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Sherry’s neighbor Sarah has a beautiful Siamese cat. Sherry has a beautiful German Shepherd. Unfortunately, the two animals do not get on beautifully! Sherry’s Shepherd chases Sarah’s Siamese at every opportunity. Usually, it is not a huge problem, as Sherry keeps her dog in a fenced yard, but yesterday, the gate was left open, and the Shepherd got out, saw the cat and chased it into the street. Both animals narrowly missed being hit by cars, much to Sherry and Sarah's horror, as they watched on, helpless to stop a near disaster!
Even if you keep your German Shepherd in an enclosed area and on a leash, he can get loose sometimes, or a cat can end up in your yard. Perhaps you want to introduce a cat to your home. Whatever the cat scenario, teaching your German Shepherd not to chase cats is important for the cats' safety, and your dog's. A dog keen on chasing a cat may not notice other dangers, like traffic, that could result in his injury as well.
German Shepherds are large, energetic, strong, intelligent, and often dominant and prey driven dogs. This means they are very likely to chase cats in their home, yard or neighborhood. Because of their size, a German Shepherd that is aggressive to cats can pose a serious danger to a cat. Even if your German Shepherd only wants to play, a 100-pound Shepherd that lands on a 10-pound cat can severely injure or even kill a cat unintentionally, not to mention the danger that both animals could encounter during the chase from traffic or by becoming separated from owners and homes. For these reasons, you are going to want to teach your German Shepherd not to chase cats. The appropriate response when your Shepherd encounters a cat in your home or neighborhood is to either ignore the cat or wait in a non-threatening and friendly position for the cat to approach him--that is, if the cat wants to. Cats can be rather uncooperative when your dog just wants to be friends!
To teach your German Shepherd not to chase cats, you will probably need to engage a cat. If you have a cat in your home, you can work with your cat. Otherwise, you may need to find someone with a cat that is willing to help out. Choosing a cat with a little bit of attitude, that is not afraid of large dogs, will help tremendously. A cat that does not run is hard to chase. Be sure, however, to protect both animals during training. You don't want your volunteer cat to be injured by an aggressive Shepherd, or even a playful one, and you don't want your Shepherd to end up with a badly scratched face from an irritated feline. Using barriers, leashes, and a hard sided carrier when working with the animals to provide protection is advised. Using treats or toys to distract and reinforce calm, non-chasing behavior during training will be required.
The Reinforce Ignore Method
Most Recommended
3 Votes
Most Recommended
3 Votes
Crate the cat
Make sure your “ volunteer cat” is protected inside a hard sided crate or carrier. If possible, find a volunteer cat that is not afraid of large dogs, and not liable to become agitated in the crate.
Distract the dog
Introduce your German Shepherd to the cat in the crate. Keep your Shepherd distracted when he investigates the crate. Call him away from the crate, play with a toy, and provide treats when he comes to you. Practice tricks and obedience commands to give your Shepherd a job to do.
Block the dog
If the dog tries to get at the cat in the crate, step between your dog and the crate, then step toward your Shepherd to create space.
Reinforce ignore
When your German Shepherd focuses on you, and not the cat, resume giving attention, play and treats. Wait until your dog learns to ignore the presence of the cat in the carrier.
Increase access
Put your German Shepherd on a leash and let the cat out of the carrier. Continue to insist your Shepherd focuses on you and not the cat. Play, practice commands, and treat your dog for ignoring the cat. Redirect as required.
The How to Be Friends Method
Effective
2 Votes
Effective
2 Votes
Teach 'down-stay'
Teach your German Shepherd a strong down-stay command using positive reinforcement. Practice often and in a variety of environments until well established.
Introduce cat
Use a brave “volunteer cat” or your own cat, in a hard sided carrier or behind a barrier, like a baby gate.
Correct dog's behavior
Bring your German Shepherd, on a leash, over to the cat. When your German Shepherd sees the cat and lunges toward it, say “no” in a loud, firm voice and restrain with the leash by pulling to the side. Avoid pulling back on leash, which creates tension.
Use 'down-stay'
Tell your Shepherd to go into a 'down-stay' position with the cat in the container or behind a barrier. If your dog resists, create space between your dog and the cat until your dog obeys the 'down-stay' command. Gradually bring your dog closer as long as he obeys 'down-stay' until he remains in 'down-stay' in close proximity to the cat in the crate. When your dog is performing down-stay and is calm, provide treats, praise, and affection.
Release cat
Now let the cat out to approach your dog, if it chooses. Let the cat walk around and investigate your dog, continue to insist on the 'down-stay' position. Keep your dog on a leash or increase distance from the cat as necessary to achieve this. If the cat approaches your dog, let your dog sniff the cat and make friends, but ask your dog to remain lying down. If the cat ignores your dog, provide reinforcement in the form of praise and treats to your dog for remaining calm and staying down.
The Distraction Method
Effective
0 Votes
Effective
0 Votes
Brush up on obedience
A well-trained dog is a well-behaved dog. Give your dog the chance to shine by enrolling him in positive reinforcement obedience classes where he can gain confidence and learn to listen.
