How Can We Train Dogs and Cats to Live Together?

While it’s true that dogs and cats will always be at odds with one other, with the right dog home obedience training, you can get them to coexist together.

Most people make a significant mistake when presenting their pets, such as dogs and cats, by letting the animals initiate contact. We made a bad choice! It has already been established that these two species are mortal foes.

There won’t be good outcomes if you merely put them next to each other. This is a real possibility, and I’ve seen it happen before, but my mission here is to educate you on how to train your dog properly at home.

Rather than causing an issue and then having to cure it, as is often the case in traditional dog training methods, I prefer to focus on prevention when working with dogs and cats.

Mother always said, “Prevention is better than cure,” and it’s true. Many precautions should be taken before introducing a dog and cat into the same household.

If you already have a dog and wish to bring a cat into the house, or vice versa, I recommend doing the same first steps. Use the dog box you already own as a starting point.

Allow the cat to be in the same room as the dog by putting the dog in a crate. This action might have a number of results:

1. Your dog seems completely uninterested in everything. Everything about this is perfect. If your dog is as cooperative as this, you should be able to make the change quickly.

2. Fear is clearly visible in your dog. While not ideal, it will be a smoother transition than alternative possibilities.

3. Having anxiety and anxiousness is a sign that your dog is feeling stressed. The dog barks, paces, and paws at his crate while he’s inside.

You can tell he wants to go by his actions. He’s curious as to what it is about that cat that piques his interest.

4. Your dog is openly hostile. He’s clearly determined to get his paws on the cat since he’s barking and scratching at the kennel door. While this dog will be the most difficult to teach, it is not impossible to do so.

Keep your dogs and cats, apart for a few days. Don’t let the dog out of the crate! This is not to say that he needs to be crated at all times.

In order to prevent your cat from reacting negatively when you release him from his box, you should confine him to another room.

Training your dog to be apathetic about the cat is your goal here. The cat should be little more than “background noise” to your dog.

The cat is worthless, the cat is unimportant, the cat is boring, and the cat is uninteresting. That is to say, when comfortable in his crate, your dog may watch the cat’s every move without fear. This will be easy for the first two groups to complete.

A few days is all it will take for your dog to stop treating the cat like a living creature and start treating it like any other “object” in the house. Training and experience are needed for categories 3 and 4.

Categories 3 and 4 require a negative connotation to be attached to the aggressive behaviour of a cat. Gather a spray bottle for this task.

You may also need to read this article: How To Do Obedience Training For Your Dog

You may fill the bottle with ordinary water, water mixed with lemon juice, or vinegar for really resistant pets. Your dog is still resting comfortably in his or her crate at this time.

You will complete the following phase of instruction while seated near the container. If your dog ever displays any hostile behavior against the cat (barking, scratching at the door, whining in frustration, etc.), you should immediately spray him in the face with the bottle.

When he becomes angry, spray him with the bottle. A gentle, “Good boy,” should be given to him when he is not being aggressive.

In the event that your dog ever displays hostility against the cat, make sure he or she has a negative experience.

The spray bottle must constantly be at the ready, or the cat must be kept away from the dog. Train your dog to be aggressive against cats if he is given the opportunity to do so and no negative consequences result.

Your dog’s antagonism in the crate should decrease over time if you’re persistent with this practice; after all, he won’t want to risk getting squirted in the face if he acts out. You’re well on your way to creating peace and harmony between your canine and feline companions.

If your dog seems unconcerned by the cat, you can continue on to the next stage. As I mentioned before, this is probably one or two days into crate training for levels 1 and 2. Get your dog to a point of indifference for 3rd and 4th categories, and have him stay that way for at least a week.

Now that the box is empty, it’s time to reunite the canine and cat together. You’ll be moving very slowly, though. Make sure your dog is constantly walking on a leash and wearing his training collar.

You should keep your cat in the room and your dog close by. Give your dog a severe punishment with the leash if he shows any signs of chasing the cat, barking at the cat, or engaging in any of the other stereotyped behaviors that dogs and cats exhibit around one another.

That reprimand on the leash needs to be severe if you want it to have any effect at all. If you don’t want your cat to be aggressive, you need to associate it with the worst possible feelings.

Maintain a routine of training. Doing this effectively can reduce your dog’s desire to chase after and bark at the cat.

Dogs can be trained to behave better by being given greater freedom, such as being left alone for longer periods of time or allowed to spend more time around the cat. A dog’s training collar and leash will be removed gradually over time.

If your dog is even slightly aggressive, you should never let him chase after the house cat, even in jest.

All but the most unresponsive canine trainees will respond to the aforesaid procedure. However, there are certain dogs whose prey drive is so intense that only extreme measures will stop them from trying to hunt and kill cats. I use an electronic dog training collar on these pups.

Before using your new electric dog training collar, make sure you read the handbook and follow all of the included fitting instructions.

It’s easy to use an electric collar on a dog that’s being recalcitrant. With the collar on his neck and the stimulation set up high, you will punish your dog if he so much as glances in the direction of the cat.

If your dog even looks at your cat, click the button to give the correction. Do not say “no” or respond in any manner; instead, criticize him for staring at the cat. It may take many attempts, so don’t be shy. Let’s look at it from your dog’s perspective.

This cat is his prey, and he intends to catch, hunt, and kill it. However, just glancing at the cat makes him uncomfortable. You keep quiet so he doesn’t link the reprimand to you personally.

Soon he will come to believe that the cat is “evil,” and that he must avoid staring at it at all costs since doing so will bring him agony.

Consistency is key during any training programme. If you don’t want your dog to ever catch the cat, you can’t give him an opportunity to chase it.

However, if you maintain consistency, you’ll see that your dog and cat companions can live together happily in no time.

Conclusion

Training your cats and dogs to live together can be tricky, but it is definitely possible. The key is in having patience and following the steps outlined above.

Start with introducing them slowly, making sure not to rush the process and always reward positive behavior.

With enough time and attention, your cats and dogs will eventually learn how to get along peacefully without any fights or disagreements. Good luck!