# Cats terrified of new dog



## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

My husband and I just adopted a 4 y/o shepherd/greyhound mix (Kaya) - we brought her home Thursday night. The foster home told me she was very good with cats, and coupled with her laid back, calm personality, I thought she would be the best choice for our family consisting of us and our two feline babes.

And she is awesome with the cats - she's a very laid back dog, doesn't bark, doesn't chase, just kind of hangs out. We did an introduction yesterday with her in her room (I turned my office into her den) and the door gated off. The cats got big when they first saw her, but they did not run and remained very curious. We spoke calmly the whole time and fed everyone their favorite "special" treats (tuna, ham and chicken). We were so impressed with the cats; they really did a good job.

However, the problem with Kaya is we have found she has separation anxiety - bad. She bonded to me because I was home alone with her all day today, and now she follows me everywhere. Which normally I would not mind, but it bothers me because my cat Zoe does this. Zoe is always next to me or in the same room that I am. She is very attached to me. Since we've brought Kaya home, with Kaya always being next to me Zoe won't come near. She's a nervous kitty as it is (friendly, but the slightest weird noise gets her on edge) and she's very nervous around Kaya, and will not tolerate being in the same room with her (though she will stare at her from a safe distance). Tonight my husband took Kaya outside and Zoe immediately starting howling her upset, confused cry. It seriously almost broke my heart.

I don't know what to do. We are having issues with Kaya's separation anxiety (tried gating her in the office and she almost shredded the gate apart - which is very loud too and adds to the cats anxiety), and today I tried just closing the door and she just whined, scratched at the door and dug the carpet, and jumped on my office desk to look out the window and tore wholes in some of my paperwork with her claws. In the days before we brought her home I had asked the foster home if she was crate trained because I wanted to use a crate in our bedroom at night so she could sleep with us but the cats would still be able to well feel secure, but she firmly told me "do not crate this dog if you want her to bond with you". I should have taken that as a sign?

So, with Kaya's anxiety I can't keep her confined while we are away, at night or at work (and today I had gone outside without her for a few moments and she was jumping all over the door - she couldn't see me, just knew I was out there - so she may be trouble just being loose without us, though we were told she wasn't). If I can't confine her and she has the run of the house, my cats are terrified to go anywhere. Their food is downstairs, as are their litter boxes. I do not have a problem bringing food upstairs, but we don't have any room for a litter box, otherwise I would have had one up there when we moved in.

Bottom line is I know it's only been two nights and a day. However, with Kaya's anxiety and Zoe's nervousness, is this really the right thing to do? I do not want to damage my Zoe, but at the same time Kaya's anxiety can be worked on with obedience training and the reason she has it because of the traumatic events she's just gone through (original owners, shelter, foster, foster, me - and that's all I know). I am an animal lover, and I want to give Kaya a good forever home where she can feel safe and secure. But again, I don't want to damage the cats that have been our close companions for the last 7 years.... 

The whole situation is making me anxious and sad. :-(


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Maybe something in this article may help:

Little Big Cat


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

Thanks  I did see that article - I did a lot of research before I picked up Kaya and have probably read every article on the internet regarding cat-dog introductions. I actually signed up for this forum so I could read up on and hear others real-time, real-life experiences with kitties and their behaviors. The articles I've read have a lot of good stuff, but the problem really is with Kaya's anxiety issues. If she didn't have to be right next to me 24/7 then it would give Zoe a chance to be with me and would probably bring her stress levels down. My other cat Asia is way more dominant and confident and can actually sit within 5 feet of Kaya, though the second Kaya gets up Asia darts away. 

I don't know what I'm going to. My friend told me that her vet friend told her to crate her, and when she's in the crate put a radio next to it, a blanket and a shirt that smells like me and she'll be fine in it for the 9 hours that we are away when we're at work. So maybe I will... and then that will give the cats their house back while we are at work and at night, at least until everyone gets used to each other and the cats know that Kaya is not going anywhere. Crating would also help us ease introductions rather than forcing them to "work it out" with leaving Kaya unconfined. I mean, I do have my master bedroom gated off for the cats, and we have not allowed Kaya in there since we picked her up, but these cats are used to this being their house, and aren't used to being confined or cornered to a room.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

We do have lots of members here with dogs, so hopefully you'll get some good info this weekend. Sorry, I have no experience with dogs. Besides dating....


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

The cats will come around, they seem to be reacting normally (watching from a distance). With Max having him lie down and occupying his head with treats allowed the cat to sniff his "safe" end. Make sure the cats have a safe room where the dog is not allowed, a baby gate will keep her out and let the cats in. However I would really try to spend special time with both cats and that means doing something about Kaya's anxiety (which you should do anyways since she's so miserable when you leave...and you have to leave).

SA is one of the hardest problems to deal with IMO. I would have no problem crating her so long as she does not hurt herself on the crate. First just crate train her without leaving, crate her next to the table while you eat dinner or during the commercials of a show you are watching. LOTS of SHORT sessions while you are there. If she's having trouble right off the bat drop treats in when she's being good or give her some sort of toy she only gets in the crate (bully stick or stuffed kong) Only let her out while she is quiet. Even when she is not crated leave the door open so she can use it as a bed. Feed her in there too. Until she's comfortable in there while you are home don't leave her in there while you're gone or it'll likely intensify her issues. Once she seems good and settles quickly when you are home and she crated try leaving the room for short periods, walk around the house and return, drop a treat in if she's being good then leave again. If she stays good during those start walking outside and coming back in. Just get her used to short periods of leaving and returning. 

