Help! My dog is obsessed with our new kitten. How do I calm her?

Some dogs do get very excited about meeting cats, and don't realize how big they are in comparison - I can definitely sympathize! The best way to manage this is to keep Moose on a leash at all times around the kitten at first. Practice asking him to sit or lie down, and reward him with treats for being calm around her. It may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for him to be relaxed enough around the kitten to be allowed off-leash, so be patient! I would also definitely recommend keeping them separated for now unless someone is actively supervising their interactions.

Your older dog is probably just curious about the new kitten. As long as he is not doing anything to harm or frighten the cat I would let them continue to get to know each other. Female kittens can go in to heat as early as 5 months of age. However, even if she is in heat it should not affect your dog or make him more interested in the cat.

It sounds like Griffin is VERY interested and excited about the new kitten, and is likely trying to check her out. If he gets too in her face, I would definitely break it up and distract him with a toy or treat elsewhere. Making sure your kitten has places to escape such as a high up perch or beyond a baby gate where Griffin can't get to is also a good idea. It is also best to make sure pup and kitten are always supervised when together as even the friendliest dog may accidentally injure a tiny kitten without meaning to!

Some dogs have a very high prey drive, and it may be that the cats running away trigger this instinct in her, even if she doesn't hurt them. Working on desensitizing her to the stimulus (cats) through training techniques such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) may help her start to ignore them. Usually this works by starting from a point far enough away that she doesn't react, and gradually moving closer to the target while redirecting her behaviors. Redirection with toys and appropriate treats can also help. At home, making sure to have baby gates up and places your cats can get to up high that your dog cannot can help ensure they have a place to relax and observe without being constantly bothered by Nova. Redirecting her behavior to something else when she gets too focused on the cat, either by practicing some training in a different room, going outside, etc can help. You also don't want to let the kitten and Nova be unattended together as even the nicest dog can accidentally hurt a smaller cat in play.

Great question! I can give you a method for introducing them to each other: Introducing them should be done slowly. When you first bring your kitten home, I would keep them in rooms separated by a door. This way, they can get used to the smells and sounds of each other without contact. Make sure your kitten has a litter box, food, and water in their room. You can also place a blanket with the dogs' smell in the kitten's room, and a blanket with the kitten's smell in the dogs' room. I would also consider get a Feliway for your kitten and a DAP for your dogs. These are pheromone diffusers that help with anxiety and should also help ease the transition. Once all the pets seem relaxed with the current situation, swap rooms placing the kitten in the dogs' room and vice versa. You can do this switch several times over the course of the introductions. Once they are all comfortable with the smells of each other, it's time for them to meet face to face. I would introduce the dogs on a leash to the kitten while he is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward the dogs for being calm and quiet near the kitten. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure your kitten has a cat tree where he can escape from the dogs as needed, and don't allow the dogs to chase the kitten. I hope this helps!

Drooling can sometimes be a sign of overstimulation/excitement, and even stress or nervousness. It may not be that Bruce wants to hunt the kittens, but he is very excited/nervous being around it. Continuing to monitor them and only have them together under supervision is best, and if he starts to drool it's time for a time out so everyone (including Bruce) can have some time to relax and calm down. Making sure Bruce and kitten both have a place they can lay down, eat, drink, etc away from each other is also a good idea to help limit stress. Pheromone diffusers can also sometimes help (they make them for dogs), however if the behavior continues or he seems to be upset or anxious, it wouldn't hurt to talk to a trainer or behaviorist in person as well.

The best way to begin introducing a large dog to a cat is with a basket muzzle, on a leash, with extremely careful supervision. This is particularly true if you already know that Loki has a high prey drive. If Loki is a Border Collie, his intelligence may work for you or against you depending on his temperament. It is all about positive reinforcement in this sort of situation, and taking things slowly and carefully. I would not throw the kitten and dog together in the same room freely right away. Keep one of them in a crate and the other outside of it so they can see and sniff each other but not have any direct contact. After a couple of days, I would try the above thing I mentioned ( you will obviously require your mom's help with this ), making sure to have plenty of treats available on hand to reward any sort of positive response. If there is any negative response or act of aggression, do not punish Loki. Simply end the interaction and walk away for a few minutes, return, and try again. Punishment is ineffective in this instance and in most in my opinion. Once you are convinced after several sessions that Loki is not acting in an aggressive manner, try the same exercise but without the basket muzzle. Continue to do this until you are comfortable enough that they are buddies instead of foes. Hope this helps.