How Long Should It Take For My Resident King To Adjust To A New Dog?

[ghostly]

Hi all,

My Haunter is doing mildly well with a new cocker spaniel we adopted six days ago. She is six years old, submissive with him and looks away and leaves if he approaches her. But he is just not totally comfortable. He is normally SO relaxed, rolling on his back on the floor and getting into everything, but mostly what he does now is sleep and monitor from a hallway or room where the dog isn't at. He has always been a major foodie and now he will eat about half of the food we give him and then leave it alone, although he will take treats with no problem.

He just seems tense; I knew he would be, but I'm just wondering how long it should reasonably take him to fully adjust? I don't expect them to be best friends but I miss my crazy little buddy who's always trying to make trouble and sprinting around the house. The cocker is not predatory but I think it makes him nervous because she is a major ball player and very exuberant when she plays fetch, although we do make sure that he is up on a cat tree or the couch when we play...

(A lot of my nervousness about this comes from a terrier mix puppy we adopted a year ago that we had to return because Haunter would not eat AT ALL, even though we introduced them properly, redirected the puppy when he got too excitable, etc) I really think this dog is a good fit for us and want it to work out, but Haunter's happiness will always come before a dog. How long has it taken your cats to adjust after you've gotten a new dog?

 

[Animal Freak]

It depends on the cat, the dog, and if the cat has experience with dogs. And if the dog has cat-manners.

I have three cats in my household. A four year old, insecure female moggie and two seven year old purebred males. Ember(female) is a somewhat skittish, insecure cat who hates change. Ash(one of the males) is my largest cat and the most likely to use claws, but also a bit of a coward. Frost is the eldest by a week and the most laidback. He has rather few survival instincts.

I introduced a high energy female chihuahua/Pom mix when she was about one year old or so. This was a couple years ago. I was lucky in that I had worked with her before, knew her, and was the one who trained her so I knew she knew basic commands. She was also raised with cats and had a better relationship with the kitten she lived with than any of the five other dogs.

For Frost, the introduction was simple. We never really had a separation period or anything. The dog wasn't allowed in my room so the cats could go in there to get away, but they were never shut off. Frost was mostly curious right off the bat, though nervous. He kept mostly up on chairs and furniture higher than the dog. They were getting along fine within months, if not weeks.

Ash had the longest adjustment period, but not the most severe. He mostly kept his distance and still doesn't really care for the dog, but he's finally stopped slapping at her when he's the one who gets in her space. I would say his adjustment period only just ended in the past few months, though there were rather few issues.

Ember had the most severe adjustment and it lasted for about a year. The first few weeks she wouldn't leave my room. Then she would attack the dog whenever they were in the same room. No claws, but lots of hissing, spitting, and fierce slaps. That slowly faded though and now they're able to sleep in my bed with me at night, inches away from each other.

So it's really hard to say how long it'll take. If your cat isn't attacking your dog then I'd say you're pretty well off. Six days is a very short period of time for the cat to already be in view and not attacking. Frost was the only one that far along that quickly and, as I said, he has rather few survival instincts. Based on what you've said, if I had to guess I'd say it'll be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, but I don't think you'll be dealing with an adjustment period for a year or longer.

There are a few things that help. Make sure the cat has plenty of places to watch from up high. If the cat has a room or space that he prefers or goes to for safety, keep the dog out of it at least for the time being. It sounds like the dog knows what to do already, but if the dog does do something to make the cat uncomfortable, make sure you let the dog know to back off. It's okay for the cat to slap the dog and communicate those boundaries, but you have to make sure it's being communicated correctly. For example, Stella never became afraid of Frost and, since being slapped by him feels kind of like being slapped by a cloud, Stella often takes it playfully. On the other hand, Stella became fearful of Ember due to being attacked so often, so even if Ember slaps at her playfully, Stella often takes it seriously. There's not much to be done about that, but it's better that the dog takes it seriously.

Sorry. That ended up a lot longer than I intended it too.