When you start on short trips (grocery store or something) exercise her first then put her in with her special chew or toy and leave. When you come back be very neutral, you don't even have to let her out right away, don't pay attention to her or get her hyped up, your coming and going must be no big deal. Let her out of the crate and you can just say hi and leave her be. 

SA takes time and practice. Leaving a radio or the TV on helps some dogs so they are not in a completely silent empty sounding place. For some dogs crates are no problem and they feel safe in them right away but for most dogs it takes time.


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## LolaCat (Jul 31, 2010)

It takes time bringing a new pet in. When I brought my cat Lola in, my other cat, Tuli would make these weird winy noises. He also tried to hiss. Lola wasn't afraid, just wanted to play. It took three weeks to get him to be nice. He now knows that he cant hurt the cat so when Lola goes up to him, all he does is hiss and run away. 

When Lola was a kitten and I brought her in, my German Shepherd was all excited. She was terrified and whenever we introduced the two, she hissed with all her hair up and cat tail huge and attacked his face. She didn't hurt him luckily. This was the first encounter with a dog. Now she owns all dogs she comes in contact with. 

It might take a while. Just give both lots of love when your home and it should work out fine. Since your cat isn't just the feeling of scared, more feeling that anxiety, it will take some time. 

I hope it works out for you!
Other posters here also have good advice too. =)


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

I was amazed by the cats - by Saturday night Asia was in one of her moods and was spazzing out chasing microscopic things on the living floor. All the while Kaya just laid where she was, completely uninterested. And Zoe came down and sat on top of the couch next to me staring at Kaya laid out on the floor in front of me. It was a step.

Unfortunately, we decided to take Kaya back to her foster home. We are having an extremely difficult time with this decision. However, Saturday we had to leave her alone for a few hours while we went to a family reunion and when we came home she had destroyed our blinds, gotten through the gate we had blocking off stairs, and busted through the gate we had up blocking off the master bedroom that was the cats "safe room". She did nothing to them, but it did scare them pretty bad and they ended up peeing on some things. I honestly think she was lonely and looking for companionship, though they weren't quite ready for that relationship yet.

Because we are gone for about 9 hours a day, we decided that we just didn't have experience or the proper time to help her with her separation anxiety. She absolutely cannot be crated until she's trained, and she cannot be confined to a room or she will seriously hurt herself trying to get out. You can't gate off areas because she doesn't respect what they mean. The cat's "safe room" was our bedroom, so we had to take turns sleeping with Kaya downstairs otherwise she would go crazy trying to get into our room and further stress out the cats and herself. It just was not good. However, this was her only downfall. She is an amazing dog otherwise - her only negative is that she needs to be around people, and really that's not such a bad negative.

I don't know if we will get another dog now. We are very happy to know that Asia will be fine with one, because we were scared of her reaction. We thought Zoe would be the easy one, but it turns out she was the hardest to convince. I do think that after a while she would have come around and realized that Kaya wasn't going to hurt her, or even cared about her for that matter. But Kaya was an exception... most dogs are a little crazy and will run around or at least want to play with the cats.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I think you made the best decision for all involved. atback


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

Thanks Marie, and thanks to Siameseifuplz and LolaCat for your advice.  

I think my husband is looking at other dogs again so we will most likely be trying again. This time we are armed with experience into the dog adoption process and will make sure we ask all the right questions. We will also try to work with a rescue that takes a little more time in making sure the fit is perfect on both sides. I was surprised with the process for Kaya... I had been looking at her adoption page for a month when I finally decided to ask for more info, then we went to meet her and the foster home asked if we wanted to take her right then and there - no adoption application, 24-hour waiting, or vet reference - just struck me as odd.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

I too think you made the right decision, SA is not an easy thing to tackle and if you don't have the time it's best for everyone involved if the dog goes to someone who does.


I'm glad you are still going to adopt a dog, continue looking at dogs who have been fostered and make sure to ask directly about SA issues so you don't run into the same problem. Keep us updated!


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

*Update!*

Dave and I have been searching for dogs constantly since taking Kaya back. I've been on Petfinder.com pretty much every day. We have met so many dogs and pups... we were beginning to wonder if we'd ever find "our" dog. On Sunday we drove out to an Australian Cattle Dog rescue in the country near us to meet a 2 y/o cattle dog mix named Liza. She was very cute, and LOVED to play with toys, but once again, we just weren't feeling the connection. The rescue had a couple more dogs in mind for us (though they were _really_ pushing Liza on us, because she'd been there for a long time), so they brought out a couple more, and eventually brought out two of their older puppies - a 6mos old Border Collie name Misty and a 5mos old Border Collie mix named "Dakota". The moment we met "Dakota", we knew we'd found our dog.

He is one of the sweetest, most calm puppies we have met - which I think is interesting, given his breed background. I really did not go into dog adoption wanting a puppy - it's honestly a little intimidating. Kittens I know how to raise - it's been a very long time since I've helped raise a puppy. I know that if you don't train them right they can develop some very bad habits (take Kaya, for example). But I also know the feeling of that bond when you look into the eyes of the animal that is yours... Dave had it when he found Asia, I had it when I found Zoe, and we _both_ had it when we found "Dakota". I've been researching non-stop and will be picking up some books on training from the library. I'm hoping to prepare myself for anything. I've also found a trainer near my home that I will get in touch with should it prove necessary.

