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Do you or someone you know have a dog that has a problem chasing the cats in his or her home?  Have you tried EVERYTHING you can think of to get him to stop?  Have you even considered an e-collar as an option to stop this “out of control” behavior, even though you think it might be cruel?  If those questions describe your pet situation or the situation of someone you know, read on or share a link with them.  If you may have a “blended” family of cats and dogs in the future, this may be a useful tool when you introduce them.

The situation that brought about this article is a home where they have recently introduced a new dog into a home with two cats, who have been around for a while.  When this dog, a lhasa/shihtzu mix, chases the cats, they flee “like a bat outta hell” (their words, not mine).  They find comfort in a hiding place that is out of the dog’s reach in the home’s garage or under a bed.  They have tried many different methods to tackle this issue, but nothing has worked thus far.  They are afraid that the cats will get fed up with the chasing and leave home.

If you do not know already, a dog chases cats because they run from us!  It does not matter what the animal is, if they run, they will get chased.  That is our prey drive kicking in.

My first words of wisdom from my experiences with the felines, is that if the cats still have their front claws, it is only a matter of time before they will introduce the dog to a vicious claw.  This dog has only been around for a few weeks, so now is the time to start laying down your rules.  To keep your dog clawmark-free, your first step is to teach your dog the LEAVE IT command.  When he has mastered that, put a non-retractable leash six feet long on your dog.  I have said it before, and I will say it again…  YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL.  Let him pull the leash around the house.  If he starts to chew it, you may have to spray your leash with Right Guard deodorant, or something with an equally horrible taste.

Whenever your dog starts to chase the cats, tell him to LEAVE IT and step on the leash that is trailing behind him!  This is one of the strongest ways you can let your dog know that you can control his behavior.  While you are working with him to quit the cat chasing game, you need to restrict your dog so that he is always in the same room with you.  As with potty training, if you cannot physically keep your eyes on your dog, he needs to be in a confined area.  Being able to go wherever he wants in the house is a privilege that a dog must earn, and if he insists on chasing the cats, then he will spend a lot of time in a confined area.

To introduce the cats to your dog, I recommend trying this:

1. Put the leash on your dog.
2. Sit down to watch TV, read a book, or whatever you enjoy.
3. Make sure that you are stepping on the leash, so that he cannot run them off.
4. This will give the cats an opportunity to come into the room and even approach the dog.

This can take a few days or a few months.  The important thing is that you do not give up!  If your dog is still in his puppyhood, he may grow out of this behavior.

Worry not!  Your cats are probably not planning to leave home.  They know that they eat pretty well at home, and they can get into places that your dog cannot.

With a dog, repetition is key.  Just because you do something one time and you do not get the desired results, do not give up.  Keep doing it over and over and over, until you achieve your goal.  That is the key to training your dog…  Practice, practice, practice.  The Pittsburgh Steelers do not just run plays one time.  They spend months practicing and practicing it until they get it right before the season even begins.