As dog lovers, it is already an established fact for us that our pals are natural chasers of whatever catches their attention. Whether for play, for food, for perceived danger, they tend to exert energy in chasing different things. And yes, even our poor cats are not safe with this behavior.
Perhaps, you are here because this incident already happened before and you want to avoid it occurring again. Good news! You are in the right place for easy and useful tips to prevent your dog from chasing cats.
START WITH TRAINING
It should be reiterated that dogs are natural chasers of things. This, however, can be regulated through training. Teaching your dog when to release this type of behavior is necessary for everyone’s safety. Controlled aggression in our pals would help them be more approachable to anybody who comes near them even if it is our cat.
Training our dogs will be more effective if we apply a reward system. Dogs have the ability to acknowledge their good and bad behaviors according to how their caretakers react to them. The more the good behavior is reinforced, the higher the chance of it being repeated.
Since you are training your dog a specific behavior, you must be consistent at all times. Set rules. Be faithful in imposing them. Make your dog feel that you are proud of him when he obeys the rules by giving him treats. However, make sure that he does not just depend on rewards. If possible, give the rewards intermittently as the training process goes on.
CHOOSE A GOOD PLACE FOR YOUR CAT & DOG TO MEET
Choosing the most suitable place for your dog and cat to meet could help. A non-threatening environment helps both your pets feel that they are safe to be themselves without thinking about any harm coming at them at any given moment.
A relaxing part of your home (e.g. living room and bedroom) is always the best place for your pets to meet and eventually greet each other peacefully with you in the middle.
AVOID STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
Speaking of you being in the middle, this sets a positive tone for your pets’ meet-up. Both of them would feel that you are on their side. Communicate to them that you will not allow any harm that may cause them stress.
Your cat may initially be afraid of your playful dog. Staying closer to your stressed pet would make him safe. On the other hand, talking to your dog and making him remember all the training he has gone through would be useful in this situation.
SUPERVISE EARLY MEETUPS
Be certain that if your pets have yet to establish a good relationship with each other, then they should be separated when they are not supervised. It gives you an assurance that both of them are safe and free of anxiety.
You can only be more lenient when you already see improvements in your dog’s behavior. This is when he slowly learns controlled aggression.
THE BEST TOOL IS… YOU!
The goal of preventing your dog from chasing your cat can only be effective if you are in full control of all situations. The way you manage your dog’s aggression and your cat’s anxiety will be the game-changer.
Make sure that you are giving both of them the attention they need, and a good result will follow with ease.
Every action succeeds because of a clear goal and plan. When our goals seek to build a safe and harmonious relationship among our pets, we can always do things for them confidently and peace of mind comes swiftly!
This video from YouTube provides some great advice on teaching your dog not to chase the cat:
