[vjdavis40]

I have just adopted a 3 yr old yellow lab from the humane society. He's a beautiful dog, but he is constantly chasing my cat from one end of the house to the other and driving us all crazy. The cat has not eaten since he's been in the house. Any suggestions as to how I get these (2) to get along?

[Dr D]

The passage of time should take care of most of the problems as the critters get used to each other. Try to teach the dog that it is not good to chase the cat. Eventually the cat will give the dog a lesson with its claws. I have a 10 lb Yorkie who I got when he was 11 months old and his two cats were 2 months old. Now 3 1/2 years later, he will chase and maul his cats even though either cat could kill him and eat him for lunch. I think they all enjoy the game. Perhaps Labman, the dog expert, can shed more light on the situation. Good luck.

[labman]

This could be quite serious. If the dog ever catches the cat, it could quickly kill it. Treat the cat like anything else you don't want the dog to destroy. When it goes after the cat, give it a sharp ''Ut, ut, ut!'' and offer it a toy. Make sure the cat has safe places to retreat to. You might want to buy some of the cat furniture with poles and boxes with small entrances.

Never leave the 2 of them alone together. It would be best to crate the dog when you aren't around. Other dogs may
Not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog
Will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for
Dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with
Something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
Time for more than one dog.

The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position

[RubyPitbull]

Yes, I agree fully with Labman. (Sorry "L" I have to "spread the love".) I was actually waiting for you to respond before I posted.

Dr. D, I have read your postings and you are always such a sweet upbeat person. :) Always nice to see here. But, there definitely is a major difference between a lab and a yorkie. It is obvious that the lab was never socialized around cats when he was a puppy. It very well may kill the cat. Vjdavis, please listen to what labman is saying. The crate is the best solution. And, when you are home, you want to give your cat a safe place to escape to, as he suggests.

My work is primarily with problem dogs. Check with the shelter you adopted him from. Do they offer any training classes? You need to find someone who can train the dog to desensitize him to the cat. Understand that this may not fully "cure" him and you will always have to make sure they are safely separated when you are not home for the rest of their lives. But, at least it will help tremendously when you are home to monitor the situation. It will allow you to have peace reign when you are at home. With the training, it will keep him from chasing the cat in front of you. Because your new addition was never socialized with cats, his natural prey drive will always kick in.

Unfortunately, people are always surprised when after years of interaction, they come home to find the dog has killed the cat, or a smaller dog. I have seen it happen all too frequently among many breeds of dog. I have seen an Airedale tear apart a dachsund after they had been raised and living with each other for years! Just awful. :( Recently, I have seen a husky do the same to a cat.

If you cannot bring yourself to crate your dog for the remainder of his or the cat's life, when you are not around, or if his natural instincts keep kicking in and you find that he does not respond to the desensitivity training, I hate saying it, but it would be kinder to both of them if you return the dog to the shelter. They both need to be kept safe. I am sure the lab is a sweet boy and you don't want to set him up for failure. If he kills your cat and you decide to get rid of him, the shelter may decide that he is a danger and have him euthanized. You need to be pro-active to avoid and head off any dangerous situations.

FYI, my dog has been fully socialized with puppies, kittens, and small children. She is very good with them. She has never shown any aggression with them or given me reason to doubt her. But, I never forget that she is a pitbull. I never, ever, leave her alone with anything or anybody that is smaller than she is. I never leave her alone with adult strangers. I have only left her alone with people who I have personally observed who have handled her properly. I live on a large piece of property with very few neighbors and yet, she is never off lead or out of my line of vision. I am very aware of the fact that all it takes is one second for her to change our lives forever.

[labman]

I am not even sure dogs want to kill cats. It is just that they play rough. Opposing that idea is the way larger dogs play with smaller ones.

Oh yes, spread rep. I skip approving a good answer because if their next answer is great, I won't be able to.

Ruby actually has more experience working with dogs that didn't get a good start.

[RubyPitbull]

Unfortunately, some dogs, if not give the right start in life and if not socialized with cats, do view the cat as prey. It really depends on the breeding and history. I think you are right, when it comes to labs, but my point here is, since this dog's origins are unknown, we just don't know what is going on in his head.

I will say that prey drive is a reason I will not adopt a second pit into my household, I will only foster them occasionally now, when the shelter has no other place to put them. And, even then, I won't take an older pit that I do not have full background info on. My dog is very sweet and friendly with everyone, but will react to the other dogs around her. I have seen the "pack mentality" come out in her when she is around aggressive pits. Very scary. Although, I think in this situation, the poster doesn't have to worry about that.