Training Tips Needed

[Newfniece]

Hi All,

We have a new addition to the Burrell house...a wee kitten. Last month we lost our beloved Casper, who was without a doubt my husband's cat. A new kitten was in order to help ease Jason's broken heart. We got him yesterday and we named him Willie.

Anyway, I need good tips for training Macy around him. Macy is beside herself with excitement over the little one and she is just too rough for him. She hunts him down, and lays her big paw on him for kisses...but then the kisses turn to nibbles. I want to be able to have them in the same room, without her constantly trying to hunt him down. I don't think she means him harm...she just wants to play, but I'm afraid she'll accidentally hurt him.

Does anyone have any tips for how to train her to be around the kitten without ambushing him?

I'll post photos of Willie later...

 

[Windancer]

I have had my newfs get excited over things like a tiny yorkie in the same way. After time they get used to it, but you can't blame them. They think it is a "Live" furry toy. I know of Cats that have been accidently killed this way. I would be cautious to keep them apart, especially at night and if you are gone.. Even as it grows.I don't have a magic bullett cure. Wish I did, but I think time is the best thing, and of course telling the dog 'no'....Julie

 

[NessaM]

Macy is still a puppy, right? Nanook did the same thing when he was younger, and now Pooka is doing it. We cured Nanook of it by teaching and reinforcing "leave it" with him on a short leash inside whenever he and the cats were together. If he tried to chase them, stomp on them, nip them etc then one of us would take hold of the leash and say "leave it." If he listened, it was cookie time with lots of praise and lots of cookies. If he didn't, he'd get a few light leash pops to remind him that he'd been asked to do something, until he turned away from the cat. Then he would get a cookie, but he wouldn't get the jackpot that he got the times he listened on his own. We didn't PULL him away, because we wanted him to make the choice to leave the cat alone. We just gave gentle tugs on the leash to remind him that we were there, and that we'd asked him to do something.

We also spent a lot of time holding the cats and making it clear that the cats were OURS and not his. If he tried to sniff them while we were holding them in a playful way he was told "eh eh!" We had him lie down and stay when the cats were around. If he was GOOD with the cats, and just nosed them gently or licked them quietly, he was praised warmly and got a cookie. If he played more roughly, he was told, "eh eh! gentle!" and put in a down stay or asked to leave it until he was calm again.

And we set up baby gates so that the cats had places they could go that the dog was not allowed. We separated them all whenever we left the house, closing doors on the part of the house the dog was in so the cats would be safe.

Nanook is pretty much 100% over his cat-chasing days at this point, he has even stopped chasing the Maya cat, and she still RUNS every time she sees him, which is a big lure for him.

Pooka doesn't chase, but he barks at the cats and play bows and jumps and nips at them because he thinks they will play with him. We're repeating all the same lessons we gave Nanook - hopefully he'll mature mentally as fast!

 

[Newfniece]

Thanks Nessa...that is exactly the type of hint I needed. Pockets will be loaded with treats and training will start now!

Yes, Macy is still a pup...just turned 9 mos. She is in a very stubborn phase but is a quick learner, so hopefully we will make some headway.

And we definitely keep them separated when they can't be watched like a hawk!

Good luck with Pooka!

 

[Sue M.]

So sorry to hear about Casper Lor.

 

[Tug]

Sorry to hear about Casper, too

Tug has grown up with cats in the house. As he gets bigger, he's learning which will accept his attention, for lack of a better word
Dunk is a NO GO!
Reo is fun to annoy, for a minute.
Mudd requires a respectful distance.
And Ala... Well, he can get Ala in a fake head lock, and he can clean Ala's bum.
These are all grown cats, mind you. Everyone has given you great ideas. Let them get to know each other, with your supervision, and they'll probably be best of friends.