# Our new rescue dog is obsessed with our cats!



## stusam85 (Feb 25, 2012)

Hi, I know I haven't been on here for a while but I could really do with some help/advice right now!
We adopted a new dog from a rescue centre on Saturday and he is settling in really well apart from one MAJOR problem .... he seems to be obsessed with our cats. 
He is a Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) cross apparently ... but we are not sure. He is just about 2 years old and has been in the shelter for a year, so we understand that he needs training. He is learning not to pull when he is out on walks but he has a very active nose and is always finding scents. He gets on ok with our other dog Wolfie (Belgian Teruven cross?) and he is good with people.
We are just not sure what to do about the cats. He will sleep in the same room as they are sleeping (when we are there) but if he hears them move he will watch them and then try to follow them, or if he hears the cat flap he will watch them come in. We are trying to teach him the "leave" command and it is working (at times!) but the problem is when he fixates on them or starts to chase them then he blocks us out. If he does chase them I catch hold of his trailing lead and put him in his enclosed area for a "time-out" but I don't know if that has any significance to him. I just need to do it to give me a chance to check the cat is ok.
I hope this makes sense ... I'm just a bit confused as to what to do! I know he's only been with us a few days but my husband is already making comments about him having to go back to the shelter if he doesn't settle with the cats. He is such a lovely dog I want to give him a chance.
All suggestions greatfully received.


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## Labman (Sep 20, 2011)

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## flyballcrazy (Oct 6, 2010)

I would have him on a lead around the cats at the moment, so he can't chase them. I have two cats and four dog, two which are sight hounds  It hasn't been easy with one of them as she has a very high prey drive, to start of with she was muzzled and on lead, over some weeks she learnt to ignore them, so the lead came off but the muzzle remained on. I think it took about 8 weeks before she realised cats were not to be chased but even five yrs on I never leave her alone with them. 

I have stair gates so my cats can safely get to were they want to go  this helped.


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

When Bella arrived she was 7 months old and had been allowed to chase cats, she wasn't aggressive with them yet but thought it was fun to chase and annoy them, obviously I wasn't going to allow that. 
What we did was use a house lead when she was in the house, obviously when we weren't there she wasn't allowed to be alone with the cats, she was always attached to a human, when she ignored the cats she was praised, and we encouraged her to look at us when there was a cat walking past. When she moved to chase them we corrected her and had her sit again. Eventually she got the idea that it was good to ignore them and bad to chase or stare at them. 
It took time but now she is best friends with the cats, they actively seek her out for a snuggle and she will even ignore cats on walks. Its also very important not to force meetings with them, let them get used to each other over time.


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

I would deffo keep him the lead with someone at the end of it, he is self rewarding getting to chase them even if it's a short time. They are new to him so he is just curious and will want to see them, but if they run he will chase and he will enjoy it and want to keep doing it...


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## stusam85 (Feb 25, 2012)

Thanks guys, it's nice to know we are on the right track with our train of thought! What length of lead did you use to keep your dogs attached to a human? We've got a normal 1m lead and a 3m line (the remains of a tape type flexi that broke), at the moment he's got the line attached to his harness and it's trailing - but the cats are outside! Would you suggest we attached one of these to a person or get something else a different length?


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

I had Bella on a regular training lead attached round my waist, that way I could walk without needing my hands to hold her, she had to come everywhere with me but she was rewarded for this with regular attention


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