 

[ghostly]

Thank you! Sounds like you've got a handful at your place too. Just after I posted that Haunter got the zoomies which we were thrilled about as we haven't seen him do that in a week. Willow originally went to give chase (well, she IS a cocker) but even after just a firm "no" she walked away and Haunter was not affected at all (his favorite game as a kitten was "chase me" so I don't think he thinks it's predatory behavior anyway.) Also rolled onto his back in full view of Scary Dog although when she went to sniff at his junk he hissed (and she ran away.) Thanks for the reassurance.

The funny thing is that my 14 year old cat is almost completely unphased by the dog and we were mostly worried about her. She doesn't want to be in the same room as Willow but never particularly prefers to be in the same room as the humans unless it's bedtime. I guess we disturb her 23 hrs of beauty sleep. Hopefully it keeps going on the up and up.

 

[Animal Freak]

You're quite welcome. Yes, with a sensitive dog, an insecure and overweight cat, an underweight and sometimes unnecessarily grumpy cat, and an arthritic cat who's prone to UTIs and is also often grumpy, they can be quite the handful. Sometimes even two handfuls, but they're well worth it.

That's great to hear. It sounds like you got a good cat-dog too. I was lucky with that as well. The fact that the cat is already rolling on his back is fantastic. I wish my introductions went that smoothly! I bet a lot of people do. It sounds like they're going to be getting along well soon enough. There will probably always be the occasional hiss or slap, but that's fine as long as the dog gets the message and backs off. They could even end up friends. Frost sometimes tries to play with Stella, but their styles of playing are so different that Frost normally gets a bit overwhelmed and gives up. Stella always runs around like crazy and Frost will just lay on the floor and watch her like he has no clue what's going on. But if your cat likes to play chase then they very well might be able to play together.

Haha. Yeah, cats can definitely surprise you like that. You got lucky again though. I'm not sure I would typically introduce any animal to a fourteen year old cat. Obviously it can and did work, but the older an animal is, the harder it usually gets. They must be pretty open-minded cats. Even Frost, my friendliest, has gotten grouchy and sensitive in his old age(because seven years is so old), and he doesn't like the dog(less that half his size) that comes over for playdates with Stella. Ember, my most insecure, tolerates the dog the best.

 

[ghostly]

You're quite welcome. Yes, with a sensitive dog, an insecure and overweight cat, an underweight and sometimes unnecessarily grumpy cat, and an arthritic cat who's prone to UTIs and is also often grumpy, they can be quite the handful. Sometimes even two handfuls, but they're well worth it.

That's great to hear. It sounds like you got a good cat-dog too. I was lucky with that as well. The fact that the cat is already rolling on his back is fantastic. I wish my introductions went that smoothly! I bet a lot of people do. It sounds like they're going to be getting along well soon enough. There will probably always be the occasional hiss or slap, but that's fine as long as the dog gets the message and backs off. They could even end up friends. Frost sometimes tries to play with Stella, but their styles of playing are so different that Frost normally gets a bit overwhelmed and gives up. Stella always runs around like crazy and Frost will just lay on the floor and watch her like he has no clue what's going on. But if your cat likes to play chase then they very well might be able to play together.

Haha. Yeah, cats can definitely surprise you like that. You got lucky again though. I'm not sure I would typically introduce any animal to a fourteen year old cat. Obviously it can and did work, but the older an animal is, the harder it usually gets. They must be pretty open-minded cats. Even Frost, my friendliest, has gotten grouchy and sensitive in his old age(because seven years is so old), and he doesn't like the dog(less that half his size) that comes over for playdates with Stella. Ember, my most insecure, tolerates the dog the best.

A small update...Haunter is now trying to assert dominance over the dog by smacking her whenever he feels it's appropriate (1 of every 5 times he does it it's because she is pacing around and stressing him, the other times it seems indiscriminate) well, she finally got fed up with that scary behavior and she barked and snapped her teeth at him. However he was unphased by this and just continued to smack and paw at her (no hissing) we put her in a time out because regardless of how mean he is being it's still inappropriate behavior. Today they've been fine all day but I have to keep interrupting him walking with purpose towards her, a sure sign he is going to go smack her for no reason. She is submissive to him and he is sort of being a bully. Hopefully he will quit it soon.