So, here we go again! We are bringing him home on Wednesday - I can't wait! I honestly think that with "Dakota" (his name will be changing once we figure one out that we both like) our cats will have a little bit easier of a time adjusting - even though he is a puppy with a higher energy level. He's coming to us crate trained already, so we won't have to worry about that. We'll be crating him while we are at work (neighbors are stopping by at noon to let him out for an hour - no worries ), and at bedtime, so the cats will be able to see him at their own leisure, and he'll be able to get used to having them around.

I will keep this post updated on Asia's & Zoe's reaction to the smaller, younger puppy as opposed to the _much _bigger, adult dog, and how they come along with the introduction and getting used to the new animal in the house.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Congratulations! 

I'll be watching for the updates.


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## ZoeH (Jun 27, 2010)

So glad to read about this positive turn, and I look forward to reading about their adjustment.




StormChaser said:


> I also know the feeling of that bond when you look into the eyes of the animal that is yours...


Thanks for mentioning this. I've been feeling a little guilt because I just haven't had that with SemiFeralKitty ... and the week before, I did have it with a different semı-feral kitten, which I didn't take.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Congrats!! She sounds like he'll fit in well. Since I love training and behavior I hope you don't mind but I have some book suggestions.

My favorite is "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson, it covers everything in depth. Some find it long and boring but it's very informative and helpful.

I also like
"The Other end of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell. This one talks about body language and behavior, both the dog's and yours, and how it might confuse things in the relationship and in training.. Patricia also uses a lot of examples from her work as a behaviorist which keep things interesting.

"The Power of Positive Dog Training" by Pat Miller also goes over a lot, it's more basic than The Culture Clash but still helpful.

"Bones Would Rain from the Sky" by Suzanne Clothier. This book is not so much about how to train your dog but how to build a strong, trusting bond with your dog and how humane training can do that. 

"Train Your Dog like a Pro" by Jean Donaldson. This is only about teaching commands (both basic obedience and some tricks). She breaks the process down into a concrete process which is nice for people like me, who excel in math (I leave creativity to others lol), it is nice, it gets rid of a lot of guesswork in training.

I also like Karen Pryor a lot, I love clicker training. Ian Dunbar has some good puppy books too I hear, they're mainly about socialization I think. He uses luring though, which can work, but I prefer clicker training since you don't need to have the treat right in your hand or even on your body and the dog certaintly does not need to see the treat first. This makes it a lot easier to get the dog to listen later when you don't have a treat on you al the time.

Avoid anyone who focuses on dominance, being "alpha", or "pack hierarchy". These people tend to trick you into thinking the things you do when your dog misbehaves is a dominance display to teach the dog his place in "the pack" when it's simply a punishment, nothing more complicated than that. Anything the dog doesn't want to happen again can be used as punishment. So "Alpha rolls" and everything else these dominanace trainers tell you to do is not different than hitting, yelling, using a squirt bottle, collar corrections, whatever. They don't teach your dog some imaginary social hierarchy, they just punish bad behavior.
I don't like punishment like that period. 

Good luck with your pup, I'd love to see some pictures! My parents just got a puppy, he's 12 weeks old now. Gotta say he's confirmed that I'm an adult dog person lol. The constant dupervision is draining. But he's making good progress, especially with biting. He and the cats are already great friends, they even play (we've had him 2 weeks) Someday I'll be able to get myself the 3 year old pit bull I dream of, just gotta get through college.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Hate to be a downer,_ but_ I hope you've made the right decision. A Border Collie are "working breeds" and need a job to be happy and a lot of exercise and would not have been my choice. I've heard it said many times by dog owners and trainers that "a tired dog is a good dog". Perhaps Kaya would not have had SA as much if she had been exercised hard. Greyhounds need a lot of exercise and so do Border Collies. If they don't get it, they can be real destroyers. With long working hours, I don't really see how you can give enough exercise that your dog will need, which would be _hard running_ a minimum of 2 hrs. in the morning and evening _or more_. This is what Border Collies are genetically bred to do. This dog is a high energy mix. I would have been more inclinded to get a smaller lap-type dog that doesn't require much exercise to be happy except a walk around a block.


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## ZoeH (Jun 27, 2010)

@catloverami, the OP didn't say what Dakota is mixed _with_.

Maybe Dakota didn't get the characteristic BC genes. Or if he did, maybe several people in the family jog regularly -- things look different when two or more people in a household are training for marathons and integrate doggy time with running they're doing anyway.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

In *StormChaser's* post #11, she says:

"The rescue had a couple more dogs in mind for us (though they were _really_ pushing Liza on us, because she'd been there for a long time), so they brought out a couple more, and eventually brought out two of their older puppies - a 6mos old Border Collie name Misty and a 5mos old Border Collie mix named "Dakota". The moment we met "Dakota", we knew we'd found our dog."

I've underlined what to me seems clear that they're getting "Dakota" the Border Collie mix.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Zoe is saying that she could be mixed with something other than BC that is low energy. So he may not be as active as a pure BC.

I would have been a lot more worried if they had gotten an ACD, they are intense and I don't think the cats would have fared well. The BC may still try stalking and herding the cats but that easier to deal with than a dog who tries serious biting and killing like an ACD might.


I think a working person can own a BC, but yes, they have to commit to coming home tired and still getting that dog out to run and play and train (working the brain is as important as working the body). You could even set up your own backyard agility (no jumping yet though, too young I think). I missed the part about her working hours though, so I don't know exactly how long we are talking.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

Thanks ~Siameseifuplz~ for the book suggestions! 

