Socializing cats and dogs

Is there any way to socialize a 7 year old daschund with 7 month old kitties? This is driving me nuts. I hate to keep the dog crated all the time because of the dog and today I was holding hime to see what would happen and they sniffed noses and he snapped at the cat, not touching but definitely would have had I not been holding him. Is there anywayt to get them friendly enough to be trusted together?

Mickee

I am in the process of getting 2 9yr olds (a pug mix and a lab/pit mix) and a 2 yr old (lab) used to cats so I do believe it can be done, it just has to be done slowly.
He is 2 articles on introducing them.
http://www.leerburg.com/dog-cat.htm
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/5...s-to-Dogs.html

Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! I just don't know I can face the winter with him at their throats all the time.

Well, I read your articles and I see it will not be possible with mine, I don't believe. He is a daschund and a born killer. He brings things he kills to the porch often. He has not been in obedience school and is the most disobedient dog I have ever seen. We are his 4th home.

Thank you for your articles, they were excellent and I am sure will work with other dogs, just not mine.

It is never too late to start obediance training your dog. You can teach him to leave prey objects alone in the house it just has to do with establishing yourself as pack leader. I hunt with my 2 year old lab, but she knows what is expected in the house is different from what I want in the field. She is actually the first dog we are letting interact with the cat since she is better behaved than the boys. We have had to do some remedial obed with our pug mix since we brought the cat in and he is pretty stubborn. These things take time, like months. While your cats are getting settled in you could work on obed with your pup. Dont give up so easily. I know JRTs who live with cats and those dogs have some crazy prey drive. You just have to work with them.

Originally Posted by Mickee

Is there any way to socialize a 7 year old daschund with 7 month old kitties? This is driving me nuts. I hate to keep the dog crated all the time because of the dog and today I was holding hime to see what would happen and they sniffed noses and he snapped at the cat, not touching but definitely would have had I not been holding him.

Is there anywayt to get them friendly

Click to expand...

enough to be trusted together?

Mickee

Click to expand...

Everybody has a situation that is different but your question is is there anyway to get them friendly and the answer is yes. I had a very similar situation with a doxie mix about the same age and two younger kitties but be advised that the kitties lived her first! So it was the dog that had to warm up to the cats and since he was outnumbered, he pretty much got right into being buddies with them. The only problem I have had was the doxie trying to steal the cats food all the time and that became a battle of wits that I eventually won by fixing it so the cats had to use a ladder to go into the tree house to eat and then one day found the dog had taught itself how to climb the same ladder. But all in all, they went from enemies to friends in less than a month.

Well we have had the kitties 4 months now and the dog hates them just as much today as the day we brought them in. I probably should not have gotten the kitties, but we do love cats, as much as the dog. I will keep working on him but don't see ever trusting him in the house with them. Maybe it can happen, but I just don't see it. I am not giving up so easily just know he cannot help himself.

Thanks for the words of encouragement and suggestions!!!!

Mickee