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Cat-training Greyhounds
Many greyhounds live happily with cats.
Nevertheless, greyhounds have been bred and trained to
chase small furry animals without stopping to think about
it. So, if you have cats, small dogs, or any other small
animal, and you're thinking of adopting a greyhound, read
on!
What is it really like, bringing a greyhound
into your home to live with smaller pets? (From now on I
will just talk about cats, but much the same things apply
to other small pets, whether Papillon or Parrot.)
Some greyhounds pay little or no attention to the cats;
some are even afraid of them; but some will have a desire
to chase the cats. It can happen that a greyhound is very
subdued when it first arrives in its new home, but comes
out of its shell as it settles in and starts to take an
"interest" in the cats after a few days or
weeks. So it is safest to assume that any
new greyhound moving in with cats will need careful
supervision and cat-training.
Here are a couple of real-life stories from
people who have gone through the process and, with their
cats, have survived to tell the tale:
| Cats vs
Badger |
"I
knew that I couldn't give up on her, I had
to make it work. " |
| Cat-training
hints |
"...it
took about 4-6 weeks to get them to the point
where the cat would snuggle into the dog's
tummy" |
Of course, some dogs settle in
almost immediately! One of my own foster dogs started off
afraid of the cat (along with everything else!) but now
they are firm friends.
Follow the links below to read some happy stories from
the Greyhounds In Need website:
Nobby & Skye
Duke's Story
Lukie and Lee
Dougal
Cat training - a
story
Useful Links
Your Greyhound
and...Making Friends -- Cats, Cockatiels & Critters
Greyhounds and Cats
Top Ten Hints
- Depending
on your cats' personalities, you may not want the
cats and dogs to meet at all for a few days,
until the dog has calmed down a little and has
become used to the cats' smell.
- One
good way to introduce them is to settle down in
the living room holding the cat on your lap (very
firmly, or in a wire cat box, so it cannot run
and trigger the dog's chase instinct) and have
someone bring the dog in, muzzled and on the
lead.
- Praise
the dog for being calm around the cats. Pet the
cats in front of the dog, so it knows they too
are part of the family.
- If
the dog lunges at the cats, squirt it with a
water pistol and say, NO!
- Keep
the dog on the lead and muzzled both indoors and
outdoors for the first few days, so it cannot
chase the cats.
- Close
doors and curtains so that all or most cat-dog
meetings are indoors. This way the dog sees the
cats moving slowly and close up, rather than as
small fast furries that would be fun to chase.
- Relax
precautions gradually - starting only when the
dog stops taking interest in the cats. One
suggested order is: First stop holding the lead
(but leave it on); then leave off the lead; then
leave off the muzzle.
- Don't
leave the dog and cat alone together - even if
the dog is good, the cat might not be!
- Remember
that some dogs will come to respect their
"own" cats indoors, but will still want
to chase strange cats, squirrels, etc., when
outdoors. Sometimes, when their "own"
cats are far off, the dog may not recognise them
and want to give chase.
- Don't
be afraid to ask for help or advice
.
comments to Maria Hamilton
This page last updated 24 March 2002
|
Oxford Greyhound Information 