Know the commands
Sit, down, stay, and leave it are very important and useful commands for the safety of any dog. When training a dog to leave cats alone, having a good base where you know your dog will obey is essential.
Game time
Along with training sessions comes playtime. Engage your German Shepherd in multiple games throughout the day. If you are short on time, after a few physical games provide mental stimulation. Give your dog an interactive toy that dispenses treats as a reward. Tire your dog out mentally and physically so that the cats are not so much an attraction.
Incentive rewards
When your dog is in the proximity of the cat, reward him for staying calm. He'll soon learn that calmness gains him a food reward.
Leave the scene
If your dog starts to show interest beyond simple curiosity, remove your dog from the room. After a minute of calming down time, bring him back into the room.
Written by Laurie Haggart
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 02/22/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
We have a 5 year old siamese cat and brought home an 8 week old king shepherd malamute cross last month. So far things have gone much better than I expected. The cat seems to be ok with males and he has never been given any squeak toys (the recommendation of the breeder - don't teach a dog that if they bite something hard it will squeal). The cat is allowed in the bedroom and the bathroom both of which have access gates only she can get through. We have made sure that the puppy doesn't get to play with her toys and visa versa. It's a small house, 1 bedroom but HUGE yard and across from a park but not exactly much options for segregation in the house. 90% of the time the interation is that the dog sniffs the cats bum and the cat turns around and sniffs the dog and then she saunters off and he follows and then when she gets fed up with it she'll go somewhere he cannot. The odd time that he has been a little too forward or started to attempt to get onto the couch (he's not allowed on the couch anyways) and she was on the couch, then he's going to get a hiss. A small hand full of times she's not wanted to play, he's insisted and then she went on the offensive, did some fancy moves that looked like a pro fencer and then gave him a swat and he backed off. But sometimes when he's hyper and she comes trotting by, he'll chase, pounce in her general direction or bark at her. I don't want this to continue because now he's at 12 weeks and the pounce came a bit too close today. It was clear he was playing but based on the size of his parents, he's going to be pushing 150lbs at some point. I'm not sure if he will calm down after puppy stage or after being fixed. We have started training him already and he seems smarter than the average shepherd. At 12 weeks he knows sit, lay down, stay and heel. He is house broken almost immediately and seems to only pee on the floor on occation if he really wants something and we say "no" then he'll look at us and go and make sure we see him do this. He seems really insulted at being told no and sometimes barks back at us or snaps the air. When left alone with the cat with surveillance for a half hour the cat did not seem stressed, the puppy didn't care about the cat, instead the puppy chose to kick the ass of a giant plush Llama I (used) to keep in the livingroom because of that song. Anyways, ya. I'm just worried when he's big it might end up being a deadly game, I'm apprehensive to leave them alone.
Aug. 13, 2020
Teal'c's Owner
Alisha Smith - Alisha S., Dog Trainer
253 Dog owners recommended
Your best bet in this situation is to go with a method to desensitize him to the cats. Your dog needs to learn that the cat is just a normal part of the household. So we need to teach him to become less excited by the cat. If you are up for this, it is going to take about a month of consistent practice before you see results. You will want to start out by teaching him "leave it". Leave is great for anything you want your dog to leave alone. Instructions on leave it will be at the end of this response. After about a week or so of working on the command, you can start taking him around your cat while on leash. Any time he even looks at the cat, you give the command leave it. Once he breaks his attention away from the cat, you reward him with a treat. Ideally, you want to him to be sitting and looking at you. But in the beginning stages, as long as he isn't focused on the cat, you can reward him. You will literally practice this over and over, while moving closer to the cat until he is no longer interested in the cat. While this method takes a while, it is the best in relaying the messages across to your dog. The cats need to be left alone! Here are the steps for "leave it" Teaching a dog 'leave it' Teaching “leave it” is not difficult. Begin the lessons inside your home or in an area with very few distractions. Here are the steps for teaching “leave it”: Make sure you have two different types of treats. One type can be fairly boring to the dog, but the other type should be a high-value treat that he finds pretty delicious. You will also want to make sure that the treats are broken up into pea-sized pieces so it won’t take him too long to eat them. Put one type of treat in each hand. If you like to train with a clicker as your marker, you can also hold a clicker in the same hand that holds the high-value treat. Then, place both of your hands behind your back. Make a fist with the hand that is holding the treat of lower value and present your fist to your dog, letting him sniff. Say “leave it” and wait until he finishes sniffing your fist. As soon as your dog is done sniffing, you can either click with the clicker or say “yes.” Then offer him the higher-value treat in your other hand. Repeat until your dog immediately stops sniffing your hand when you say “leave it.” When you say “leave it” and he stops sniffing right away, leash your dog and then toss a low-value treat outside of his reach. Wait until he stops sniffing and pulling toward the treat. As soon as he does, either say “yes” or click and then give him a high-value treat from your hand. Practice this exercise a number of times. Over time, by practicing “leave it,” your dog should stop pulling as soon as you give the cue. When rewarding him with a treat, make sure that it is something good, not plain old kibble. By doing so, you are teaching him that asking him to leave some food doesn’t mean he won’t get anything, but that in fact he might get something even more delicious. When your dog is reliably responding to the cue, you can teach him that “leave it” can apply to other things as well, not just food on the floor. Repeat the exercise with five different items that are fairly boring to your dog. After using five different “boring” items, start using slightly more exciting items. You know your dog, so you alone know what items he would consider more interesting, but don’t jump to high-value items right away. To increase his chances of success at learning the cue, you want to work up to high-value items gradually. If Kleenex or a piece of plastic, for instance, would attract your dog on a walk, don’t start with those. Choose the items based on your ultimate goal: Anytime you say “leave it,” you want to be confident that your dog will indeed leave whatever you are asking him to leave. . The reward he receives when he leaves an item can change as well. If your dog has a favorite toy, squeak it and play for a moment when he comes running to you after leaving the other item of interest. Most dogs love interacting with us, so a moment of praise or play with a toy can be just as effective as a treat. Keep it fun Even though you’re practicing “leave it” as a way to keep your dog safe, you want him to see it as a fun game you play. When your dog is proficient at the game in your home, start practicing in a variety of locations with more distractions.
