How To Get Your Dog To Stop Chasing The Cat

Dealing with a dog that chases your cat can become very stressful for all of those involved. At best, your dog wants to play with your cat, and that is why he/she does all the chasing. At worst, your dog views the cat as prey, and wants to do harm to your kitty once it is caught. Either way, both situations can be very harmful for both you, and your pets. If you reach to correct your dog, you may be bitten. If your cat scratches your dog in certain spots, such as in the eyes, it could do serious harm to your dog, and we all know the damage a dog could do to a cat.

The best way to keep this from happening is to raise the pets together, but obviously this is not always an option. When your two (or more) pets aren’t getting along, try reintroducing all parties to the household as if they are new to the home. This will help even the playing field. After this, the key is to get your dog comfortable around cats without chasing.

To start, take your dog on a good walk or jog. Then take your dog and cat into a room. Make sure your dog is on a leash. Also, make sure your cat has a few places to hide that your dog can’t get to. Slowly let your dog become accustomed to being around the cat without chasing. If your dog starts becoming aggressive or seems to want to chase, redirect his/her attention. Have your dog sit and stay. “Leave it” is also a wonderful command for this. Some dogs love being sprayed with water, but many hate it. Try spraying your dog with water in the face when they become active or seem to be gearing up for a chase. “Leave it” and a good spray to the face may be exactly what your dog needs. Try not to allow your cat to initiate a fight by scratching the dog, this can make things much worse, especially if your dog is already chasing because of aggression.

It is important to remember that this will not be an automatic change. You are not going to go into the room one time, and all come out as friends. (Although, wouldn’t that be nice?) This will be a repeated session. It will take multiple times of meeting in a room to get your dog to stop chasing/annoying your cat. Just keep at it. If all else fails, and you cannot get your dog to act properly, it may be time to take both animals to a professional trainer.

You may also like to read: How To Teach Your Dog To “Leave It”