 Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Chris Kennedy ]
#258928 - 12/08/2009 12:53 PM |
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Have the cats been around dogs before?
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Cheryl Gee ]
#258929 - 12/08/2009 12:56 PM |
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Have the cats been around dogs before?
No. Both cats have only ever seen dogs through the window. Neither has come into contact with one.
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Chris Kennedy ]
#258943 - 12/08/2009 01:50 PM |
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How old are the cats? If the cats are older then it may be hard on them. If younger they may adapt better.
First of all put your cats away, and have control of the dog at all times. Crate the dog first and let the cats get used to the idea. You should know soon and have a good overview of all parties intentions.
We have had many foster dogs come into our home through the years and we try to put our cats safety first. No physical contact at first until you know for sure.
I hope this is a help to you.
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Cheryl Gee ]
#258945 - 12/08/2009 02:13 PM |
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How old are the cats? If the cats are older then it may be hard on them. If younger they may adapt better.
They're 2 and 4 years old, so they're still relatively young, but technically adults. They're used to moving around, so they're used to change. I believe the older one has moved at least 4 times, while the younger one has moved at least 3 times.
First of all put your cats away, and have control of the dog at all times. Crate the dog first and let the cats get used to the idea. You should know soon and have a good overview of all parties intentions.
We have had many foster dogs come into our home through the years and we try to put our cats safety first. No physical contact at first until you know for sure.
I hope this is a help to you.
It's a huge help! Thank you for telling me about your experiences. I really appreciate it!
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Chris Kennedy ]
#258956 - 12/08/2009 03:30 PM |
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Did you keep the dog on a leash, or have some way to instantly control or correct the dog when he was out and about in the house?
----
No leash, just my voice. I would have used a line in the house, had I known better at the time.
Ripley & his Precious
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Chris Kennedy ]
#258981 - 12/08/2009 08:47 PM |
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EDIT: I'd like to add that, even though it probably goes without saying, anyone who has experience with acclimating a dog to a cat-household who might have some advice or would like to tell their "story" is welcome and encouraged to do so.
When I got divorced, I moved in for a time with a good friend who has three cats.
I put Casey in a firm (FIRM!) down-stay, and let the cats come up to her in their own time, experience the dog, smell her, etc. Casey laid there, bored by the process, and the cats learned that she (Casey) wasn't a threat.
One of the cats (who was cross-eyed, and might have just thought she was dealing with a really BIG cat) loved to snuggle with Casey; one didn't snuggle but would "play" by chasing the dog around the house (that was a sight, let me tell ya!); and the third cat (who, in my opinion, was the feline equivalent of the grumpy old man who'd yell at the neighbor kids 'Get off my lawn!') just ignored her.
My experience.
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Jeff Brosius ]
#259043 - 12/09/2009 01:31 PM |
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Thanks for your input, Jeff. That helps a lot. Had Casey ever interacted with cats before? I get the feeling that she hadn't, but I could be wrong.
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Chris Kennedy ]
#259089 - 12/09/2009 06:23 PM |
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Yeah, she had. We had, at the time I brought Casey home, two horses, a cat, and an old Siberian Husky (who didn't want to do much but loaf around, and ignored my cat.)
Then I brought Casey home.
I suppose it's possible that it was a combination of a couple things:
1. Casey is smart and takes corrections/commands well (verbal corrections work about 99% of the time, and only rarely have I ever needed to leash-correct her.)
2. She probably picked up on Bandit's attitude toward the cat: "Ignore the cat, and she'll leave you alone... get too close, and she'll sink her claws in your snout. Trust me, kid, I know."
Anyway, Casey learned at an early age that she was not allowed any dominance/aggressiveness toward the cat. Playfulness is accepted, but the first sign of aggression/rough play is ALWAYS sharply corrected with a stern "OUT!"
After that, it was an easy transition to other cats.
Make sense?
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Re: Introducing an adult dog to a household with c
[Re: Jeff Brosius ]
#259129 - 12/10/2009 10:45 AM |
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Anyway, Casey learned at an early age that she was not allowed any dominance/aggressiveness toward the cat. Playfulness is accepted, but the first sign of aggression/rough play is ALWAYS sharply corrected with a stern "OUT!"
After that, it was an easy transition to other cats.
Make sense?
Makes perfect sense and helps a lot.
I can already see how the current cats would react. Indifferent kitty would be first to "scope out" a new dog, while skittish sensitive kitty would take maybe a week to investigate.
I'd most likely start keeping the dog in a crate while he's in the room with me, taking him out for basic marker training during this time, and kind of let the cats deal with the new strangeness. After a few weeks of crate/marker training, then kind of introduce the dog to the cats with strict control.
I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around the whole "social isolation" phase of Mr. Frawley's pack structure training - the one I'm talking about above - and I worry that I might end up being "gushy," like he describes, with a new dog. I just love dogs too damn much.
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