HELP

[Nicole]

I'm having trouble with my dog beefie he is trying to kill my 2 cat. my other dog does not try to do that. i need help please.

[mcgregor]

unfortunately Beefie is aggressive to the cats .. the other dog is not not....youll have to watch the cats very carefully because the dog will get them for sure, my Yogi did a few months ago but fortunately he did not kill her, keep the cats in another room or put the dog in a crate ......you can train the dog to be more controlable but you can not take the aggressivenss out of the dog.... Mary will give you better advice

[RealPitBull]

Nicole, can you elaborate? What's the current situation, how are the animals all kept? How old is the dog involved, and how long have you had this problem? Obviously, for the time being, keep the cats safe and in a seperate place.

[RealPitBull]

I wanted to add to this important subject, that of cats n' Pit Bulls. While many do keep cats and Pit Bulls peacefully in the same home, it is important to remember that dogs can and DO kill cats, and this isn't abnormal or even rare. Breeds with high prey drive, like Pit Bulls, very often have a difficult time controlling impulses around 'prey' animals, such as cats.

It is imperative that

a) the cats are safely kept away from the dog when a human isn't carefully supervising,

b) you remember that although cats are quick an agile, they still may not be quick enough to evade a dog - so don't assume they are 'faster' or can 'just jump to safety'.

c) dogs are taught a good 'leave it' cue.

d) dogs are taught that chasing cats especially in the home is a huge NO NO. Interrup any movement that looks like chasing/harrassment. Redirect the dog, and if necessary issue a time-out.

e) you understand behavior on the part of the dog that looks 'friendly' towards the cat may not be - excessive licking, nudging, intense staring, keeps following the cat, staring, licking lips, and tense body, hard to interrupt, can all be precursor predatary behavior.

f) tragedy can strike with the speed of lightening. It doens't take much for a dog to kill a cat, so if you have any doubts about your dog harming your cat, keep them seperated at all times.

[pitpupmom]

I'm working on this now with Odie. My one cat is a teenager. He runs around the house like crazy. Odie thinks he's a puppy and tries to bite him and chew. I always redirect him and never leave him alone with my kitten garfield. The older cats Odie doesn't mess with. They're mean to him and he's afraid of them. Garfield just runs around like crazy and Odie is just trying to play but I know that it has to stop. Thankfully the older cats have made their positions in the house known.