# He likes the cats too much!



## Jazztoon (May 27, 2010)

To my surprise, my cats have been adjusting to our 5 month old spoo rather rapidly (he's been here two weeks). We've maintained high levels of separation during this time. But, based on everyone's progress, we have been allowing a bit more freedom in each other's presence.

Well, the puppy loooooves the cats. He really wants them to play with them. So, he starts doing some funky horse like yihaw thing and running around. Because the cats don't know what the heck this means, they run. The puppy chases. The cats get scared.

Our obedience classes don't begin for another two weeks. He does know "sit" and responds very well to "leave it", except when it comes to the cats. He's just way too excited about them to control himself. So far, I don't have any sense of aggression from him - he really just wants to play. But I worry that the more the cats run, the more the dog will misinterpret things. My cats are old - 10 years old - so I don't think they'll ever be much into playing with the pup.

Also *blushing* I noticed that the dog's penis sticks right out whenever he gets excited about the cats and is trying to play with them. Is that sexual? (he's not fixed yet) Is he wanting to, um, get it on with the kitty or is that just a side effect of general excitement?

Anyway, I'm worried that the cats' progress in accepting this new guy in the house will be set back by the puppy's over-enthusiastic behavior. 

Any and all advice appreciated!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Far more likely to be general excitement than anything else! I wouldn't worry too much about it. As for the chasing - perhaps you are being just a tad too optimistic after only two weeks, and with such a young dog. I would ensure the cats always have a safe and easy escape route (baby gate, room the dog can't get into, high furniture), and keep the puppy on a long line whenever the cats are around. Train a "Look at me" or "Watch" command with extra specially delicious treats for looking away from the cats, and then build it into a "Come!", again with wonderful treats. Mine found the idea of doing something (Watch or Come) much easier to understand than not doing something (Leave). Train the cats as well, with treats for staying calm around the puppy - my cats have eventually learned that if they don't run, the dogs don't chase.


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## Jazztoon (May 27, 2010)

Thank you. Your advice makes perfect sense! yes, I supposed I've assumed that because they are fine in the same room together, all would be well. But it's only once they got comfortable with each other's mere presence that the chasing thing has come into play. So, yes, too much freedom too soon, I suppose.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

My two littlies can be very naughty around the cats - Tilly Cat sometimes deigns to play with them, and they therefore spend a lot of time trying to persuade her to play chase. Pippin refuses, and is therefore generally left alone. Once the cat runs, it all becomes very exciting for the dogs, so I try very hard to call them to me and calm before that happens. Doesn't always work, though, especially if Tilly is being deliberately aggravating!


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## Birdie (Jun 28, 2009)

Give it a bit more time, order will be restored in the house soon enough.  
Desmond had that same problem, he LOVES cats. Too much. He sees a cat and his tail just starts going. Love love love loves them. My cat, Sophie, hated Desmond at first. She would walk up right next to him and hiss at him for daring to be in her vicinity LOL. He would bark and play bow and bounce around like crazy whenever he saw her for the first few weeks, he really desperately wanted her to play. I would clap my hands and divert his attention to a game of fetch or wrestle with ME to get his mind off the kitty. He no longer bothers her like that, he knows that I don't like it and that it's not okay. 

As far as the penis sticking out, don't worry! Nothing naughty is going on! Your pup is just super excited, it happens.  If you're gonna live with a boy puppy, you gotta accept that some things just ARE. Boy puppies get hyper and their little wee wee may make an appearance, it's not gross or bad or anything, it just is. 

My advice? Keep your puppy occupied. Stop him before he starts bothering the cats, and when he starts being crazy, take him away from the kitties and have him do something productive. Get his attention on YOU and tell him "leave it". If you say "leave it" while he's focused on the cats, he's probably not gonna hear you. Get him to pay attention to you and listen to you, it's good to start teaching him to focus on you right now rather than later anyway.


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## Jazztoon (May 27, 2010)

Thank you so much. Birdie, glad to hear it's just a boy puppy thing LOL.

I am so eager for obedience class to start. I feel like he's losing some of the manners he came with. He does do "sit" and "leave it" (except for cats, but it sounds like I'm not timing that correctly or diverting his attention well enough). But he's also starting to play a "chase" game when we ask him to "come" ... he'll come just close enough and then when I reach for him, he bolts, tail wagging. He thinks it's fun LOL! I've made sure NOT to chase him because it only makes it more of a game, but it's making it pretty hard to actually get a hold of him when he's in that mood.

Anyway, I'm sure this is all to be worked out with some obedience. He's my first dog ever so I'm very green. I must say, given that fact, that I think he's doing well over-all. Walking great on his leash, not a single accident yet and nothing major destroyed around the house LOL.


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## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

You cn work on a few things until obedience. 

LEAVE It is a good one-I apply it for the cats but do follow up with huge vlue treats for ignoring them on command... 



And then well the spray bottle comes inhand too- my dog who would love to harrass the cats non stop has learned that staring at the cat can get one squirted out of no where

So if the leave it is IGNORED there is a negative (Spray bottle) it's a two sided attack- positive training and some negative


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## Birdie (Jun 28, 2009)

Jazztoon, if you're having trouble with the come-just-close-enough-to-run-away problem (I hate that!! Des used to do that too), check out this thread: http://www.poodleforum.com/23-general-training-obedience/7456-little-training.html 
FlyingDuster gave me some GREAT advice about how to train your dog to come RIGHT UP to you. I've been doing this with Desmond ever since, it's worked like a charm! He loves it, too. 
Also, even before I started luring him right up on top of me, I would ask him to come to me, and then sit. He's like a master at the "wait" command, so I would have him come to me, sit, and wait, that way I could go up to him and get him if needed. I feel that puts his attention on you more and he'll be less tempted to come when called, then run away or.. just kind of walk past you lol.

Good luck with training, I'm sure you and him will have lots of experiences! Des is my first dog too, so we're still learning. I think Obedience classes will definitely help with strengthening the bond between you two, and helping with having him focus on you. That's the most important part, after all!


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I wish you people would use the correct terminology. This isn't grade school, you know. It's not "wee wee" or whatever else you guys call it, it's LIPSTICK. OK??



I have discovered that teaching the Stay command has helped with that _getting just close enough to run away_ problem.


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