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View Full Version : Help...new 4-legged grandchild


SamBrown
February 10th, 2011, 5:01 PM
I need sound advice quickly. We are having my son's dog come to live with us while he and his family are assigned to a new duty station overseas. Gunner is huge... a Great Dane/Rottie mix weighing in at 130 lbs plus. My two cats met him this past summer and were severely traumatized by the experience. One of the cats went into hiding for almost 4 months before stepping foot into the house again (this is a house cat!). He still is extremely skittish. How do I go about getting them aquainted with Gunner?:-s
xzochye
February 10th, 2011, 6:18 PM
Does Gunner bark or growl at the cats? When I first got one of my cats I had him in a pet taxi so that the dog and cat can safely sniff each other. Maybe if you brought home a blanket or something that Gunner sleeps with that has his scent on it the cats will feel a little more familiar with him?

Good luck!
christine
February 10th, 2011, 9:15 PM
That's good advice. I was worried when my dog(boxer -lab mix) moved in with my moms cat who is both an indoor & outdoor cat.
I was lucky. The dog and cat just kind of got used to eachother. It did take some time and the cat did hide for a while but they grew to like eachother. And yes both were the typical cat and dog who arent fond of the other. Good luck. ;-)
Btw they now wait for eachother to come in from going outside & have been seen snuggling Lol
SamBrown
February 10th, 2011, 9:43 PM
Gunner is not aggressive at all; he just likes to chase... and that is the problem with the cats. They are so used to have the run of the house without being bothered; our own two labs play with them. They groom each other and sleep together. Gunner looks at them bewildered and goes after them.
christine
February 11th, 2011, 5:48 AM
Gunner is not aggressive at all; he just likes to chase... and that is the problem with the cats. They are so used to have the run of the house without being bothered; our own two labs play with them. They groom each other and sleep together. Gunner looks at them bewildered and goes after them.

He will learn. My dog was not aggressive but would chase cats or bark if she couldn't run after them. You just need to get onto him when he try's to chase them. Eventually he will get bored with them
FieryPrincess
February 13th, 2011, 5:49 PM
And with a big dog, you have to get his attention quickly.

You might try having them all in the room for a forced get-to-know-you session where they can't get out. They will all eventually thaw to each other. Keep Gunner on a short leash during the initial phase so you can make sure he isn't running after the cats.

Gunner sounds like a perfectly wonderful dog.
Iteachtoo
February 13th, 2011, 7:50 PM
He is!!
THEMEANOGRE
February 14th, 2011, 8:21 PM
Can you keep Gunner outside in the warmer weather? If so, I would recommend that. I recall someone (Christine, I think) mentioning about a blanket. I would get somthing that smelled of the dog and keep it in the house. When it is necessary to bring Gunner in, it'll be less stressful for the cats, as they'll be more accustomed to the smell.