How to stop my puppy from chasing and being too rough with my cats?

If your puppy is young, you will have to monitor their play sessions until you feel confident that your cat is not going to get injured. Usually, cats will warn dogs when the play is getting too rough for comfort, but this can take time for both animals to figure out. Check out this great behavior website for tips on introducing new pets to one another safely: dog stardaily.com. Good luck!

Hi there. I would recommend keeping him on-leash in the house for now, and keeping some tasty treats handy. Every time he sees one of the cats, praise and give him a treat. Before long, he will start to look expectantly at you for his treat whenever he sees the cats, instead of trying to chase them. Once that happens, you can start to allow some off-leash freedom in the house as long as he's doing well. If you don't feel like you're making much progress after a week or two of this, I would recommend getting in touch with a qualified trainer in your area who can work with you in person. You can search for one nearby here: www.ccpdt.org

First, make sure your older cat has places she can hide and get away from the kitten. High perches, a tunnel, a cat tower, make sure that there are plenty of places for both of the to scratch, climb and hide without interfering with the other. And makes sure you play with the kitten a lot, both to tire him out and give your older can some breathing room. A kitten's life is all about play, and play is all about prey. Every race down the hallway, every pounce from behind a door, every swat and nip is a display of a kitten's hunting skills, instincts that are just as strong in today’s housecat as they were in her ancestors thousands of years ago. To a kitten, everything in the house is potential prey, including you. A kitten's first playmates are his mother and littermates, and from them he learns how to inhibit his bite. A kitten separated from his family too soon may not have learned that lesson and doesn't know when to stop. Also, if people use their hands and/or feet instead of toys to play, the kitten may learn that rough play is okay. In most cases, it's not too difficult to teach your kitten or young adult cat that rough play isn't acceptable. Don't let your kitten play with your hands or feet (or any other body part). Use a toy when playing with him. Drag a toy, preferably a fishing pole-type toy that keeps your hands from kitty’s mouth and claws, along the floor to encourage your kitten to pounce on it, or throw a toy for him to chase. Some kittens will even bring the toy back to be thrown again. Give your kitten something to wrestle with, like a soft stuffed animal about his size, so he can grab it, bite it, and kick it with his back feet. This is one of the ways kittens play with each other, especially when they're young. It's also one of the ways they try to play with human feet and hands, so it's important to provide this type of alternative play target. Encourage play with a "wrestling toy" by rubbing it against your kitten's belly when he wants to play roughly—and be sure to get your hand out of the way as soon as he accepts the toy. Don't hit or yell at your kitten when she nips or pounces. This will only make her fearful of you and she may start to avoid you. The idea is to train her, not punish her. Equip yourself with the right training tools: toys, toys, toys, and a water pistol.

Training training and again training is the answer to your question!! Start with simple commands everyday, for 10-15 minutes. Yes rough play can be definitively dangerous for your cat (or for Jack!!) and I would monitor them very closely or even try to keep them separated until Jack is not disciplined enough.. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Introducing a new puppy can be difficult but is not impossible. Here are a few helpful links: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-introduce-a-puppy-or-dog-to-your-older-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/getting-acquainted-for-life-bringing-home-a-new-puppy/ Also make sure to give the new puppy a lot of exercise prior to meeting the other dogs since being physically tired will make things easier. Just take it slow and be patient. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chasing behavior can be normal, especially in certain breeds of dogs. It is important for your cat to have a safe space to escape to; I typically recommend a baby gate at the base of a stairwell (if possible) to allow the cat to jump over to escape to an upstairs level when he needs to escape. It is something that may improve with time, or it may not. When Cash starts chasing the cat, I would recommend distracting him with a different game or toy to redirect his energy and focus his attention in a different direction. I hope these suggestions help!

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.