 

[1 bruce 1]

A small update...Haunter is now trying to assert dominance over the dog by smacking her whenever he feels it's appropriate (1 of every 5 times he does it it's because she is pacing around and stressing him, the other times it seems indiscriminate) well, she finally got fed up with that scary behavior and she barked and snapped her teeth at him. However he was unphased by this and just continued to smack and paw at her (no hissing) we put her in a time out because regardless of how mean he is being it's still inappropriate behavior. Today they've been fine all day but I have to keep interrupting him walking with purpose towards her, a sure sign he is going to go smack her for no reason. She is submissive to him and he is sort of being a bully. Hopefully he will quit it soon.

Exactly what I would do.
You said the new dog will try to ignore Haunter and look away (this is dog speak for "hey man, don't want any trouble...") and Haunter is kind of letting that steam off and feeling his oats a bit. No big deal.
I agree, I would make sure the dog knows that snapping is not good, and separation when you're not there is an excellent idea. Her bark and a snap was probably HER breaking point, saying "Will you knock it off already, I SAID I don't want any trouble", so I wouldn't consider this aggressive behavior, but something I wouldn't want to escalate. And I wouldn't want her to learn that barking louder and snapping and making contact might make him run, and she can chase him.
If you keep them separate and watch them when you're together, I doubt this will be a problem. There's a HUGE temperament distance between Terriers and Cocker Spaniels.
Give it a week or so. Haunter will relax and realize this dog means no harm.

 

[Animal Freak]

While I certainly understand the concern of not wanting it to escalate, I wouldn't worry too much about the dog snapping her teeth at the cat. I would recommend you be careful since the dog is still new and you're still learning about her, but the dog can have a say. My dog is very cat-friendly and, for the most part, gives them their space, but sometimes she doesn't want to tolerate their slapping. Then she'll jerk around and snarl and show some teeth, but she's never made contact or attempted to make contact. It's not something that happens often either.

Separating them may be good at least for now so that way the dog can have some time to calm down. Once you're sure the dog won't make contact and knows her limits, then I don't think it's a problem. But slapping is all normal. My cats still slap my dog and that's something that will probably always happen. It should slow down though and not happen quite as often.​

 

[1 bruce 1]

While I certainly understand the concern of not wanting it to escalate, I wouldn't worry too much about the dog snapping her teeth at the cat. I would recommend you be careful since the dog is still new and you're still learning about her, but the dog can have a say. My dog is very cat-friendly and, for the most part, gives them their space, but sometimes she doesn't want to tolerate their slapping. Then she'll jerk around and snarl and show some teeth, but she's never made contact or attempted to make contact. It's not something that happens often either.

Separating them may be good at least for now so that way the dog can have some time to calm down. Once you're sure the dog won't make contact and knows her limits, then I don't think it's a problem. But slapping is all normal. My cats still slap my dog and that's something that will probably always happen. It should slow down though and not happen quite as often.​

Good advice!
The thing is too (to keep in mind), dogs don't play by slapping (some cats DO slap as play) and cats don't play by slamming paws over each other and play-biting, etc. So the species barrier is an issue until they're comfortable with one another. If a dog isn't used to cats and wants to play, they'll play like a dog and the cat will find this concerning....and if the cat wants to play, they'll play like a cat and a non-cat experienced dog might be bewildered.
We have one single dog we seriously think considers himself a cat. He plays like a cat, prefers the cats, ignores other dogs and the cats adore him in turn...and what's so funny is when the cats DO get super cat like and over groom and then deliver a quick over stimulation bite his ears pin, he freezes and stares at the cat with wide, horrified eyes, then glances at us like "....is...is he/she possessed? What was that all about? Should we call a doctor or something?"

 

[ghostly]

While I certainly understand the concern of not wanting it to escalate, I wouldn't worry too much about the dog snapping her teeth at the cat. I would recommend you be careful since the dog is still new and you're still learning about her, but the dog can have a say. My dog is very cat-friendly and, for the most part, gives them their space, but sometimes she doesn't want to tolerate their slapping. Then she'll jerk around and snarl and show some teeth, but she's never made contact or attempted to make contact. It's not something that happens often either.

