of the house, but she is a bit skiddish. I plan to lock her in our bedroom whenever we leave the house (she sleeps in the dresser drawer), so she'll be safe.


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## Chip18

Lacey1986 said:


> My cat Patches reacted with hisses & growls when we first got our dog, Chase, he was a Dane/Lab mix. He passed a few days ago at 7 years old & we took in a 2 year old female GS.
> 
> Patches was NOT happy. It was a bit worse than when Chase moved in, but I believe she is grieving the loss on top of this new dog in the home. I have her in the spare bedroom with her cat tree, Chase's kennel & everything she needs. I even make visits to her to share the new dogs scent & play.
> 
> Storm, the newest addition was around cats before, but the cats just ran away from her. She barked at cats that were outdoors. I've grabbed a pillow case with the cats scent on it, gave it to Storm & her reaction was to curl up and sleep on it after sniffing.
> 
> Storm is still very unsure, we just got her yesterday, I don't want to actually have them meet again until Storm is okay around the house & Patches can have her time to grieve & get the scent down.
> 
> Just a few minutes ago, Storm opened the door to the room Patches is in, she got her nose in there, but Patches only puffed up (no growling or hissing this time). Blocking the door off later when we sleep.
> 
> I have an ecollar already, so I can use that.
> 
> Thanks for sharing all these tips, they will come in handy big time. Patches is the queen of the house, but she is a bit skiddish. I plan to lock her in our bedroom whenever we leave the house (she sleeps in the dresser drawer), so she'll be safe.


Post 8 just got a rescue:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...behavior/431289-new-dog-very-challenging.html

That sounds pretty good the dog may have actually lived with cats? Sounds like you understand the general rules, get a better under understanding of your "new" dogs general behaviour let him settle in "just got a rescue" and let the cat roam.

Feeding one high and one low or a baby gate at the bedroom door and feed in front of each other can work also. Feeding in proximity but "not" together!


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## scottkeen

4 months ago, I was writing about how my 2-year old GSD "Ruger" wanted to eat my cat Kilia. He would jump at her, lunge at her, bark insanely, jump up against doors and windows trying to get at her. He would literally stare at her and *drool*. He has a very high prey drive.

4 months later, and after some strict disciplining with Ruger, here's where we are. Still, to this day, when he sees a cat, he whines and whimpers, his breathing gets deep and heavy, and the hairs on his shoulders bristle and and stand up. A quick pinch of his ears and a "CUT THAT OUT! LEAVE THE KITTY!" and he turns his attention elsewhere.


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## Chip18

Sounds good and great progress but don't relax, it appears that he's good with "your" cat. My guys don't "react" to any cat.

It seems you have a firm handle on it. Here's another approach from Jason Galaxy...My Cat From **** guy.

Introducing Dogs and Cats | Jackson Galaxy

Not my approach but it may work for some.


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## scottkeen

Just wanted to give everyone hope who is trying to do what they can to get the GSD and their cats to get along.

When I first got Ruger my GSD, he wanted to eat cats. He would bark, snarl, and lunge at cats. I remember him jumping up against my glass patio door standing up and pounding his front legs against the glass door barking viciously at my cat on the other side. My poor cat was terrified and didn't come home for a month.

3 months after, Ruger and my cat are sleeping in the same room together. A month later I decided to foster a cat who was on death row because she had a cold, when I got the call from a cat rescue person.

Ruger has really taken to this sick kitty! He licks her all over and she's not afraid of my 90-lb dog. See the video.

Ruger licking Mama Bear - YouTube


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## Tratkins

I just read your updates Scottkeen! I am SO happy things have worked out for you and that Ruger now has 2 kitties to love!!! Good job!


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## tausha

*Next Step Question*

I realize this post is old, but thought maybe you guys who have had success in training down that prey drive with your GSD and your cats, could give a girl some help?? 

I have a foster GSD that my hubby has fallen in love with (for good reason, he has a beautiful soul) and we're thinking about keeping him BUT we have to be able to safely trust him with the cats. That's the issue I'm seeking some help on. I've only trained dogs from puppies and the foster training is a different world for me.

My Q is where do you guys suggest we advance to next?

Where we are at: we have been running through "leave it" and "look" drills and he does well (clicker training). We have worked up to highly controlled 'doorframe' interactions (this has been a stepwise process, but right now he is clicker trained to lay down, put his head on the ground, and he can sniff the cat - which is on the other side or in my lap - I bar the doorframe physically and hubby has him on harness and one hand on his collar as a precaution - he does well with all of this - performs beautifully, no straining). BUT he shows stalking behaviors before and after the controlled meetings & has nosed the cat in way that appeared to be engineered to get her to run - we corrected him and he has not done it again. I infer from his behavior that he thinks one day, when he has proved himself, that we will reward him with a kitty snack. So, the "leave it" is being used with something he highly prizes that moves, but that he cannot ever have (a roll ball thing with a very exciting fin on top) & sometimes food (he's simply already very well behaved around our food and is not food motivated so even putting our plate of steak on the floor and he'll turn away). 