@catloverami - 
Thanks for your concern. I am active and did keep Kaya well exercised while we had her. I do understand that this is also a common theory to ease SA (get them well exercised before leaving so all they want to do was sleep). Unfortunately Kaya's SA was way beyond my experience level (just a few days ago we noticed that she had scratched up the front door and drywall by the window there trying to get out when we left her alone). She is actually being adopted by the foster home we got her from, because she is extremely attached to the foster mom and her 7 y/o daughter, and the foster mom is home all day with her. She is a nurse that works at night, and her husband is home during that time. Kaya is in a very good place now.

I am familiar with the background on Border Collies as well, and I know they are a high-energy breed. But quite honestly, I do not know if "Dakota" is truly a BC. That was just their guess. But he is definitely some kind of herding dog, and all herding dogs are high-energy and need to be kept active both physically and mentally. We don't work long hours - full time, 8 hours a day, the usual - but with our commute time we are gone for about 9 hours a day. This is no more unusual than anyone else out there who work full time with dogs. We are prepared to keep him well exercised and trained with not just basic commands, but more advanced ones as well to keep him occupied. "Dakota" is also going to be my hiking buddy, and when he's older we will be getting into agility training.

I get what you are saying about a lap dog, but my husband and I are not lap dog people. We like big dogs - the bigger the better. We like to have the distinction between cat and dog. Especially since our dominant cat - Asia - would like beat the crap out of a little dog. lol


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

ZoeH said:


> Thanks for mentioning this. I've been feeling a little guilt because I just haven't had that with SemiFeralKitty ... and the week before, I did have it with a different semı-feral kitten, which I didn't take.


Did you adopt this kitty, or are you fostering it?


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

~Siameseifuplz~ said:


> Good luck with your pup, I'd love to see some pictures! My parents just got a puppy, he's 12 weeks old now. Gotta say he's confirmed that I'm an adult dog person lol. The constant dupervision is draining. But he's making good progress, especially with biting. He and the cats are already great friends, they even play (we've had him 2 weeks) Someday I'll be able to get myself the 3 year old pit bull I dream of, just gotta get through college.


Thanks 

And yeah, I never thought we'd be adopting a puppy. I made sure Dave understood truly what this means, and to not just with his heart on the decision. We went over our game plan on training house rules (he's going to learn that the cats are not to be chased right off the bat, and we'll be starting him with the leave it command as well). I am a pretty big homebody as it is, so being home all the time with the pup is not a major life change for me. 

Just got the update that "Dakota" is home now! Dave has the cats in the bedroom for now until I come home from work so we can manage the introductions together. Man we have got to figure out a name for this guy... I like Dakota, but Dave doesn't. We are having a hard time picking a name that we both like.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

*Introductions went well*

Puppy boy now has an official name... Riley!

The introductions went well between Riley and the cats. Asia is completely unfazed by him, except for when he walked up to investigate her while she was turned away... she jumped up about three feet hissing away. He's now very cautious of her. Zoe is much better around him that she was Kaya. She will tolerate being in the same room as him as opposed to running upstairs and hiding under the bed. However, he was up and playing a little in the living room when she boldly walked by him, and he thought she was trying to play with him. He started to chase after her with his tail up and head bobbling (he's a bobboler too - just like Zoe, lol) but she did _not_ appreciate that. We told him no and redirected him with his ball. But now if he gets within three feet of her she lets out her most formidable low growl.

All in good time. I'm very happy with how things are going so far.  Here are some pics of the boy. He has humongous ears! 8O





[URL=http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc298/starphoenix_photos/Riley/?action=view&current=Riley001.jpg]
[/URL]


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## ZoeH (Jun 27, 2010)

Aw-right Riley! I love his ears.

(The semi-feral kitten was being kicked around by neighbourhood kids. I bathed her, cut burrs out of her fur, trimmed her nails and left her on the porch/balcony with litter, water etc ...and when I got home she was a mess again thanks to the semi-feral kids, so I've been shutting her in the bathroom when I'm not there.)


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

His ears are very adorable! 

On your semi-feral kitty - I remember that post now. I wouldn't worry too much about the connection; maybe you are just supposed to rehabilitate her and then find her real forever home.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

**sigh**

Well, things are going, and I know it's day 5, but I guess I had hoped Zoe would come around by now.

She really is scared of Riley. It doesn't help that Riley chases her... she was fine around him the first day or two - I mean, she didn't like him, but she'd stay in the same room that I was in. Now she's always upstairs, and only slinks down to eat or use the bathroom. I've been training Riley to "leave it" and he will naturally sit or lie down when one of the cats walks passed him, but his attention span isn't the greatest. Sometimes he is very good and listens. Other times he wants to play so bad that he just won't listen and tries to get the cats to play. Zoe will immediately run from him, which of course he interprets as chase. Asia will stand her ground and get herself as big as she possibly can and hiss something awful. He usually knows this to mean "back off" and he does (then he whines at me). But sometimes he doesn't care and continues to get her to play and she'll whack him.

I feel bad for Zoe (again). Last night she came downstairs when Riley was asleep next to me, and she went to jump up on my lap but then noticed him and walked away. The good news is she does still come down to eat and use the litter box. I wonder though if I should put one upstairs and maybe feed her dinner up there? She really is a nervous cat and I don't want to stress her out too much. She's already stressed that she doesn't have my attention all the time now. She only really sees me when I go to bed. This morning I went back to sleep after waking up to feed Riley and play with him for a while. She sat on my chest when I got in back in bed and it felt like she was trembling slightly. I don't know, it was cold in here this morning, and I could be just overreacting.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

I am convinced that Asia purposely taunts Riley to get him in trouble.

