Dog/cat food aggression

[tsfarling]

And correction, to my first post...full on attack mode actually wasn't attack mode. It was an angry growl and jaws snapping in the direction of the cat. Shelby never actually touched the cat with her mouth. I was just out of the incident and now realized I could have worded that better.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by tsfarling

I took the food bowl tonight and got them both interested. I set it down on the floor by both of them and nothing happened. I'll keep doing this so it's not such a shock to the dog to see the cat near her bowl.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

This is good. Since you are doing this, you can up the value of the food. Take some boiled chicken and feed both together...The pup needs to learn that no matter what is in the bowl it's not acceptable to react. Its good to do this because the puppy is young enough to train how you like.

[tsfarling]

Brought home a new roast beef flavored Nylabone and tried to let one of the cats be around. It did not turn out well at all. I let both sniff it and Shelby immediately went into death stare at the cat. I removed the bone but lost the grip on the dog and she started her territorial bark and chased the cat off. She didn't just do a short chase to scare her off. She was going after her. I'm worried now more than before because I know the male cat wouldn't run. He'd stay and shred her face. Not a good situation. Please help! Should I give up on making peace and let cats stay away during the food and special toy time?


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by tsfarling

Brought home a new roast beef flavored Nylabone and tried to let one of the cats be around. It did not turn out well at all. I let both sniff it and Shelby immediately went into death stare at the cat. I removed the bone but lost the grip on the dog and she started her territorial bark and chased the cat off. She didn't just do a short chase to scare her off. She was going after her. I'm worried now more than before because I know the male cat wouldn't run. He'd stay and shred her face. Not a good situation. Please help! Should I give up on making peace and let cats stay away during the food and special toy time?


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

I suspect that if the cat stayed and fought your problem would be half over! (Not well though! as the cat would be dead)

Is there any pro trainer that you can contact there who can actually be with you to advise?

[tsfarling]

We can't get her into any classes until February if we go with the best in the area. So frustrating!


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

[BowWowMeow]

For now I would give bones in her crate only. She is resource guarding. I would work with her, using positive reinforcement, that it is ok for the cats to be around when she has something really good. So, put her in her crate with the cats in the room. When the cats go by and she doesn't react reward her with something better than her bone (like sliced chicken) and reward the cat too. The idea is that you want her to associate the cats with good things, not bad (as in the food getting taken away, etc.).

Ultimately, as you realize, you have to protect your cats.

[tsfarling]

On a side note, she just had a regular interaction with the male cat in which she slowly approached the cat, he meowed, step towards her, and she did an immediate 180 away from the cat. it's only a food aggression and its only food aggression towards the cats.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by BowWowMeow

For now I would give bones in her crate only. She is resource guarding. I would work with her, using positive reinforcement, that it is ok for the cats to be around when she has something really good. So, put her in her crate with the cats in the room. When the cats go by and she doesn't react reward her with something better than her bone (like sliced chicken) and reward the cat too. The idea is that you want her to associate the cats with good things, not bad (as in the food getting taken away, etc.).

Ultimately, as you realize, you have to protect your cats.

This is good advice. 15 weeks is kinda young to do this and keep doing it I would find a class that was half way decent and get her going on basics, socialization, etc. You can take her to the classes that you want in February, but I would do something now to tide you over.

[tsfarling]

I had an idea about this tonight. I might try using a mirror by her bowl. Dogs react to mirrors and this removes the possibility of hitting the dog cat relationship. I'll try using the mirror first then I'm going to do the cat food on a plate in neutral territory and dog on a leash trick after that.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App