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INTRODUCING
A DOG TO CATS AND OTHER SMALL PETS
Many dogs
live peacefully with other animals, such as cats, rabbits, birds, and
rodents. Not all dogs, however, are suited for a multi-species household.
Introducing a dog to a small animal is potentially risky and needs to
be planned carefully.
Your
Best Bet
You can be more confident that a dog will accept other animals in the
home if the dog has lived with other animals in the past. Puppies who
were raised with cats or other small pets are much less likely to prey
on them. For instance, if your puppy grows up with rabbits, as an adult
he will be less likely than a dog who did not grow up with them to chase
and kill a rabbit. However, some dogs will learn to accept a particular
rabbit, but not other rabbits. There are also dogs who are completely
trustworthy with the family cat, but would chase and kill any other
cat.
Warning
Signs
Watch for certain behaviors in the dog that indicate he might not be
compatible with small animals:
- The
dog has killed another animal.
- The
dog is aggressively possessive over food, toys, chew bones, or even
the water bowl.
- When
on walks, the dog is obsessed with chasing squirrels, rats or rabbits.
- When
excited, the dog becomes unruly, uncontrollable, and doesn't listen.
- When
on walks, the dog stares intently at other animals, and perhaps even
stalks them.
Introduce
Gradually
For introductions, the general rule is to proceed slowly! Enlist the
assistance of a family member or friend so there is a person to control
each animal in the room. If you don't have someone to help, confine
the small pet (cat or other small pet) in a cage or behind a secure
gate.
Have the
dog on a 4- or 6-foot leash. Have tasty treats (chicken, liver, cheese,
etc.) for the dog within reach. Practice each step for a minimum of
10-15 minutes. Remain at this level until the dog is able to stay relaxed
and focused on you for at least five minutes at a time. If the dog is
unable to remain calm do not progress to the next step.
- Have
the small pet settled in one room, at the far end from the door, attended
by your assistant. Bring the dog in the room and remain by the door.
Sit down on the floor with the dog and engage the dog to interact
with you. Ask the dog to sit, stay down, and any other commands he
might know. Keep his interest. Praise him for paying attention to
you. Stroke him if this helps him to relax. If the dog is more interested
in the other pet and will not attend to you, use treats to entice
the dog to turn away from the pet to face you.
- With
the dog paying attention to you, have your assistant entice your small
pet to walk a few feet back and forth. If the pet will not move willingly,
the assistant can support the animal comfortably and hold him just
above the floor. Move the animal a short distance. Permit the dog
to look, and then try to redirect the dog back onto you. Use treats
if necessary. Help the dog to stay calm and relaxed, even while watching
the pet move about.
- Move
the dog one to two feet closer to the pet. See that the dog stays
calm for five minutes, and then have the pet move around a bit. The
dog should look at the pet while remaining calm, and then, turn and
listen to you while you talk to him. Praise and/or offer him a treat.
Allow the dog to look at the pet again and gain his attention back
to you. Continue until the dog is comfortable looking at the pet and
looking back at you, all the while remaining calm and controlled.
- If possible,
allow the pet to move freely about the room. Do not do this if the
pet is inclined to approach you. Can the dog still remain calm and
relaxed? Can the dog see the animal moving about and still switch
his attention back to you? If so, great! If not, stay at the previous
step longer. If, at any time, the pet attempts to approach within
the dog's range, have the assistant move the pet away. To be safe,
you do not want the dog and pet sniffing for the first time while
the dog is sitting or lying next to you, especially if he knows there
are treats nearby.
- Stand
up and allow the dog to move to the end of his leash. Continue to
speak to him intermittently to be sure he will pay attention to you.
If the pet approaches the dog, allow them to sniff noses. Keep the
dog's leash loose so he doesn't feel that he is restrained. However,
be very vigilant because if the dog lunges at the animal, you need
to be close enough to pull the dog away before contact is made.
If the
other pet is so small or fragile, and/or the dog so large or powerful
that the dog could kill it or inflict serious damage with one bite,
have the dog wear a muzzle when they first meet. While the dog is sniffing
the pet, call him to you. If he turns and comes away from the pet, fabulous!
If he needs a bit of coaxing, that's okay--as long as he is able to
focus on you once you get his attention. If the dog becomes totally
engrossed in the animal and won't come away, then go back to a previous
step and work at that level a bit longer before trying this step again.
- The
final step is to allow the animals to interact more freely. Begin
with short periods of time together, especially after the dog has
been well exercised. Keep a close eye on the dog. To be absolutely
risk-free, muzzle the dog until you are confident that he will not
harm the other pet. As you gain more confidence, give the animals
more time together. Make sure there are plenty of escape routes and
safety refuges for the small pet, such as kitty condos, shelves and
areas behind furniture to which the dog cannot reach.
