Help! Boyfriend's dog wants to kill my cats
ShelleyAlg
Please help! My boyfriend and I live together. I have 3 cats - He has a
black lab mix. We think it might have some pit bull in it. The dog is an
Extremely good dog, very obedient and very eager to please. He had been
trained by a former person to chase after cats. We know of one cat he has
killed. WE believe we can modify this behavior but we want to do it the
most humane way to both the cats and dog.
When he sees the cats he shakes and if given enough time, can put himself
into hysterics. We've tried a vet who does "psychomotor" treatment, we've
tried letting them sniff each other. We keep him on a tight leash and let
the cats out until he gets hysterical.
We may try a muzzle next but I'm not sure that will help in the long run.
Does anyone know anything that could help? I'm desperate!
Thank you,
Shelley
Shelley Alger
Ally Capital Corp
2330 Marinship Way, #300
Sausalito, CA 94965
(415)331-4698
email: in...@allycapital.com
bob...@aol.com
>Please help! My boyfriend and I live together. I have 3 cats - He has a
>black lab mix. We think it might have some pit bull in it. The dog is an
>Extremely good dog, very obedient and very eager to please. He had been
>trained by a former person to chase after cats. We know of one cat he has
>killed. WE believe we can modify this behavior but we want to do it the
>most humane way to both the cats and dog.
You cannot change this. For the sake of the cats, do
not chance trying. The chaces for success are too
slim to bother.
Solutions:
1.Get a new boyfriend that has a nicer dog.
2. Safer home for cats.
3. New home for dog that does not have cats
nor cats adjacent to it's property.
Bob Maida
Dog Training/Problem Counseling since 1969
Manassas,va
Re...@ms1.hinet.net
Is it the natural behavoiur of dogs to kill cats or is it just the case below?
bob...@aol.com wrote:
>
>>Please help! My boyfriend and I live together. I have 3 cats - He has a
>>black lab mix. The dog is an...... He had been
>>trained by a former person to chase after cats. We know of one cat he has
>>killed. WE believe we can modify this behavior but we want to do it the
Amy E. Cavender
I have both a dog and a cat and prior to this *family*, I had the same
cat with two dogs. They get along fine. They even play together. I
don't know that it's in a dog's instinct to kill a cat. Not that I've
seen anyway.
The Carrolls
You dimwit (mr. dog trainer/counselor) you can too change the dog's
behavior. Yeah, you're gonna put the cats at some risk, but if I can teach
my dog not to, you can too. Make sure the dog knows what "leave it!!!" and
"NO!" means first, before bringing the kitties into the picture. Then, get
a baby gate. A strong, well built baby gate. Put kitties on one side,
leashed & choke-chained lab on the other. Kitties will hiss and spit. Dog
will bark & lunge. As dog throws a hissy-fit, yell "NO BAD DOG LEAVE THE
KITTIES ALONE!" Make sure your boyfriend enforces this too, cuz the dog
should be *his* dog. Both of you set off on the dog. Teach the dog that
the kitties are the unthreatened gods of the household. Pretty soon, the
dog will get to the point where it's somewhat afraid of the cats. This
should take AT LEAST a month. You want to go VERY slow with this one.
Then, take the baby gate out. Leave the dog on a leash, kitties in their
room, and allow the dog to walk past the open door, on lead. As doggie
takes off after cat, repeat as you did with the gate in place. As the dog
becomes more and more reliable, start working off lead. MAKE SURE THAT THE
ROOM HAS A PLACE FOR THE CATS TO HIDE FROM THE DOG--a high shelf, queen
sized bed, etc. Eventually, you'll have a voice-responding dog that will
leave the cats alone. eventually he'll ignore them. However, take no
chances, always supervise any interaction, and I suggest you leave, say,
the bedroom or bathroom with a baby gate about 5-8 inches off the ground,
so that the cats can go under it but the dog can't get around it. Make
this the "cat's" room. Then when you're home alone, just keep the cats &
dog locked apart. Good luck! Be careful!
emily
bob...@aol.com wrote in article
<19970322013...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> In article <19970320201...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
shell...@aol.com (ShelleyAlg) writes:
>
> >Please help! My boyfriend and I live together. I have 3 cats - He has a
> >black lab mix. We think it might have some pit bull in it. The dog is
an
> >Extremely good dog, very obedient and very eager to please. He had been
> >trained by a former person to chase after cats. We know of one cat he
has
> >killed. WE believe we can modify this behavior but we want to do it the
> >most humane way to both the cats and dog.
