|
Blog & Articles
| MORE GREAT SUPPORT FROM THE MEDIA - 10/1/08 |
|
|
| Danbury News Times |
|
|
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Odd Couple--Introducing the Cat & Dog
A new client recently emailed me to discuss introducing her sister's cat to her
new puppy. There are several ways this can be done. Here's the method I found to be the most successful. That being said,
it is sometimes incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to get an older cat with a negative history of dogs to
live in peaceful coexistence with the new pup. Oftentimes, these cats do not want anything to do with the dog and remain low
key and out of sight. We need to focus on the dog and his inherent desire to chase prey. Whether playing, such as a young
pup, or intensely wanting to chase, catch and kill, we need to consistently and quickly redirect this behavior. I
prefer to teach dogs that cats are off limits entirely and are not to be disturbed. Here's what we'll do:
Using a helper, set up several short daily training sessions--no more than a couple of minutes at first. With your
dog wearing a training collar and leash, put him on a sit/stay next to you. Have your helper hold the cat on the other side
of the room. Remember to keep you energy level calm and quiet. At this stage your dog will mostly likely be very curious and
possibly excited. Insist that he remain in the sit/stay. Praise him for doing so.
Once he is calmed down and sitting
quietly, have the helper bring the cat a few steps closer. If your dog remains quiet at your side in a sit/stay--praise him!.
If he tries to lunge at the cat, give him a stern and dominant sounding, "NO! LEAVE IT!" together with a quick snap
on the leash and put him back into the sit/stay position.
Continue bringing the cat closer a few feet at a time,
repeating the corrections as needed and making sure to praise the dog when he sits quietly and ignores the cat. Remember,
this exercise can take several days, depending on the intensity level of the dog. You may only be able to gain a few feet
per session.
The second step occurs ONLY after your dog is able to sit calmly and quietly with the cat right next
to him. When he can do this consistently, we're going to release the dog from the sit/stay, with the cat being held by
your helper in the room. Let the dog roam around the room, with his lead on (so you can catch him quickly if needed).
If your dog gives even a hint of wanting to chase the cat, grab the leash and give a quick correction like above. Timing is
critical. If he is allowed to chase the cat, even once, he'll want to try it again......and again...........and again.
Once he's reached the level of no interest, you will try the second step with the cat on the floor in the same
room. Remember to keep the leash on your dog at this critical introduction stage. Go slowly and confidently and shortly, you'll
have a harmonious relationship.
9:56 am
|
|
ARTICLES
PUPPY & THE PACK
For thousands of years dogs have
lived in social groups called packs and each pack member has his own position or rank in the pack. Once puppies are able to walk and interact, they try to determine their position
in the litter. A puppy soon learns if he is submissive, the other puppies will push him away from the food. If he is larger and stronger than the other puppies he will most likely be the one doing
the pushing. As puppies get older they will have to figure out their position in the pack.
After a puppy is adopted into his new human pack, he has to re-establish his position. If he was the bully of the litter,
he may try to bully his new pack members. If he was submissive with his littermates, he will probably start out being submissive.
As he grows older and larger he will try to determine where he fits into this new human pack. His ultimate rank will depend
on how his human pack members respond to his actions in various situations.
When first introduced
to his new family, a puppy will usually act somewhat submissive. When greeted, your new puppy may roll over on his back and
urinate or he may squat and urinate. He is sending you a message in dog language which says, “don’t hurt me, I
am not a threat to you.” If he submits in this manner, do not scold him or you will make the problem worse.
As a puppy grows older he will take his cues on how he should respond to his new owners by the way they react
to his actions. For example, a puppy is chewing on his favorite chew toy or rawhide and a child approaches the puppy. The
puppy uses the body language he learned from his littermates to warn the child not to come any closer. These warning signs
may be a low, soft growl, a curled lip, raised hackles or a nip directed at the child. If the child heeds the warning and
backs away, this puppy has just learned that a threatening growl is a good way to keep his prized possessions away from this
particular child. The puppy also learns that his rank or position in his new family is higher than this child’s.
Sometimes children are not able to interpret a puppy’s body language and they do not back
off when warned. After several such incidents, the puppy feels he has given enough prior warning and he bites the child. Other
members of the family may not witness the earlier incidents when the puppy growled and did not bite the child. When the child
finally gets bitten, the mom or dad will often say the puppy bit the child for no reason, with no previous warning and they
may want to get rid of the puppy.
If a puppy gets away with threatening a child or younger
member of the family, he will usually try the same thing when other family members come near one of his favorite possessions.
If the family member gives the puppy a stern correction and lets him know he should never growl at humans, the puppy has just
learned that his position in the new family is lower than the family member who corrected him but still higher than the child
he threatened. Over time, similar incidents will likely occur with every member of his new human pack. The response of each
family member to the puppy’s actions will help determine his ultimate ranking.
Social maturity Once he determines his family
ranking and he submits to higher-ranking family members, there may not be any more problems until he reaches his social maturity.
The best way to describe social maturity is when the puppy becomes a teenager. Social maturity usually occurs between 12-36
months of age, with 18-24 months of age being the norm. He is now older, stronger, more confident and his attitude toward
family members may change. This mild-mannered, young, adult dog may now begin to challenge higher-ranking members of his human
pack that he had previously submitted to.
The best to way assure your puppy knows his proper
position in his human pack is to begin making him earn everything he receives, as soon as he joins your family. Prior to receiving
anything such as food, petting, or play, you must make him sit to earn these privileges or rewards. By making your puppy sit,
you will teach him that he must submit to you before you will give him anything. Nothing in life is free. Everything must
be earned.
|
"Helping You Create a Balanced & Happy Dog"