Adjusting a new dog to the Cat.

CB19Kevo

We have a new terrier type dog and are looking to introduce the dog to the cat.
The cat was feral but has tamed over the last year but only comes on to the property a few hours a day to get it's munch.

Problem being that with the dog being around the property loose the cat may not come around or the primary concern being that the cat would be attacked.

We have introduced them from about 2 meter's away with the dog on a lead.
The cat although tensed up and backing away did not run or hiss.

The dog did growl and was pulled back sharply by the lead and shouted at.

Is this the right way to go about introducing them ?, The cat's safety being primary concern here, Any advice welcome.

CB19Kevo

does anyone have any experience with terriers and cat's here?

Whispered

If I were in your situation I'd grab a pocket full of tasty things for the dog, like chicken, cheese etc and keep him on a lead.

When the cat is around, let the dog see it, then get his attention by asking him to look (if he knows that cue already) or just to sit, then when he's looking at you, reward him.

For the first while you'll need to reward very frequently, then you can space out the rewards. What you want to happen is for the dog to realise that by looking at the cat, the choosing to look at you, he gets something nice.

Don't be overly panicky when the cat is around. And when the cat is not around work on things like "leave it" and "look" with your dog so you can have more control when he's off lead.

It's a long road and you can't expect the cat and dog to live together happily without a lot of work. So for the time being, to ensure the cats safety, can you fence off some of your garden so the cat has some dog free space outside to get to and from the house?

EDIT: I wouldn't shout at the dog for a few reasons, firstly, it's likely it will work when you're around, but the dog has only learned that you give out when the cat is around, so when you're not around he might still chase.
Also, it might teach the dog that the cat being there means he gets into trouble, the growling etc is natural to him so he's not going to realise he's wrong. The cat will just become a marker to him that he's about to get shouted at.
Finally, you said the dog is new, you'll be getting your relationship off to a bad start and find it hard to build any trust with him if he's afraid of you.

CB19Kevo

Whispered wrote: »

If I were in your situation I'd grab a pocket full of tasty things for the dog, like chicken, cheese etc and keep him on a lead.

When the cat is around, let the dog see it, then get his attention by asking him to look (if he knows that cue already) or just to sit, then when he's looking at you, reward him.

For the first while you'll need to reward very frequently, then you can space out the rewards. What you want to happen is for the dog to realise that by looking at the cat, the choosing to look at you, he gets something nice.

Don't be overly panicky when the cat is around. And when the cat is not around work on things like "leave it" and "look" with your dog so you can have more control when he's off lead.

It's a long road and you can't expect the cat and dog to live together happily without a lot of work. So for the time being, to ensure the cats safety, can you fence off some of your garden so the cat has some dog free space outside to get to and from the house?

EDIT: I wouldn't shout at the dog for a few reasons, firstly, it's likely it will work when you're around, but the dog has only learned that you give out when the cat is around, so when you're not around he might still chase.
Also, it might teach the dog that the cat being there means he gets into trouble, the growling etc is natural to him so he's not going to realise he's wrong. The cat will just become a marker to him that he's about to get shouted at.
Finally, you said the dog is new, you'll be getting your relationship off to a bad start and find it hard to build any trust with him if he's afraid of you.

Thanks for the reply..
I let the dog get to within a metre of the cat tonight without the dog having any reaction, except for the dog looking at the cat..
The cat did tense up a bit but relaxed a little as time went on and did not run off.
(The dog was being held by the collar).

To be fair the dog is rather timid with humans and has not shown much aggression.

Due to property layout and size its not really a option to fence off an area although it would be ideal.

Thanks for the rest of the feedback,Trying to do this right as i would not want to be responsible for the death or damage of a peaceful unassuming cat.

CB19Kevo

Just want to update this.

The dog and cat are getting on fine, Can leave them without any concern.
Its not to say they are best buddies or anything but are comfortable around each other.
The cat was anxious in the early days but displayed his claws which ensured the dog new its place.
A slow and managed introduction worked in this case.