>
> You cannot change this. For the sake of the cats, do
> not chance trying. The chaces for success are too
> slim to bother.
Cynologic
>Please help! My boyfriend and I live together. I have 3 cats - He has a
>trained by a former person to chase after cats. We know of one cat he >
>has killed.
You wrote:
>>>You dimwit (mr. dog trainer/counselor) you can too change the dog's
behavior. Yeah, you're gonna put the cats at some risk, but if I can
teach
my dog not to, you can too.<<<
First, I'm sure that Bob will get around to respond to your comments.
But, more importantly, it must be emphasized that this is no easy training
task (should the owners pursue it) and nothing that you suggested is
likely to be of much benefit in the case described. If the dog has been,
in fact, encouraged to chase cats and has been successful in killing one
in the past, the cat in question is in grave danger of being killed
herself, especially if she hasn't been exposed to such a dog in the past.
Your suggestion to use a child gate is especially ludicrous -- there is
not a child gate anywhere that can restrain an adult lab on a full tilt
and hell bent chase. Are you, kidding, do you really want to get this
poor cat killed with your nonsense.
Second, while this sort of problem might be worked out with careful
training and supervision, it is risky and it would probably be best (as
Bob suggests) to separate the dog and cat by rehoming one them before it
is too late.
Lastly, the only nitwit here is yourself, Emily. I hope you realize it
before you do any real harm.
Art McDonald
bob...@aol.com wrote:
In article <19970320201...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
shell...@aol.com (ShelleyAlg) writes:
>Please help! My boyfriend and I live together. I have 3 cats - He
has a
>black lab mix. We think it might have some pit bull in it. The
dog is an
>Extremely good dog, very obedient and very eager to please. He had
been
>trained by a former person to chase after cats. We know of one cat
he has
>killed. WE believe we can modify this behavior but we want to do
it the
>most humane way to both the cats and dog.
You cannot change this. For the sake of the cats, do
not chance trying. The chaces for success are too
slim to bother.
Solutions:
1.Get a new boyfriend that has a nicer dog.
2. Safer home for cats.
3. New home for dog that does not have cats
nor cats adjacent to it's property.
Bob Maida
Dog Training/Problem Counseling since 1969
Manassas,va
A better solution (and one that would be much easier on your boyfriend)
would be to get rid of the cats and get a second dog. . ..
Art
Petie Durand
I absolutely SECOND what Bob and Cynologic say here....a dog that has
killed a cat will kill another one...maybe not tomorrow but as soon as he
gets a chance....if you can't keep them TOTALLY seperate make new living
arrangements...
Take it from someone whos sons terriers killed two siamese after living
(peacefully) with them for three years in a NYC apartment but then killed
a cat (unknown to us at the time) in the country one week end...it's a sad
lesson to learn...take heed.
Petie
In article <19970323185...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
bob...@aol.com
In article <01bc37b2$b1060780$6868f9ce@default>, "The Carrolls" <car...@dundee.net> writes:
>You dimwit (mr. dog trainer/counselor) you can too change the dog's
>behavior. Yeah, you're gonna put the cats at some risk, but if I can teach
>my dog not to, you can too.
How many cats has your dog killed?
How much experience do you have in
trainig dogs other than your own?
Is it really worth it to put the cat's safety at risk
with a cat killer?
One day, when you grow up, wisdom may come your way.
In the interim, better get an asbestos suit. For if you keep
making such clueless remarks, many here will burn you to a crisp.
Bob Maida (living with 2 Mastiffs, Rottie, Pom, Min Schnauzer + 2 CATS)
Dog Training/Problem Counseling since 1969
Manassas,Va
Elizabeth
Re: The dog who is going after the cats. . .
The original poster may want to purchase Ted Turner's tape "Extinguishing
Aggression and Other Problem Behaviors." Full Video is $30.00;
audiotaped excerpts of ALL his tapes is $50.00. I would recommend that
if you get the video, that you also get at least the ABC's of Behavior
Shaping ($30.00) and watch that first.
It IS possible to extinguish even the most serious aggession problems if
you are willing to devote the time and energy. IMO these tapes are
groundbreaking tools.
Available from (among other places), J&J Obedience, (800)642-2050.
Elizabeth