Separating them may be good at least for now so that way the dog can have some time to calm down. Once you're sure the dog won't make contact and knows her limits, then I don't think it's a problem. But slapping is all normal. My cats still slap my dog and that's something that will probably always happen. It should slow down though and not happen quite as often.​

Yeah, she has a crate she's in whenever we aren't directly supervising her and for the most part does really well in there.

He now sleeps in the bedroom with the old lady cat which I think works like a big "reset" button at night. Both Willow and Haunter have 8hrs of interrupted decompress time away from each other. We haven't had any further incidents yet and neither of them seems to be holding a grudge, she is back to averting her gaze and going around him if he's in her way which I always praise so she knows she's doing the right thing

 

[ghostly]

Exactly what I would do.
You said the new dog will try to ignore Haunter and look away (this is dog speak for "hey man, don't want any trouble...") and Haunter is kind of letting that steam off and feeling his oats a bit. No big deal.
I agree, I would make sure the dog knows that snapping is not good, and separation when you're not there is an excellent idea. Her bark and a snap was probably HER breaking point, saying "Will you knock it off already, I SAID I don't want any trouble", so I wouldn't consider this aggressive behavior, but something I wouldn't want to escalate. And I wouldn't want her to learn that barking louder and snapping and making contact might make him run, and she can chase him.
If you keep them separate and watch them when you're together, I doubt this will be a problem. There's a HUGE temperament distance between Terriers and Cocker Spaniels.
Give it a week or so. Haunter will relax and realize this dog means no harm.

This was my EXACT thought too - when you work with dogs long enough you start to see that ANY hound or gundog breed will chase running prey unless heavily conditioned not to, which at this stage wouldn't be her fault, just her instinct, so the easiest thing for us to do is avoid the confrontation from the start. If Haunter starts walking towards her I just hold out my open palm in a "stop" motion, which we taught him about a yr ago means "I don't want you here. Go away." The other thing we've started is that if they are both in the kitchen (they are both enormous foodies) I will pick Haunter up and put him on the counter so that she can't accidentally wander too close to him, which seems to have helped a lot. He didn't slap at her at all all day yesterday and she just kept her distance.

It's a good thing all my friends are animal people so having a big cat walking around all over the counters doesn't bother anybody (except my soon to be father in law thinks it's gross lol)

 

[1 bruce 1]

This was my EXACT thought too - when you work with dogs long enough you start to see that ANY hound or gundog breed will chase running prey unless heavily conditioned not to, which at this stage wouldn't be her fault, just her instinct, so the easiest thing for us to do is avoid the confrontation from the start. If Haunter starts walking towards her I just hold out my open palm in a "stop" motion, which we taught him about a yr ago means "I don't want you here. Go away." The other thing we've started is that if they are both in the kitchen (they are both enormous foodies) I will pick Haunter up and put him on the counter so that she can't accidentally wander too close to him, which seems to have helped a lot. He didn't slap at her at all all day yesterday and she just kept her distance.

It's a good thing all my friends are animal people so having a big cat walking around all over the counters doesn't bother anybody (except my soon to be father in law thinks it's gross lol)

Exactly. It sounds like you're doing a really good job managing this to make sure everyone is safe and happy!
Herding dogs and most primitive breeds will do this chase thing, too, and some herding dogs are really mouthy. Corgi and Heelers are really tough little cow dogs and usually aren't afraid to bite something that isn't doing what they want, and dogs like Border Collies are so intense with their eye and stare that this does part of of the work getting that "thing" moving!!
Our younger cats learned this "stop hand" motion thing, too, and it's really come in handy. I had stupidly dropped a glass jar containing milk, shattering the glass in the milk and one of the cats eagerly went for it. I yelled "STOP" louder than I intended to with my hand out and the cat froze, saving her from possibly eating tiny shards of glass.

 

[Animal Freak]

That's great. It sounds like everything is going very well. I'm a bit envious, admittedly. It doesn't seem like you'll have to worry about them too much longer.

And yes, species barriers are tough. Though my cats do bite when playing, the dog definitely does not slap. The cats don't really play chase though, which the dog does. They have yet to figure out how to play together, but the dog does know if Ember or Ash slaps at her she probably did something they don't like.