ArcaMax

As long as the cat is relaxed and quiet, so is he, but he still watches her like a hawk. However, last night, she got startled about something happening outside the house and made quick, jerky movements. In other words, she acted like prey and he responded by getting highly aroused and predatory.

After six months, I'm wondering if it's possible for a dog who behaves this way towards a cat to ever get relaxed and tolerant about it. What else should I do? -- Eileen, Tucson, Arizona

Dear Eileen,

I applaud you on how you have handled this situation so far. Making sure you're always monitoring their encounters, making their encounters positive, tethering Joey so he can't chase Chica, putting up a baby gate to keep them separated are all things I would recommend to keep your cat safe. These steps have already helped Joey make progress. When Chica strolls by, he is turning his head to ignore her, which is exactly what you want him to do.

The goal is to get Joey to ignore the cat and focus on you. First, train him to "sit" or "lie down" when Chica is in the room. Second, when he looks at the cat, say his name and reward him when he looks at you. Then, give Joey a toy to play with to keep him further distracted.

Finally, train Joey to "stay" when the cat walks across the room and reward him when he listens. Keep him on the tether for the training. It may take weeks or months, but eventually, you should be able to say his name to get him to look at you and tell him to "stay" to keep him from running after her if she bolts from the room.

Remain vigilant until you are absolutely sure he won't harm her.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)

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