He is not allowed to chase the kitties. When the kitties are near him or walk by him he is to sit or lie down. He is getting better at this, but when he's excited sometimes he forgets his newly learned manners. This is when Asia will dart back and forth in front of him, baiting him, waiting for him to get yelled at when he starts to chase. She will also sometimes walk passed him just to swear at him and throw a shadow paw. That's when Asia gets yelled at, so she doesn't really do this too often... mostly when she thinks no one is watching her.

Zoe is doing better. She came down tonight and sat on the ground in front of me, though she still would not sit in my lap if Riley was near. She's also walking in front of him more and more. This is SO good, because since Asia is always around he's becoming more desensitized towards her. But Zoe he hasn't seen as much as, so he still tries to chase her a lot when he first sees her. But today she was around so much that we were able to work on this.

So it seems that time is the key, as everyone always says. One day at a time.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Awwww, he's adorable, I love his ears lol. I would have him dragging a leash, that way you can stop any chasing. Don't yank or punish with the leash, just keep him from being able to chase. The cats will come around in time, make sure to set aside some time for them. Put Riley away in a puppy proof room or his crate if he's not housebroken and go spend some time with the kitties.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

*Thought I'd put an update in here on how things are going after three weeks...*

Asia continues to antagonize Riley. She really does not like him. I'm sure that in the months ahead she will finally come to accept that he's here and they will work out their place with each other, but right now if Riley is anywhere near Asia and looks at her wrong, she will hiss fiercely and attack. He's very scared of her, and if he's trying to get somewhere and she's in his way, he'll just lay down and whine pitifully.

Zoe amazes me. She's now almost back to her normal self. The only thing she doesn't do as often as she did was lay on my lap with me. But, she's downstairs when we are, she eats fine, she walks passed Riley with caution, but not fear. He likes her because she's not mean to him. But, when he's hyper he likes her enough to try to get her to play with him, and this consists of barking his high-pitched loud yarps at her. She's a nervous cat and loud noises bother her, so this is really turning her off. He upset her so bad one night that I could hear her deep growls from almost 10ft away. Highly unusual for my little lady - usually she's so quiet with her verbal threats that you have to be right next to her to hear them. But, when he's not barking at her she'll usually just watch him, or go to sleep. She's been doing so, SO well.

Other than Riley being sick right now (he's got a Giardia infestation), things are going very well. I do have to say however, that cats are WAY easier. WAY, WAY easier. It is so true when they say having a puppy is like having a baby.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

~Siameseifuplz~ said:


> Awwww, he's adorable, I love his ears lol. I would have him dragging a leash, that way you can stop any chasing. Don't yank or punish with the leash, just keep him from being able to chase. The cats will come around in time, make sure to set aside some time for them. Put Riley away in a puppy proof room or his crate if he's not housebroken and go spend some time with the kitties.


Thanks  
His ears are definitely unique; I still think we should have called him Sonar!

I tried having Riley dragging the leash around, but he was so terrified of it that I was afraid he'd get it wrapped around something while he was trying to run away from it and hurt himself, so I just took it off and watch him. He's been very good since we got him.. he's learned not to chase Asia, and _occasionally_ he will try to go after Zoe, but he listens to us when we say leave it, and now he's gotten to the point where if she happens to run across his path he'll move his shoulders like he's going to go after her, but then his training kicks in and he stops - most of the time. But really, it is very rare that she triggers the chase in him as it is.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Riley is adorable! Are his ears always sticking up like that? How funny.


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## swatkat (Aug 21, 2010)

to the op good to hear you found the dog for your family hope you train him well since he is part BC. My parents have a dog there dog is the sister of mine and the dogs are like day and night my dog hunter is 63 pounds and 23 inches he is a german shepherd/anatolian shepherd mix he is bigger then his sister and is blond with brown and a beach bum, while his sister is german shepherd/ border collie I say that cause she is smaller like 19 or 20 inches has the looks of the german shepherd but the high energyy of the bc and if board collies are not trained well they can be hyper and find a way to to play with things and get into trouble. Would love to see pics of your cute pup with the cats my dog hunter loves the kitty cats he gives them kisses.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

October said:


> Riley is adorable! Are his ears always sticking up like that? How funny.


Yeah, his ears are always straight up  He already looks different from those pictures - just a little bit more filled in - but I don't think he's going to get much bigger, so it looks like he may not grow into those big bat ears! lol


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

swatkat said:


> to the op good to hear you found the dog for your family hope you train him well since he is part BC. My parents have a dog there dog is the sister of mine and the dogs are like day and night my dog hunter is 63 pounds and 23 inches he is a german shepherd/anatolian shepherd mix he is bigger then his sister and is blond with brown and a beach bum, while his sister is german shepherd/ border collie I say that cause she is smaller like 19 or 20 inches has the looks of the german shepherd but the high energyy of the bc and if board collies are not trained well they can be hyper and find a way to to play with things and get into trouble. Would love to see pics of your cute pup with the cats my dog hunter loves the kitty cats he gives them kisses.


Thank you 

When we met him and first brought him home he was such a low-key, calm pup. Now that he's getting used to being here (and starting to feel better) his true personality is coming out. He is a hyper dog, and would run forever if I would let him! Right now he gets 2-3 45min walk/jogs a day. If he doesn't, he just whines in the house and paces around. He'll play with his toys, but only for like 30 seconds before he starts pacing. This winter will be fun. I'm already looking forward to the days where it's -45 windchill. *sigh* But anyway, as long as he gets his morning walk and afternoon walk, he will chill and just hang out or chew on his toys. When he won't calm down or stop pacing I take him for an evening walk.

