Introducing Dogs (or Puppies) Into Homes With Cats By 1999 I am often asked if a new puppy (or dog) will get along with the family cat or cats. My answer is always the same "it depends." It depends on: The ability of the new owners to be consistent in their training The effort that the new owners are prepared to make to insure success The dogs The cats Lindy vom II with some kittens. Over the years I have introduced a number of adult dogs to accept and live with two house cats without any problems. I would have bet that a couple of the dogs (ie Otis) would never yorkshire terrier dog dog behavior have accepted cats, but they did. On the other hand I have seen a couple of dogs that I would never trust with my cats. The first part of this process is for the dog owners to understand that their dogs are pack animals with strong instincts. The dog must be taught that the cats are part of the new family pack. The first step in this process is acclimating the dog to your cat. The dog must see the cats in the home over an extended period of time (weeks.) In the beginning the dog is never allowed to be loose in the rooms that dog behavior dog behavior the cats are in. When the dogs are first brought into the home it's done under very controlled circumstances. The cats are put away and the dog comes in and goes into a dog crate. This completely eliminates the situation where the dog could possibly chase the cat in the house. Once in the crate, the cats are let out to roam the house again. If, when the dogs are in the crate, they bark at the cats they are verbally scolded. The dogs are never allowed to be loose in the rooms where the cats are until a week after they quit barking at the sheltie puppies dog behavior cats. This does not mean the dogs are locked in dog crates for weeks at a time. They too have their time in the home. But when the dog is out of the crate, the cats are locked in a separate room of the house. During this period of time that the dog spends in the crate he is acclimated to a muzzle. The muzzle is on long enough over the two week period that it becomes second nature for the dog. Its not necessary to spend a lot of money on muzzles, the plastic Jafco muzzles are inexpensive and work just fine. In the beginning beagle puppies dog behavior it's important
