Tibbs the little tabby one spits at Jake so until now he has given her a wide berth, but has now started going down in typical Collie style and bouncing round her barking, I think this is his way of trying to get her to run away so he can chase her.
Chloe on the other hand is very timid, and whenever they are together Jake mouths her making her look like a wet dish rag instead of the gorgeous fluffy white kitten she normally is, you can see that she
doesn't like it but she just lays there till either, I find them, or she can escape.
He has recently started to try to pick her up by the scruff of her neck or her tail, and once when I caught him he had her by the throat. I know he likes her, but I also know she is frightened of him, hence the baby gate to allow them to be able to escape from him.
He knows he is doing wrong because when I chastise him he looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth and then walks away making sure he stands on her or her tail, almost as a retaliation.
I think he is a bit jealous because I pick the kittens up - usually to save them from him, but he gets most of the attention, we walk a lot and we are going to training classes and we are learning new tricks each week. He has Kongs, and lots of toys. Is there anything I can do to integrate these three?
Thank you.
Janet, Preston
I have 4 cats living with GSDs and Cardis, several of the cats just ignore the dogs and the others will play happily. Letting your pup scare the cat is a one way street to no where. You must make a "safe" zone for the cats where they know the pup cant get them. It would probably also be best for the pup to stay off the sofa so that its just a cat place. Never leave the pup with the cats, and always ensure there is a quick exit for the cats. I would avoid picking the cats up, just get your pup to sit nicely and leave the kitten be. You could try using a house lead to give yourself a bit more control of the pup (you can just stand on it rather than keep grabbing him, or the kitten). You need to stay very calm and where possible say little unless it is praise to your pup as this will reinforce the good behaviour.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jo,
ReplyDeleteI have a baby gate on the kitchen door so that when I am not around they can inhabit the rest of the house and Jake is contained in the kitchen. He doesn't get on the sofa now as he is much bigger. When I ask him in an enquiring tone 'What are you doing Jake?', he looks at me sheepishly (can I say that about a border collie??) and stops. When I first got Chloe she used to pat his face, and bite his lip, lick his nose and ears, then go round to the back and chew the end of his tail. He sat enjoying this, but recently his games have got more boisterous, so she doesn't do it now. Both cats go into the kitchen with him when they want to and can escape through the gate. If I knew Chloe wouldnt get hurt or didnt mind his attention it would be OK, and I dont know if I am more concerned than I need to be.
No experience of living with cats, but just had to tell you I'm peeing myself at the "think bubble" of Jake making sure he steps on Chloe as he walks away.
ReplyDelete...sorry lol
He knows he is doing wrong because when I chastise him he looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth and then walks away making sure he stands on her or her tail, almost as a retaliation.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, he doesn't know that what he is doig is wrong. He knows that when you catch him doing it you tell him off but that if you don't catch him then nothing happens. So you + kitten + chewing = bad but kitten + chewing = good.
Secondly dogs, whilst they have a vast range of emotions, do not do things out of spite. They don't have a notion of "past" or "future", just present. Stepping on the cat is more likely to be a clumsy puppy move rather than him doing it deliberately.
The first step I'd take is to teach the puppy a very good "leave it". Following this video will give you a good idea how: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNAOe1djDyc
Start with food, as in the video, and then move on to teaching the puppy to leave toys and then, finally, the kittens.
Secondly any time your pup is around the kittens and NOT chasing them or chewing on them reward him. Keep a bag of small treats on you and give him one when he walks past them without hurting them. If he's lying down next to them then give him a scratch and a "good boy!". If he lets them approach without getting excited then call him away and reward him with a game. Anything that associates calmness and kittens with good things from you will help.
Thirdly use time-outs. Choose somewhere neutral to him (NOT a crate), I generally use a bathroom, and everytime he plays too rough tell him something like "Too bad!" or "That's enough!" and gently take hold of his collar, lead him to the room and shut him away for 2 minutes. Once the two minutes is up let him out again as if nothing has happened. He'll soon learn that rough play means all his fun is taken away and he should stop.
Hope this helps!