I have a 12 year old bichon frise with low to moderate energy. He's neutered and the opposite of aggressive, to be honest he's probably more of a neurotic mess than anything. Lately though my 2 year old cat (also neutered) has been making the dog's life hell going out of his way to pick on the dog. He chases the dog out of rooms (or into them),pounces when he's asleep, and goes out of his way to slap at the dog whenever he passes by. At this point my dog cries whenever the cat is within 10 feet of him. I've read that a lot of cat bullying is precipitated by the dog not taking a hint but my dog has less than zero interest in the cat. If anything the cat has always shown more interest in wanting to groom or rub against the dog.
Medically both animals are perfectly healthy. Both animals have separate sleeping areas and separate feeding areas. They have free run all day of a large house. Both animals have a wide range of toys to interact with and receive about equal attention.
Whenever I notice bullying behavior I spray the cat with a water bottle while vocalizing a loud 'no'. This has had little effect. At this point I've taken to dropping my dog off at a neighbor's before I go to work to give him some stress relief but I am very concerned.
Does anyone have any advice for correcting this behavior? Generally my cat is a sweetheart and I love him a lot but I can't just let my dog get terrorized.
Medically both animals are perfectly healthy. Both animals have separate sleeping areas and separate feeding areas. They have free run all day of a large house. Both animals have a wide range of toys to interact with and receive about equal attention.
Whenever I notice bullying behavior I spray the cat with a water bottle while vocalizing a loud 'no'. This has had little effect. At this point I've taken to dropping my dog off at a neighbor's before I go to work to give him some stress relief but I am very concerned.
Does anyone have any advice for correcting this behavior? Generally my cat is a sweetheart and I love him a lot but I can't just let my dog get terrorized.