Aug. 13, 2020
My roommate has three cats and max continually goes after the cats
Aug. 1, 2020
Max's Owner
Alisha Smith - Alisha S., Dog Trainer
253 Dog owners recommended
Hi there. It sounds like you have your hands full! Your best bet is to desensitize him a little to the cats. Your dog needs to learn that the cats are just a normal part of the household. So we need to teach him to become less excited/reactive by the cats. If you are up for this, it is going to take about a month of consistent practice before you see results. You will want to start out by teaching him "leave it". Leave is great for anything you want your dog to leave alone. Instructions on leave it will be at the end of this response. After about a week or so of working on the command, you can start by practicing with him on leash so you have more control. Any time he even looks at the cats, you give the command leave it. Once he breaks his attention away from the cats, you reward him with a treat. Ideally, you want him to be sitting and looking at you. But in the beginning stages, as long as he isn't focused on the cats, you can reward him. You will literally practice this over and over, while moving closer to the cats until he is no longer interested in the them. While this method takes a while, it is the best in relaying the messages across to your dog. The cats need to be left alone! Here are the steps for "leave it" Teaching a dog 'leave it' Teaching “leave it” is not difficult. Begin the lessons inside your home or in an area with very few distractions. Here are the steps for teaching “leave it”: Make sure you have two different types of treats. One type can be fairly boring to the dog, but the other type should be a high-value treat that he finds pretty delicious. You will also want to make sure that the treats are broken up into pea-sized pieces so it won’t take him too long to eat them. Put one type of treat in each hand. If you like to train with a clicker as your marker, you can also hold a clicker in the same hand that holds the high-value treat. Then, place both of your hands behind your back. Make a fist with the hand that is holding the treat of lower value and present your fist to your dog, letting him sniff. Say “leave it” and wait until he finishes sniffing your fist. As soon as your dog is done sniffing, you can either click with the clicker or say “yes.” Then offer him the higher-value treat in your other hand. Repeat until your dog immediately stops sniffing your hand when you say “leave it.” When you say “leave it” and he stops sniffing right away, leash your dog and then toss a low-value treat outside of his reach. Wait until he stops sniffing and pulling toward the treat. As soon as he does, either say “yes” or click and then give him a high-value treat from your hand. Practice this exercise a number of times. Over time, by practicing “leave it,” your dog should stop pulling as soon as you give the cue. When rewarding him with a treat, make sure that it is something good, not plain old kibble. By doing so, you are teaching him that asking him to leave some food doesn’t mean he won’t get anything, but that in fact he might get something even more delicious. When your dog is reliably responding to the cue, you can teach him that “leave it” can apply to other things as well, not just food on the floor. Repeat the exercise with five different items that are fairly boring to your dog. After using five different “boring” items, start using slightly more exciting items. You know your dog, so you alone know what items he would consider more interesting, but don’t jump to high-value items right away. To increase his chances of success at learning the cue, you want to work up to high-value items gradually. If Kleenex or a piece of plastic, for instance, would attract your dog on a walk, don’t start with those. Choose the items based on your ultimate goal: Anytime you say “leave it,” you want to be confident that your dog will indeed leave whatever you are asking him to leave. . The reward he receives when he leaves an item can change as well. If your dog has a favorite toy, squeak it and play for a moment when he comes running to you after leaving the other item of interest. Most dogs love interacting with us, so a moment of praise or play with a toy can be just as effective as a treat. Keep it fun Even though you’re practicing “leave it” as a way to keep your dog safe, you want him to see it as a fun game you play. When your dog is proficient at the game in your home, start practicing in a variety of locations with more distractions.
Aug. 2, 2020