He's starting obedience training in October. I had planned on getting him into agility when he's older, and I think he's going to be a great candidate for it. He LOVES running and jumping, and so far he's proven to be a pretty smart cookie.


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## madpiano (Jul 30, 2008)

He looks like a BC to me. Short Haired BC. 

You will never get him to stop chasing the cats. It moves, it will be chased/herded. The good thing is, BCs are not known for a high pain threshold. He will soon find out that the cat has sharp ends and get very wary of them. Asia sounds like she is playing with him. And Zoe is tolerating him. She will get used to his ways, she is obviously not scared of him as such. Once the cats figure out that the dog will stop chasing if they stop running, it will be all fine. We used to have a BC with our cat and they got on very well, they used to play tag through the whole house and snuggle up on the sofa. My cat has learned the very valuable lesson, that running from a dog is bad, staring at a dog makes him wimper and run away (he uses it on the neighbour's Staff now, whenever he sees him - hillarious to see that dangerous dog wimper and walk away while my cat sits in the middle of his garden like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth). 

Riley is absolutely adorable. He has such a cute face!!


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

madpiano said:


> He looks like a BC to me. Short Haired BC.
> 
> You will never get him to stop chasing the cats. It moves, it will be chased/herded. The good thing is, BCs are not known for a high pain threshold. He will soon find out that the cat has sharp ends and get very wary of them. Asia sounds like she is playing with him. And Zoe is tolerating him. She will get used to his ways, she is obviously not scared of him as such. Once the cats figure out that the dog will stop chasing if they stop running, it will be all fine. We used to have a BC with our cat and they got on very well, they used to play tag through the whole house and snuggle up on the sofa. My cat has learned the very valuable lesson, that running from a dog is bad, staring at a dog makes him wimper and run away (he uses it on the neighbour's Staff now, whenever he sees him - hillarious to see that dangerous dog wimper and walk away while my cat sits in the middle of his garden like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth).
> 
> Riley is absolutely adorable. He has such a cute face!!


Thank you!  He definitely knows how to use his puppy face to his advantage!

Just to update on this - things are going. Riley has entered into his "dominant" period where he is testing his independence. My gosh it is JUST like having a kid. We went through obedience class and he did fairly well. He passed, anyway. He knows all the basic commands and has a great STAY, but the minute we are outside and he's off leash (currently at the dog park only, it's the only fenced in area available to us) his recall is totally shoddy. He is such an independent thinker; he only listens to me about 75% of the time, and most often it comes with an irritated sounding "hrmph".

The cats are exactly the same, and you're right madpiano - true to his BC nature, he's been chasing them more and more - and NOT minding his manners or listening when he's told to LEAVE IT. He now sleeps with us at night - usually on the bed, and when he is, Zoe will still sleep with me too. So that's great progress with her. She will also sit on my lap now if Riley is next to me, but only occasionally and he has to stay asleep. If he wakes up and looks at her she's gone.

I should put more up to date pics of him on this thread - he truly has started to get a more "mature" look, and he's topping out at 30#s, so on the smaller side. I definitely think he's mixed with Cattle Dog - and something else too - he is always holding his tail up and curled, like a husky.


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## Snarfums (Dec 28, 2010)

I signed up for Cat Forum right after reading this thread. I am in the almost exact same situation as you are, except after reading a while it seems like your situation has changed for the better. How is everything going with your new puppy?

OKay, here's my similar story- about 2 weeks ago we adopted a super sweet greyhound named Tasha. She is the best dog ever, very friendly, 4 1/2 years old- she even plays fetch and comes when you call her name (most of the time). She likes to be with us everywhere we go in the house and usually she will lay down and take a nap knowing that we are within sight. 

The problem is, when we have to leave for work we have to put her in her crate, and she absolutely HATES it! She does the typical "freezing" when we get her right up next to the opening of her crate and after a lot of convincing, she will finally go in. Once she is inside she starts crying and whining like the whole world is coming to an end! Every day we have been coming back home over our lunch break, so she's in the crate for about 3 1/2 hours until we get back for lunch, and then another 3-4 hours until we get home after work. The foster family we adopted her from said that she was probably chewing on her crate during her racing days because her teeth are really worn down and in pretty bad shape. We put toys and treats in her crate while we are gone and she doesn't even touch them until we get back. She has also had a number of pee accidents in there as well. When we are home and she is free roaming the house, she will start to freak out if either of us are out of view. She has to know where we are every second or else she starts crying. Any advice about getting her used to being alone/ in the crate?

Tasha gets along fine with both of our cats, when they're not moving faster than a slow walk! We have one Maine **** and one Savannah who are still getting used to having a new dog around, they love to play like normal cats do, but now it seems like if they want to play or run up the stairs to the litterbox, Tasha wants to chase them too! I know it's a greyhound's instinct to want to chase anything moving, but I want to make it so that she doesn't scare the cats when they want their play time in as well. I'm just afraid that Tasha might want to chase down one of the cats and hurt them in the process accidentally. Does anyone here have experience with their dogs and cats?


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

First, why do you need to crate her? Does she misbehave or have accidents while you are gone? I believe in crate training dogs, but if they aren't needed... I wouldn't bother.

Right now she only has bad experiences with her crate. She was kept locked in one for LONG periods of time before and now when you put her in it you leave her alone. It sounds like she has some serious separation anxiety thrown in to make it more stressful for her(which probably explains the peeing in her crate). 