Background: He has chased one of the cats on meeting -- it was poorly done, and I'm still beating myself up over it, but I was told the cats were up (kids) and I had never worked with a 110# dog - he surprised me, pulled me flat over initially but I gave swift alpha correction which he responded to. We started him on Clomicalm (clomipramine, an old school TCA) for separation anxiety about 4 days ago (hopefully just to work on training him past his SA). He starts obedience in ten days or so. He has been neglected but not physically abused, does not challenge the alpha, only cares about snuggling with his people and loves his tennis balls. We have dates and some info from his owners to the shelter, and from his behaviors (like his marked fear response when he saw the cable out back - we do NOT cable our dogs, it came with the house) I'd say his life has gone like this: He was given as puppy as a christmas gift, never properly trained, so when he hit #110 & they couldn't control him, they put him outside, but he busted loose repeatedly to get to them, eventually they dropped him at a shelter. He does NOT shrink away from the broom, NOR from big gestures, never cowers - simply has no signs of physical trauma, and was HW (-). He is solid and good natured. He appears to have busied himself with chasing squirrels. The trainer we have signed up with is great and I'm excited to work with her, but this is a basic manners class. We cannot afford privates (not until I'm out of school in Dec). I'd like some advice on the cat - dog intro extending beyond the doorway. One of the cats is very determined that she will not remain away from me and I want to make sure it's a controlled meeting that has a positive outcome. One last thing, I am hoping to add a puppy to the family this year for some nose work, dock diving, and maybe SAR - that dog will go with me, the foster would continue to stay with hubby, keeping them separate as much as possible for training purposes, but I want, very much, to ensure that the foster dog's drive is totally under control when we bring the puppy into the house (there is no date on this - I have even been postponing putting in my app to my breeder to make sure the house is settled). So, beside just wanting a calm home environment, I have some other reasons for wanting the foster dog's prey drive to be trained down some. (Bad behaviors rub off.) 

Thanks for any next-step advice you guys have for me!


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## Chip18

tausha said:


> I realize this post is old, but thought maybe you guys who have had success in training down that prey drive with your GSD and your cats, could give a girl some help??
> 
> I have a foster GSD that my hubby has fallen in love with (for good reason, he has a beautiful soul) and we're thinking about keeping him BUT we have to be able to safely trust him with the cats. That's the issue I'm seeking some help on. I've only trained dogs from puppies and the foster training is a different world for me.
> 
> My Q is where do you guys suggest we advance to next?


As threads go...this one is not that old.

I would loose the Alpha Dog thinking, good way to get yourself hurt! You have "thumbs" your dog doesn't. The "Alpha" thing has been thoroughly debunked 

I would also "suggest" you rethink the new puppy in a year, idea. The best advice is to "always" have one well trained dog before adding a second! 

If you get it wrong, you will more easily be able to understand this, High Rank Drive:

(Elements of Temperament, by Joy Tiz )

Not a lot of fun!

So finally the cat thing and "leave it??" For "me" uh no, the cat is part of the pack not an object. "Leave it" has a different connotation than "NO!"

No insult intended to "scottkeen" or "leerburgh" for that matter.  But I don't have cute cat dog clips to post.

My dogs don't do that. My one rule is hard and fast. The Dog "never chases, the cat." If the dog is upright...not foot forward towards the cat period!

If the dogs are on there bed, the cats are free to interact with them as they please. If the cat walks away, play time is over. The cats sleep with and on the dogs, they run up to the dogs when they go outside. The dogs will dip their head to greet them or ignore them as they see fit.

The cats are simply part of the household, no more no less. I would train "The Place Command":

Why the “Place” Command is So Important and Your Dog Should Know It! - TheDogTrainingSecret.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIGq_5r0DeE

If the Dog steps towards the Cat it's ..."Place" playtime is over! He should figure it out pretty quickly!


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## tausha

What you say makes a lot of sense. I'll try the place command. It really makes a lot of sense and I used it a lot with my last dog, so yeah - thank you! I know the alpha thing is controversial but it's worked for me to lay the dogs down momma dog style when they have been egregious which is such a rare occurrence that it's not really worth mentioning except I put a stop to that one incident and his behavior improved - it's just info. Thank you for the reply - it helps a lot!


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## Chip18

So is the "current dog a foster??" then a puppy? Just curious.


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## tausha

Yes, hubby's in love with the foster but I want a working dog - but that's not now that's later - once we get foster into the groove and really well behaved - and that's if we keep him. [We're not going to rush it + we have a plan in place where the dogs are separate every work day, each w/ their person]

The foster is hard to place with his separation anxiety (HUGE) and his cat issues, so we're working with these issues regardless of whether or not we opt to keep him. The SA is going well but it'll take awhile (solid incremental plan).

Puppies have always been easy enough for me to teach that the cat is part of the family, even my last dog who had a high prey drive and didn't grow up with cats because the basic commands/ respect/ strong relationship were all there. Let me say very clearly, that I'm not a professional trainer and certainly not an expert, I just use what works, am consistent, like the clicker, and work, work, work my dogs and my dogs have grown to be jedi-psychic-yoda masters (jk). Naw, but really, they've been amazing dogs. Growing the puppy up where you make sure the outcome is positive & the temperament is there is just so much easier than training a dog that has 2 years of reinforced prey-hunting behaviors, lol (again, NOT a trainer!). For the record, I do get that it sounds crazy to teach the dog "leave it" with the cat, BUT in spite of the many exposures that should have shown him that the cat is family, he just wasn't making the connection & was totally overcome with his drive (we've had other foster dogs and visitor dogs that we taught to respect the cat in the house) so we backed up to some basic commands that yielded outcomes we wanted and crossed our fingers that the effects wouldn't make our work harder in the end. He is beginning to trust us and is responding really well to the SA work we're doing so we should be able to progress with the cats. Place command this week! I have the week off


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