- We've
heard numerous anecdotes of dogs who were fine with a small pet until
the animals were left alone together. We recommend that you keep the
dog crated or otherwise confined away from the other pet during your
absences. It is not sufficient to keep the small pet caged and the
dog loose. The dog could harass and frighten the pet, or even break
into the cage.
Introducing
a New Puppy or Dog to the Resident Dog
Dogs are social animals and most enjoy the company of other dogs. However,
it can be tricky to introduce a new puppy or dog into the family. The
resident dog may not be accustomed to having other dogs in his home
or he may not appreciate having to share your attention. First impressions
are important, so you'll need to do what you can to maximize the chances
of success.
If your dog has a history of fighting with other dogs, please consult
with a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Veterinary Behaviorist,
or Certified Professional Dog Trainer before introducing the new dog.
Preparation
Before you bring the new puppy or dog home, remove anything your resident
dog might guard, such as food bowls, bones, chew toys, toys, and beds.
Even if your dog has never exhibited possessive tendencies before, it
is best to exercise caution. If your home is cluttered, clean it up.
Congested areas are more likely to trigger aggression because the dogs
may feel forced upon each other.
The
Initial Meeting: Before You Bring the New Dog Home
Enlist the help of a family member or friend, so there is a person to
attend to each dog during this initial meeting. Make your way, separately,
to a neutral area, such as a park. An open area in the park is perfect
because there are plenty of interesting sights and sounds to distract
the dogs and they
can move away from each other if they choose. It is best not to introduce
the dogs in your house or yard because the resident dog may become territorial.
Bring the
dogs together and allow them to greet each other. Do your best to keep
slack in the leashes (or let the leashes drop) so the dogs won't feel
like they are being held back. Allow them to sniff.
A puppy
will typically adopt a submissive position, such as lying down or even
rolling over to be investigated by the adult dog. A well-socialized
adult dog will likely check out the puppy and then either play with
him or ignore him. When two adult dogs meet, they often stand tall and
"posture" to each other. They may sniff each other, circle
each other, urinate, play, or just decide to ignore each other. Don't
panic if they push each other a bit, growl, or even try standing up
on each other's shoulders. Allow them to do what they do to establish
a relationship, with as little intervention from you as possible.
If the
dogs try to fight, however, you will need to intervene. If you see signs
of serious tension, such as raised hackles, growling, showing teeth,
prolonged stares, or snapping, call the dogs away before things escalate.
Try not to pull them away by the leash, as the tension on the leash
might trigger an attack. If the dogs won't come away on their own, wave
a treat in front of each dog's nose and then lure them to turn away
from each other.
Keep the
interactions brief at first. After the dogs greet, go for a walk together.
If you have multiple dogs, introduce each dog to the newcomer separately
before bringing everyone together as a group.
Bringing
the New Dog Home
Walk home from the park with the dogs together and just walk into your
home as though nothing has changed. If you have a yard, go there first
and let the dogs off leash to hang out while you supervise. When the
dogs are ready, bring them into the house. If they got along well at
the park and in the yard, let the resident dog off the leash first.
Permit the new puppy or dog to explore the room or house on the leash.
If the resident dog acts in a friendly manner, let the new pet off the
leash.
Always
supervise interactions between the dogs until they have been friendly
with each other for one to two weeks. They should not be alone together
before them. Keep your mealtime, bedtime, walk and play routines the
same as before the new dog arrived, so things don't seem too different
for the resident dog.
For the
first few weeks, keep an eye on the dogs in situations that might trigger
aggression, such as when you come home, when guests come over, going
out to the yard, coming in from the yard, preparing to go for a walk,
mealtime (theirs and yours), and playtime.
It is very
important that you spend time with each dog alone so that the resident
dog continues to receive one-on-one attention and the new dog develops
a bond with you. If you only hang out with the dogs together, they will
become attached primarily to each other, rather than to you. The new
dog needs to bond with you.
WHAT
NOT TO DO:
Do not hold the puppy in your arms for the adult dog to greet. This
may cause the puppy to feel trapped and threatened. Instead, stand with
your feet slightly apart so the puppy can take refuge between your feet
if he feels overwhelmed. Do not permit the older dog to trample, bowl
over, or otherwise intimidate the puppy.
Do not
put the dogs in small spaces together, such as a car, crate or small
room, before they are completely comfortable with each other. Each dog
should have his or her own food bowl, bed, and toys. Place the food
bowls far apart until the dogs are relaxed when eating together. Do
not allow one dog to intimidate the other so that one dog abandons his
food. Teach each dog to eat from his own bowl and leave the other bowls
alone, even after everyone is finished.
If a fight
breaks out, DO NOT let them "fight it out." You may have heard
this popular advice, but permitting the dogs to continue a fight can
set the tone for a difficult relationship. Interrupt and separate the
dogs if they begin to fight or if one dog beats up on the other dog.
It is always better to interrupt fighting so the dogs do not develop
a pattern of aggressive behavior.
Source: ASPCA website
