Introducing Your Dog to a Cat

By Suzanne Alicie

Some people are “cat people” while others are “dog people,” but what about those who love both? It’s always been a common belief that dogs and cats do not get along. In fact, many dogs and cats can be great friends. Ideally, puppies and kittens are introduced when young and grow up together. However, if that isn’t the situation and you want to introduce your dog to a cat in the hopes of adding a feline presence to your home, there are certain steps to take.

The first thing to understand is that both dogs and cats are territorial, and a dog that lives in your home will see the cat as an intruder. If the cat runs, then it is prey; this could get really messy if you don’t take precautions and introduce both animals slowly.  Keep in mind that the cat is not only meeting a larger, louder animal with teeth and claws who doesn’t want her there, but she is also being introduced into a new place and will be nervous and skittish.

To assist you with this introduction and prevent injury to the dog, cat and people, there are a few things you’ll need to have. The first is a secure cat carrier, preferably with holes too small for the cat to get a paw out. You will also need a harness, leash and muzzle for your dog as well as a second person to help with the introductions. Don’t forget to have some CANIDAE TidNips™ treats on hand. Reward the animals throughout the process for their good behavior and be sure to praise them both. Your voice will be calming and help both animals deal with the introduction.

Place the cat in the carrier and harness your dog before attaching the muzzle. Keep in mind you are dealing with nature: dogs bite, cats scratch…so do as much as possible to prevent any injury to either animal.

Once both animals are situated, choose an area to place the cat carrier and slowly allow your dog to sniff and inspect the carrier. Scent is very important to dogs, so introducing the scent of the cat to your dog first is a good idea. The cat may hiss and puff up its fur. This is a defensive measure, and by having the cat inside the carrier you’re saving your dog’s nose from those dangerous claws.  Allow both animals to smell and get used to one another. When your dog settles down and is willing to lie down or wander away from the carrier and when the cat stops hissing, that is an indicator they are accustomed to the scent and presence of one another.

However, this doesn’t mean they are ready to be friends! Close the doors to the room you are in so both animals are contained. Make sure someone has a very tight hold on the dog’s leash and that the muzzle is secure before you open the door to the cat carrier. Step several feet away from the carrier and allow the cat to come out on her own. Your dog may lunge toward the cat, but it is important to keep him back and allow the cat to wander around the room without the dog getting close enough to get swatted. This enables both the dog and cat to realize that there is another animal in the room, and the cat can explore the new area without anyone getting hurt.

The more trained your dog is and the better he follows commands, the better the introduction will go.  Learn more about dog training in this article on 11 Basic Commands by Linda Cole.

Sadly, there is a time when your dog will probably come into contact with claws and hissing. It’s almost unavoidable because as soon as the dog gets close enough to sniff and explore the cat, the cat will defend its personal space. Be patient and allow the animals to get accustomed to one another in a controlled environment.

It can take several days before you feel comfortable having the cat and dog in the same room without the dog being harnessed and even longer before you feel comfortable taking off the muzzle. When you do take off the muzzle, be sure to have someone ready to grab the cat and get it to safety in case the dog attacks. Before you plan to bring a cat into your home with a dog, make sure you have a way to keep them separated until they become used to each other.

While most dogs and cats will adapt, there are cases where a dog just can’t get over the urge to chase the cat, and there are cats whose nerves just can’t handle being around a dog. Observe your pets and make sure they are both happy, feel safe and are comfortable in their home. In cases where the animals just can’t adapt, it is important to find a safe home for one of the pets.  Being a responsible pet owner means preventing injury and unhappiness in your pets at all costs. A proper introduction is imperative if you wish to have a multi-species home.

Top photo by fazen
Bottom photo by Michelle Tribe

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Introducing a New Dog Part 2

Todays article was Introducing a New Dog Part 1 so you might want to read that first before reading part 2.

If your having trouble with your new dog and your dog not getting along, there are some things you can do. One thing to keep in mind though, is how bad are they not getting along? If they really dont like each other, is it fair to either of them to keep this new dog? If they arent getting along at all, even though there are things we can do, you will probably not be able to trust the two together. Is this something your willing to take on?

First thing we can do, is introduce both dogs to the Clicker. Make sure both dogs understand what the click means, bring them into the same area, but far apart from each other. Youll need another person to help you, each of you handling each dog. You want to click and reward each time the dog looks away from the other dog. Once your dog is focusing on you, more than the other dog you can move in closer. Continue clicking and rewarding each dog for ignoring the other dog.

You want to move in closer very slowly, inches at a time. Once your able to be about 5-10 feet from each other, start walking both dogs, keeping that distance between you. Keep clicking and rewarding for the dogs not paying any attention to the other dog. Youll have to use your own judgment here on when to move closer together. You only want to move closer when both dogs are doing really good on focusing on you. Remember, dogs are dogs and an attack can break out at any time. If your uncomfortable with this and really bad about reading dog body language, I recommend getting a professional to help you.

As you get closer, make sure the dogs are focusing on you. If dogs are doing extremely well, face one dogs butt towards the other one, click and reward the dog and keep his head occupied. You should pet him, holding his neck so he cant turn to bite the other dog. If hes being good you should also be treating him with your other hand. Let the other dog sniff him and be sure to reward that dog for good behavior too, not showing any sign of dominance. Now do the same with the other dog, letting that dog sniff. After doing this, please dont think both dogs are fine now and you can just let them play. You want to continue this for a few weeks, and. Go different places and practice, practice in the house, practice having dogs do obedience or tricks while in the same room. You want to do this until each dog is no longer showing ANY aggression signs towards each other. Even then you have to really watch them.

I highly recommend a professional to help you through this.

You might look into Its Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet, if your familiar with the TV show Its Me or the Dog, this is a book written by Victoria herself. I have not read it, so I dont know if it covers anything pertaining to introducing two dogs to each other. I do know Victoria follows this method of introducing dogs though.

Another that might help you is Cesars Rules: Your Way to Train a Well-Behaved Dog. Another favorite among many is Cesar Millan. Though I have read one of Cesars books and it was a good read, I havent read this one. So once again I dont know if it would help you with introducing dogs or not.

Heres one Ive recommended before and will recommend many more times is Don Sullivans The Perfect Dog. Since the DVD on Amazon is so high priced, this time Ive linked you directly to the thane website where you can find lots of information on Don and his products. Watch videos and read testimonials. Once again I have his system myself and promise you, this is the real deal. I will say once again if you are all about positive reinforcement training and clicker training, you will NOT be happy with his system. He doesnt use treats at all and relies on a system of praise, toys, and freedom, along with discipline. If treats and clickers arent working for you, get his system. This system WILL help you in introducing two dogs and much more. You will be happy with how much information you will gain from his 2 DVD set. Here are a couple of videos to show you what I mean:





I have done his method on introducing several dogs, and yes they actually do respond exactly how the dogs in those videos do. It can be done.

Hopefully you find something that works for you and you can get your dogs doing good together. Dog aggression is difficult to explain when writing, and can be unethical to give tips when you havent seen the situation. I recommend educating yourself, and getting help from a Professional if your having trouble with your dogs. Find a method that works for you, if one method isnt working, try another one. Not all training methods work for every dog.

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