What You Need to Know About: Cats & Dogs

I have recently received some inspiration at work through a co-worker of mine. She has a full grown dog and has just adopted an adorable new kitten! I overheard her speaking about their new found relationship and it inspired me to write this blog post! So thank you, you know who you are!

You've seen the photos on calendars everywhere: Cute dogs and furry kittens snuggling together, playing together, even eating together! But how do you create this respectful, intimate inter-species relationship? I've broken it down the best I can. Enjoy!

Training is the Foundation

Make sure your dog has a strong "Leave It" command: If your dog does not know what "Leave It" means, or if you yourself need clarification: "Leave It" means to avoid completely whatever it is the dog is focused on. Do not look at it. Do not touch it. And you will never be able to touch it. This is NOT the same command that goes along with "Waiting" for something. If you are planning on allowing your dog to have access to whatever you're saying "Leave It" to like a ball, a treat, a toy, etc, I recommend having a different command for that like "Wait".

I will link a video on how I trained Hank and his brother Tyson "Leave It" when they were young. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRS... The process is outlined in detail below:

*Get Down on your dog's level while training*

Start with a really good treat. I like to use hot dogs! Rip it into small pieces to let it last a while. You don't want to use more than one hot dog per day! And a training session should not be longer than 15 minutes. I recommend setting alone time away from distractions twice a day, for 15 minutes each. Use half a hot dog for each of those.

First Sense: Scent

Take a piece of hot dog and put it in your hand. Make a fist. Have another piece of hot dog in your other hand behind your back. Hold out your fist to your dog. It doesn't really matter where, but somewhere in front of them. Of course your dog is going to sniff your hand vigorously at first. He wants that hot dog! Do not say anything to him. As soon as he pulls his nose away from the hot dog (your hand), say "GOOD!" and give him the OTHER piece of hot dog from your OTHER hand. Do not let him take the hot dog piece that he is "Leaving"!

Continue this type of exercise until you get to the point where you can hold your fist with the hot dog in it to your dog, he may sniff it briefly but then move away or look at you. Make sure to be marking with 'Good!' every time he leaves your fist alone! When you feel confident about this, you can turn to the next element!

Second Sense: Sight

Now that your dog avoids the hot dog in your closed fist, you can transition to an open hand. This creates a whole new element to the training because now your dog can SEE the hot dog! He may want that hot dog so bad he forgets everything you just were working with him to do. And that's ok! If he goes to take the hot dog close your fist immediately! If he does snatch it from you, do not say "No" or "Bad", just get another piece and replace it in your fist.

Once you can have an open hand with the hot dog piece in it, and have your dog avoid it, now is the time to start associating a command. Show your dog the hot dog in your hand, and as soon as he looks away, moves away, etc. say the words "Leave It. Good!" Back to back. "Leave It" "Good!" -treat-. Follow this until you are confident that your dog understands the concept.

At this point, you can start to say "Leave It" BEFORE your dog avoids the hot dog. If he produces the result multiple times after you've said the command, you can move on to the next step!

Third Sense: Movement

You want to drop the hot dog piece on the ground. That's right! The third element your dog needs to understand is "Movement". You're combining smell, sight, and movement all with this delicious hot dog and he may revert back! That's ok! This is definitely something that takes time. If he goes after the piece of hot dog, just cover it with your hand. Tell him to "Sit" again, and lift your hand up. Roll the piece of hot dog back and forth in front of him. All while saying "Leave It" "Good Boy!" -treat- "Leave It" "Good Boy!" -treat- until he really doesn’t care about the hot dog rolling around the floor at all.

Fourth Sense: Touch

The last element you need to let your dog understand is: Touch. That's right! You know those photos of a dog with cheese, hot dogs, etc on his paws and him just looking up at his owner not caring at all? THAT is what you're going for! Follow the same guidelines as the hot dog being on the floor. If he goes after it, cover it with your hand or grab it, wait for him to calm down, then place the hot dog piece back on his paw. He should probably be laying down during this.

NEXT STEP!

Move this concept to other things! Go for a walk with a fanny pack full of hot dog pieces. If you see another dog, tell your dog to "Leave It". If he looks up at you or looks away from it, say "Good Boy!" and treat. Even if your dog isn't usually reactive to other dogs, you are just adding another element to the "Leave It" command which is: If I tell you to leave ANYTHING, you leave it alone. Not just a piece of hot dog. You could try a stick, a neighbor, anything!

When you feel 100% confident that your dog has a great concept of "Leave It", now you may begin integrating a very enticing kitten into the mix!

Integration:

Now that you are sure that your dog will be able to leave your new kitten alone, you can start letting them meet & greet in various, safe ways. I will list them, in no particular order below!

Positive Association:

Especially if your kitten is scared, frightened, etc of the new place and/or your dog, it is important for her to associate only good things with this big scary dog thing that keeps trying to check her out. The best way to tell a kitten that something should be seen as a very good thing is FOOD. I outline how to do this in detail below!

First Sense: Smell

The safest way to do this is to feed your kitten in a room with the door closed, with your dog on the opposite side of the door. Your dog can be eating, playing with a toy, or just laying there getting a belly rub. Just be sure he is on the other side of the door. You will need 2 people to do this, or you could tie your dog to a piece of furniture to keep him on his side while you're with the kitten. Doesn't matter how just make sure your dog is on one side of the door and the kitten on the other side.

If the kitten is not wanting to eat directly next to the door due to being intimidated by the dog, just simply move her bowl backwards until she is comfortable enough to begin eating. Mentally and/or physically mark this point as her "Safe Point", and slowly improve this length through the coming days until she is eating right next to the door.

Second Sense: Sight

After your new kitten has no problem chowing down while your pup hangs out on the other side, the next step is to remove the door and replace it with a baby gate. Repeat the above procedure until your kitten is 100% comfortable eating next to the baby gate with your dog on the other side.

NOTE: If your dog is behaving badly, you must correct him. Utilize the "Leave It" command and be sure that your dog remains calm the entire time.

Learning to Live with One Another:

Once your kitten has come around to the smell and sight of your dog, now is the time to remove the barriers and allow them to co-exist for blocks of time, and then have separated time. While the kitten has full access to the house, make sure your dog is contained by either A) A crate or B) You holding a leash. If your dog is acting too hyperactive inside the crate, stop this process and exercise him thoroughly. I recommend a flirt pole, fetch, a bike ride, or something to get him downright exhausted! Put him back in the crate after this and try again. If he still acts a little wound up, utilize the "Leave It" command. You can also throw in a Kong stuffed with peanut butter, a bone, or another tasty treat in the crate with him to side track him while the kitty gets a feel for her new surroundings.

If he is on leash, the same methods apply. You want your dog to avoid the kitten at all costs!

Repeat this exercise for anywhere from 30min to an hour at least two times per day. You will be able to gauge whether or not you need to increase or decrease the amount of time in their shared space by the way your kitten and dog are reacting!

Harmony At Last

With inter-species relationships, the key is patience! These species were not made to interact with one another in a positive manner. However, with time, training and persistence, you will be taking those calendar worthy photos sooner than you think!

I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any feedback please share in the comments down below!

If you have a dog related question or topic you'd like me to write about, let me know!

K9SavvyGirl

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