puppy aggression with cats
i've been searching through the topics here and reading every single one dealing with 'aggression'. i haven't found one that really answers what i need answered, though, so i'm hoping for some help.
i got Tilly a week ago. i have a cat and my friend does as well, and she's been really... aggressive with them. at first it was just playful puppy herding, but it's escalated into aggression. we put her in her punish taxi every time, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. i'm very, very worried about it because i'm hoping to have her become a therapy dog. she's a puppy and i know i can break her of this habit, or hopefully can, but i don't know how to. it's got to be her herding instincts, but it's getting too bad. she's fine when they're just in the room... any advice?
we punish her for three minutes at a time, leaving her in the taxi after reprimanding her with a 'no' and 'stop'. i've contacted her breeder just an hour ago and have no reply yet, but hoping i can get some information from him, too. she does great with people and was fine with the two dogs she met (after some difficulties, because one was incredibly yappy and chased her around), so it's just the cats when they run. thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Emilee & Tilly on
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when the cats start to run, she'll begin to chase after them. she was at first just herding them, nipping at their feet and sometimes their tail, but she's begun to bite them when they run away. she pulled my cat's tail so hard today that she stopped him and he turned around to hit her. when they manage to escape onto our furniture, she'll bark at them and then begin to growl if they don't come back to her. it was, again, playfully growling at first, but it's become different. she's not playful about it any more.
most of the times, the cats would hit her on the back or the side with no claws. since she's become much more aggressive, they'll hit her on the muzzle, still with no claws. we reprimand them too, so they've taken to running away and then jumping away. they don't hiss at her or use claws and we've never had an actual fight since they get away before it escalates to that. they don't bother her otherwise, so i'm not sure why she's become so mean to them.
sorry. i have no idea why i didn't think to put that in the original post.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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It's up to you but personally I would not correct the cat for standing up for itself. Cats (again, in my opinion) have a right to retaliate if a dog chases/nips them. My own cat sometimes bullies the dog for no reason and I try to halt that, but I don't correct my cat for hitting a dog over crowding her.
I think it's just way too exciting for her and for the time being, you will want to keep them separated most of the time. It sounds like they've pushed her over the threshold from playing to predating; this doesn't really sound like herding. Jack sometimes gets this way when playing with toy dogs and I watch him very carefully and step in.
Work away from the cats and get her to look at you when you say her name by giving her jackpot rewards whenever she does (feed like 10 or 15 tiny little treats to her right in a row while singing her praises). When she looks at you consistently with no distractions, then introduce the cats but have a leash on for back-up. As soon as she starts staring but before she starts chasing, say her name and if she looks at you, then give her TONS of praise and treats and separate her from the cats again (ending on a good note). If she does not look at you, do whatever you have to in order to get her to comply (waving a treat right in front of the nose often works) while preventing her from chasing, and as soon as she looks at you (even under bribing) praise like crazy and treat and end the session. This will be a nuisance to the cats in the short term, but in the long term will keep everyone happier.
Also she may need some more vigorous play. Try finding a carefully monitored puppy play group by you. Failing that, play tug and other vigorous games to release that energy.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Attach a leash or rope to her and if she pays attention to the cat or chases it grab the leash and say no. As soon as she looks at you interest her in a toy or treat. If she ignores the cat be sure to pet her or give a treat. Never allow chasing with out grabbing the leash. She can learn that this is unacceptable but it will take persistence.
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I agree with your solution if Tilly is just chasing the cats and getting a little rough. Just unsure what she means by "aggression." If Tilly is just over-exuberant, it's an easy fix. If she is actually mauling the cats (unlikely at her age, but possible) then it may be a very high prey drive and tougher to curb.
If the cat had stood up to Tilly the first time, there probably would not have been a second time. Cats who run tend to find themselves in trouble with dogs.
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thank you! we'll try this now. i've been treating her for the majority of today when she pays attention to me instead of the cats, but it doesn't last long. toy and food attention doesn't last too long, though, because she'll just try to go after them. she's been incredibly stubborn, so i'm hoping the leash will help.
thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Napolean (Joan and Gabby) on
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Remember to keep training sessions only about 10-15 minutes long, if not less. Dogs, puppies especially, have a limited attention span. Train her for around this amount of time then remove the cats and allow her to relax, and when you end the session ALWAYS end positively otherwise the whole point of training her will go down the drain, for if you stop when she actually went after the cat, the only thing she's learned is to continue herding your cats. Train positive and I would suggest you do not use the word "no" for that backs up the process. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by liane, emi, and helix! on
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do your cats have a dog safe area they can run to or a high place to jump to ? both my corgis cant stop chasing my cats sometimes, but they are restricted into the living room, so when the cats run away theres not much they can do cause they cant go after them! as a puppy, i brought the cats into the baby gated room and kept emi on a leash, and i also allowed the cats to correct her with the kitty boops. eventually i let the cats in while emi was sleepy/napping so she could get used to seeing them, and being around them in a non-playing/non-chasing manner so that she knew it was not always okay.
i think it really just takes some time, i was very overwhelmed at first, but after a couple of weeks, things just worked themselves out! its only been a week, so i say give it two more weeks to work things out before you try something else. just make sure to monitor their interactions, and allow the cats a safe escape route from tilly!
just continue to persevere and and give them some time to work things out (: sometimes it can take up to a month or even more for them to get along and get used to each other
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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I'd keep a leash on her and grab it any time she starts to run, give a sharp NO! and make her sit next to you for a few minutes. If she's being crazy and won't be still, I'd put her in a puppy safe room for 10 minutes with the door shut. Usually being away from their people and the action is the worst punishment for a corgi.
Catching the cat is sort of a self-rewarding behavior so you want to interrupt her before she can make contact. I wouldn't reprimand the cat either, she can help you dish out the corrections lol.
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