I would suggest changing the way she sees her crate, it needs to become a safe haven, not a dungeon. It won't happen overnight since she's so afraid of it. Start feeding her near the crate with the intention eventually feeding her IN the crate. Keep moving her bowl closer and closer and then further INTO the crate as the days pass. Put the crate near where you hang out the most. Someplace that you can leave a hand or fingers through the bars for her to touch and for her to be able to see you. Then put her in it for short periods of time while you are there for her to feel safe. Try to never let her out when she's crying/chewing/ fussing, it will reward that behavior. Give her treats while she's in there.

I fostered a retired Greyhound and they can be quite labor intensive to rehabilitate into home life. The racing industry sends them out with a LOT of phobias and social problems, but once those are under control (I don't know if they are ever solved) they are the most wonderful of companions.


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## Snarfums (Dec 28, 2010)

We want to keep her in the crate while we are away because we don't fully trust her by herself in the house and with the cats. It might be possible to block off some rooms (we have a very open floorplan), but we have seen her try to dig and scratch at the carpet and I have a feeling if we left her alone long enough something would be broken or ripped up. I guess we could try it though, no hurt in trying, right?

We have been feeding her in and around the crate for about a week and a half, we put her toys in there, we have tried to make ti seem like a nice place for her. I think she just hates being alone/away from us in general. I had to put her in the back yard while I was moving some furniture in the other day and she did the same crying/barking routine even though she could still see and hear me inside through the screen door. It's the terrible separation anziety she has and I'm not sure how to get her over that.

Other than that she is a great dog, she is very calm and loves to be with us, she just needs to learn that it's okay to be alone sometimes.

Our Savannah has been warming up to her, she wil snuggle next to her when she's sleeping sometimes. Our Maine **** Cruncher is a different story however... I'm nt sure if she will ever warm up to Tasha as much as Kimba has.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

Hey Snarfums! I'm so glad that this thread was a beacon - that truly was my intent, because before I posted it I had searched everywhere for a similar situation, and just couldn't find one.

The one thing that jumps out at me most here is that you've just picked up Tasha two weeks ago. It really does take a long time for them to settle, and the older they are, the longer it may be. Riley JUST got settled here, and we've had him for four months. And really, that was forced upon us - my husband's work schedule changed where he worked nights while I days, and we kept Riley out of the crate during that time. When his work schedule shifted back to days, we put Riley back in the crate while we were gone and he completed destroyed his bedding, something he'd never done before. I didn't want to keep him in there with nothing but the plastic bottom, so we chanced it and left him out alone with the upstairs gated off. He did beautifully. So now he's left un-crated with the downstairs to roam. We've only come home to a few puppy mishaps - today he decided to tear apart one of the rugs we had in front of the sliding glass doors that he's let out thru to potty. I think it was because he's been spoiled for the last five days with the holiday and me working from home Monday and Tuesday. He really doesn't adapt too well with changes to his routine. But anyway, every time we've come home he greets us along with the cats, so I trust by that everyone is getting along fine with this situation.

Now, with the fact that she's very new to her home and her new situation, keep this in mind: It will get better. I love Riley to death, but knowing what I know now, I sometimes wish we would have stuck it out with Kaya. I don't know how we would have done it, but I feel really guilty about giving her back.

What have you noticed with how she and cats interact so far? When she chases them, is it only play, or does it seem like she wants to "catch" them? As a retired racing greyhound, she may see them as her chase toys, BUT I am a firm believer in the fact that the majority of dogs can be taught the difference between what is family/pack and otherwise. Riley chases the wild cats outside in a more aggressive manner than he does his kitties. With Asia and Zo, he really is just lonely and wants to play. It sounds like things are going to work out for you all in the end, especially if Savannah is feeling gracious enough to snuggle up to sleeping pup!!

Since she's not taking to her crate - which may or may not be due to her past racing days, I'm not sure how to take that knowing that most dogs that have been raised in crates prefer them - it may be best to leave her out in a "safe" zone. We have an open floor plan too, and our only option was to gate off the stairs going up. Can you possibly gate off both areas, up and down (assuming you have this layout) to keep Tasha downstairs and kitties upstairs, moving a litter box and food up there while you get Tasha used to them? 

This may not work for her, but with Riley I hid treats all over downstairs for him to find while we are away at work. Also I make sure that I'm completely ready to walk out the door and give him a treat in the other room to nosh on and while he's distracted with that I make my exit. I don't make a big deal about it with giving him hugs and kisses before I leave. Just treat and leave. I know this is different with a dog that's been known to tear up carpeting, but it SOUNDS similar to Riley, so maybe you'll have some luck there.

Also, I hate to bring it up, because I hated it when people brought it up to me, but it is SO true.... how much do you exercise her? Do you take her for a walk/jog in the morning before leaving for work? If you don't, try to - Riley is an absolute MENACE if he does not get a walk before we leave him for the day. If you are taking her for a walk, could you try upping the time/mileage/intensity? Pooping her out before leaving her may help with the anxiety. Which she may not really have - that may just be her still getting used to the new life and new people.

Good luck and please keep us posted!


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## Snarfums (Dec 28, 2010)

Thanks so much for your fast reply Storm! I'm so glad your Riley is a great member of your family now! Has he grown into his big ears yet? His baby pictures are adorable.

My husband and I work at the same company so we both are home at the same time before and after work. Every morning we wake up, get ready, feed Tasha, let her out to do her business, then leave for work, we're there for about 3 hours, then we come back home for lunch, then we come back after work 4 or 5 hours later.

