How Do I Get a Dog to Ignore a Cat?

Rivalries between dogs and cats are legendary, but dogs and cats don't have to live in disharmony. Renowned dog behaviorist Patricia McConnell argues that reward-based training methods can be used to teach dogs to behave appropriately around cats. Proper reward-based training utilizes a clicker to "mark" good behavior. Click the clicker every time your dog behaves appropriately and it'll begin to understand the exact moment at which its behavior is good.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog training clicker
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Expose your dogs to cats as a puppy. When puppies get lots of socialization, they're less likely to behave in aggressive, reactive ways as adults. Make every experience your pup has with a cat as positive as possible. Click the clicker and give your pup lots of treats every time it's near a cat and doesn't behave aggressively. With most puppies, proper socialization should be sufficient to prevent aggression toward cats. If socialization has not been effective or your dog is already an adult, proceed to the next step.

    • 2

      Teach your dog to ignore cats when it's on a leash. When you see a cat approaching, stop walking, click your clicker and give the dog a treat. Walk a few steps closer to the cat and give your dog another treat. If your dog begins to react, back up and give your dog another treat when it stops reacting. Repeat this exercise several times a week. After a few months, you should be able to walk directly up to a cat without it provoking a reaction from your dog.

    • 3

      Teach your dog to ignore cats when it's not on a leash. Begin by exposing your dog to a cat through a barrier like a fence or crate. Click your clicker and give your dog a treat if it doesn't react. Approach the cat and continue clicking and "treating." Repeat for several weeks.

      If your dog never/no longer reacts to the cat behind the barrier, you can progress to exposing your dog to the cat without the barrier. Repeat the procedure above, gradually building up to placing your dog right next to the cat.