If your dog is gentle and friendly, and doesn't have too much "prey drive,” he may be a good candidate for successfully living with a cat. In general, kittens and laid back cats are good candidates for successfully living with a dog. Without these  behavioral elements, this task will be more challenging. It’€™s up to you to protect your new cat and set up introductions carefully so that she feels safe and has a mellow experience getting acquainted with your dog. You want the initial meetings to be as stress free as possible. Prepare for the arrival of your new cat by working with your dog to refresh his obedience skills. Two exercises that are important for him to do well when cued, are a recall (coming when called) and a “leave it”� exercise. These skills will help you control him if he gets overexcited around your cat.  

At first, confine your new cat in a room with her food, water and litter box. You can start to introduce her to your dog by the doorway to that room. Fill your pockets with treats that your dog loves, (and have treats that your cat will love as well). Use a baby gate in the door, and walk your dog slowly by the doorway several times each day for a couple of days. Praise and treat him for calm behavior, and then toss the cat a treat as well. This way, she associates your dog with treats. If your dog overreacts to the cat, distract him and get his attention focused on you. Avoid accomplishing this by using leash corrections or treat bribery. Instead, ask him to do basic obedience skills, like "sit' or "down". Use treats to reward him for his obedience in the presence of something as tempting as your new cat. Your cat should be free to approach the baby gate to get closer to the dog or to retreat if she wants to. Reward her any time she approaches the baby gate by tossing her treats. More on this next time.

A native of Louisiana, SRQ Daily Columnist Gregg Flowers owns Dog's Best Friend Dog Training Services here in Sarasota, where he "teaches dogs and trains people." Gregg became fascinated by our relationship with dogs as a boy in the '60s, and by 1985 had developed his own unique style of working with dogs and their humans

Dog's Best Friend