First Impressions and Creating a Safe Environment
When introducing your new puppy to a home with cats, or a new cat to a home with a dog, first impressions are critical! The first moment they meet will shape the relationship for life.
This guide to introducing dogs and cats explains how to safely introduce a dog or puppy to cats by proactively controlling the environment to allow you to create teaching moments and improve the chances they will get along.
The Secret
Create a safe environment for your pets by using tools and equipment that give you control of when and how they meet: Crate, indoor leash, front-clip harness, baby gates, and high-value treats can ensure you keep the upper hand and make it easier to help you create teaching moments and avoid unwanted situations that might scare your cat.
Prepare the Environment
Thoughtful preparation—ideally starting weeks before the puppy arrives—significantly increases the chances that dogs and cats will coexist peacefully, whether as friends or respectful “frenemies.”
Before the puppy arrives it is important to create safe, protected spaces for the cats.
Start by making sure the cat’s food, litter boxes, and usual window perches are safe from the puppy. Adding new vertical perches in common areas can help your cat sleep and relax without worrying about the dog surprising them.
Make sure you have a sturdy crate for your puppy, baby gates on doors, and other ways to keep them safely apart.
Cat / Dog Introductions
When it comes to cat/dog introductions, if you are careful about making a good first impression and know how best to structure your home, you can speed up the process of getting your cat and dog to get along while reducing the stress on everyone – dogs, cats, and humans.
Try not to rush their introduction. Wait a few days for your cat to become acclimated to having a dog in the house before introducing them. The goal is to prevent your puppy from scaring your cat or coming on too quickly.
For the first few days keep them separated so your cat can get used to the smells, sights, and sounds of your new puppy. Bringing a new dog home can be stress inducing to your cat. Be sure to plan on dedicated kitty time every day where your puppy is in the crate while you interact with your cat and give them love and attention.
As a first step, let them see each other through the gate or crate. Be ready to intervene if your dog gets overly excited or starts barking. If your dog is barking, fixating, staring, chasing, or lunging use your interrupt techniques to stop the unwanted behaviors.
When the dog and cat meet, keep an indoor leash on your dog so you can control their encounters and quickly intervene if necessary.
When the cat is in the same room as your dog, encourage your dog to stay focused on you by playing positive reinforcement and attention games (e.g., “Name game” and “Look at you”) for treats and praise to break your dog’s focus away from the cat and prevent your dogs natural rush and chase instincts.
Manage when you do not have time to train by having separate areas for the cat and your dog and securing your dog when you are not able to focus on them or leave the house.
How to Introduce Dogs and Cats
Set up 4-5 sessions-a-day where you practice the training games with the cat in the room using lots of high value treats to help your dog make a positive association with your cat.
Limit meet and greets to 5-10 minutes, it is more important to end on a high note, than to try and rush things and upset your cat.
Always have your dog under your control by using the collar, front-clip harness, and indoor leash when the cat enters the room.
Keep an indoor leash on your dog while you work on training. Use positive reinforcement games to build your “Yes” marker word and have your dog earn treats for:
- “Name Games” — Look at you while cat is in the room
- “Coming to you” away from cat
- Engaging with you in “Teaching Commands” such as sit, down, stand, etc…
Practice for 5-10 minutes using lots of high value treats to distract your dog and teach them that seeing the cat predicts fun games and delicious treats.
You may have to interrupt your dog repeatedly and even walk your dog into the other room if they start staring at or chasing your cat. (See: How to Interrupt Comics).
Important Considerations:
Do not let your dog bark, stare, lunge at, or chase your cats.
If your dog starts fixating on your cat you should:
Train them to focus and come to you with the goal of getting control of your dog. Keep them focused on training with you using fun obedience games and lots of praise and treats.
If your dog starts chasing or barking at your cat you must interrupt them!
You do not want your dog to develop a habit of barking at cats — act quickly to make the barking stop before it becomes ingrained.
Peacefully stop your dog from barking at cats by choosing a training option:
- Quietly Interrupt* – Do NOT scold your dog, get up and (gently) interrupt
- Distract and refocus your dog with training games
- Manage your dog so the barking stops
You can allow your dog 2-3 seconds of alert barking when your dog sees the cat, but if they continue to bark, stop them by using an Interrupt technique. (See: How to Interrupt Comic)
*Why not scold your dog when stopping or interrupting them?
We typically recommend using an “Uh. Uh!” sound to express that you want a behavior to stop. However, in this situation you don’t want to risk creating a bad association with your cat.
If you say “Uh. Uh!” or “No!” every time the cat enters the room you might add to the chaos when the goal is to calm things down and help both your dog and cat relax.
Interrupt barking, chasing, or fixating by quickly and quietly going to your dog, taking them by the handle of the indoor leash and walking them out of the room. The goal is to use your interrupt technique to break their eye contact with your cat.
Ensure Everyone in the Family Understands the Plan
Being Prepared — The first step is getting your dog under control. When you hear the cat coming, call your dog to you (give them a jackpot 3-4 treats) and put on the Indoor Leash.
Reality — Training takes time. To stop your dog from chasing or barking at the cats, be ready to repeat the interruptions 3-5 times in a row, if necessary walking your dog out of the room.
The Secret — Make sure they each have a secure area for their safety, remember to ALWAYS have your dog on the indoor leash when they are in the same room with the cat.
Manage — Put the crate in another room or use a confinement area away from your cat to isolate your dog and reduce the chances they meet unexpectedly.
Plan Summary
Dogs learn by making habits, work on this daily (for a couple of weeks) so you can quickly make a NEW habit of playing fun games with you when the cat appears.
You can encourage them to get along by using training games to distract your dog so your cat can approach at their own pace.
Use your interrupt techniques to peacefully help your dog learn that fixating, chasing, or barking at cats is not OK.
Your dog needs to learn to accept quiet time in the crate or their confinement area so you can interact with your cat without being interrupted.
