Introducing
a New Dog to a Resident Cat
When you bring your new dog
home do not let him have full access to the house. Confine him to one or two
rooms using baby gates. Let your cat investigate this newcomer at her own pace.
She will most likely sneak a peak and then run off. Eventually she may become
brave enough to go up to the baby gate for a closer look. When she does, praise
her and give her a treat for her daringness. Keep the dog confined until the
cat is comfortably moving about the house and approaching the baby gate to
investigate.
Next you will set up some controlled meetings. Put
the dog on lead and walk him into the room where the cat is sitting. Walk him
around the room on a loose lead (a tight lead will transmit your anxiety about
the situation to the dog). Do not allow the dog to act inappropriately toward
the cat (barking, lunging, chasing). A mild correction (“no”) and a request to
“sit” should suffice. If the correction is too severe the dog will associate
getting into trouble with the cat. Reward calm behavior from the dog using
praise and food treats. In addition, give an extra special treat to the cat
(tuna works well) when the dog is in the room to help make a positive
association in her mind about the presence of the dog.
Expect a certain amount of hissing, swatting, and
growling from your cat. Do not punish her for this or she will associate the
dog with the punishment. Be patient, let her get used to the idea of this big
goofy dog sharing her home.
Repeat these controlled meetings until both animals
remain calm and relaxed with each other. Don’t let the dog have free run of the
house unless you are present until you are sure they are fine together. This
could take weeks to months. Don’t expect too much too soon.