This week, I talk to Ruby Leslie about what do do when the family dog is chasing the children or cats. We also discuss how to set up safe spaces for our nervous felines who need to be able to escape from a predatory dog.
Resources
- Learn more about Ruby here.
- Check out Ruby’s new online course on Reducing Stress on Walks
- How to introduce cats and dogs.
- How to make a cat castle out of cardboard boxes. A great project for the kids.
- How to make a cat tent.
Training Tips to Prevent Chasing Kids and Cats
- Dogs repeat what they practice – so we need to prevent chasing in the first place.
- By rewarding calm behavior or stationary behavior, we can ask our dogs to rest in place while a toddler or cat is running the other direction.
- Predatory behavior in dogs is normal and common. It’s better to assume your new dog is predatory and set yourself up for success. Use baby gates, pens and leashes to help to prevent your dog from practicing this behavior.
Cat Safety around Dogs
- Use baby gates or other barriers to block off a safe area of the house for the litter box or cat escapes.
- As predators and prey, cats can be tough, but also vulnerable. Take advantage of their natural instinct by giving them places to climb to escape perceived danger.
- Boxes make fun enrichment for cats and dogs – but if you build a cat castle, be sure it is in a safe area of the house where the dogs can’t access it.
Category: Podcast