We have been feeding Tasha in her crate every day, but I don't think that makes much difference in terms of her being happy in there. I have put some treats in her crate hoping that she will want to go all the way in and get them, but she reaches as far as she can to get the treat and then backs out. We do have a baby gate that we could probably use somewhere for the cats- we have a tri-level floorplan kind of like you mentioned, we usually are either upstairs on the computer, or downstairs by the television where the door to go out to the backyard is. We might be able to gate her off on the mid level while we leave, I think she would be able to get into the least amount of trouble there.

I don't think Tasha wants to harm the cats when she chases them, but I don't really know the greyhound personality too well so I could be wrong. She has never growled or barked at them, she just lifts her ears up and chases if we don't catch her reaction in time when she sees or hears movement from them. I think after a few weeks of being scolded she has been getting better, but the cats have been more cautious around her too so maybe they're learning as well. She's absolutely fine with the cats when they're not running around. I think she just wants to chase only because of instinct, but I don't like it when she does because it scares the cats when a 65 pound dog comes blasting up the stairs after them!

We will try the gate idea. Hopefully she doesn't rip through them. I just have a feeling that she will freak out because she gets very upset when we leave, whether she's in a crate or not. But it's worth a try!

We don't walk Tasha in the morning before we leave, but we do at night after we get home from work, but I do see your point, that is a good idea. We live in Colorado so it is very cold in the mornings and greyhounds have very low body fat so they can't be out for long, but I wouldn't mind doing a short jog in the mornings. 

It's funny because I love jogging and running, and when I take Tasha with me she is alright for about the first half mile, but anything more than that she goes sooooo slow! She walks about .5 miles per hour, not a very good endurance runner, that's for sure!

Thanks so much for your input and experience Storm. I'm glad Riley is a good match for you and your family! Can't wait to hear your updates and I will let you know how things turn out as well!


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## JMK (Jan 3, 2011)

Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading this thread. We are getting a puppy in two weeks and I am worried about our kitties. We plan to also have boundaries and I like the idea of having him sit or lay down if he starts chasing. My Charlie is a lot like Zoe, always my shadow and sitting in my lap. I just want our cats to feel comfortable and safe ... that is our goal! This thread gave me good ideas ... Thanks!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I think it depends on the cats temperament and the age of the dog...and the size of the puppy. When we got our Alaskan Malamute she was soooo tiny. Our cat had grown up with two dogs and he was used to them but for some reason he was really worried about that puppy. At every opportunity he just TORTURED her. 

He'd never attack or hurt her...he'd just stare at her. He'd slowly herd her into a corner and stare at her. She'd cry and cry and cry until one of us came to rescue her. It used to annoy me but I'll tell you...he taught her a VERY strong sense of respect for cats. I remember her trying to chase him a few times and he'd whip around and lunge straight for her instead of trying to get away. I never saw him abuse or physically hurt her and for a breed that had a strong prey drive she was great with all cats. Even when she'd see feral cats on the farm she'd watch them with interest and might try to approach with curiosity but when they ran she never gave chase.

Same thing when I was growing up, we had an old calico female that lived in the house for mouse catching. She was hardly a pet since we weren't allowed to touch her or feed her (she might get lazy and stop doing her job) but she was GREAT at training puppies. She was gentle but VERY firm. She was the master of using just enough force to get her point across.

I'd kind of wait and see  Since you're getting a puppy and it will be small and probably easily intimidated your kitties might just deal with the situation themselves.

This is the day we brought her home.


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

Wow I can't believe it's been a year since last posting... time flies, for sure!! I hope everything is going well for Snarfums and JMK! If you happen to see this post, can you give an update? 

Riley, Asia and Zoe have all come to mutual agreements with one another. Asia loves having him around to torment, I am absolutely convinced. Zoe would much rather be rid of him but because she loves me she tolerates him. He still chases them, as one poster said he always will - it is definitely true. But, it is in no way an aggressive chase... it's definitely an "I wanna play!!" chase. That is his absolute favorite game (you should see the goofball at the dog park with other dogs), but unfortunately the kitties do not share his love of this. Asia just gets so mad that she'll lie in stalk mode and then pounce out hissing and swatting when he least expects is. Zoe has become extremely adept at keeping just out of his reach and slipping in thru tight spaces to hid... I'm fairly convinced she's a ninja. 

Things have gone back to where they were with the cats pre-dog. Zoe sleeps on my lap now even if Riley is right next to me. Both cats roam the house freely as they had before. There is no close relationship between species, but we've come home to find all three sleeping soundly on the bed together, so there is trust between them all. All in all I am very, very happy with how things turned out. All things in due time, so true!!

Here are some updated pics 

Asia showing her dominance over Riley (she won't let him pass into my office):
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc298/starphoenix_photos/asiablocksriley.jpg










Zoe and Riley (excuse the mess, it was laundry day  :









Riley Now:









Happy Boy:


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

It's been almost 2 years since the last update and I am happy to report that all is well in our household.  IN FACT, Zoe and Riley actually sleep TOGETHER now! Here are some updated pics!

Zoe using Riley's paw as a pillow:









Zoe using Riley's face as a pillow:









Riley now (he reminds me of the Grinch, lol - all scraggly)









Riley when we first brought him home and Riley now - same crazy smile 









And last but not least, my Queen, Asia:


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

OH!! I also wanted to update too that we did a DNA test on Riley and it turns out he isn't a Border Collie at all! He is an Australian Kelpie-Setter-Newfoundland (!?)-Collie mix!


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