Dogs Chasing Cats: How To Keep Dog From Harming Your Cats Article

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Dogs Chasing Cats: How To Keep Dog From Harming Your Cats

Your dog has genetics that still bears the traits of a hunting machine. Just look at those sharp incisors - they weren't designed for eating dainty bits off a china plate. And consider the eyes - they have thousands more movement receptors than people's eyes do. We see color. Dogs see action

Author: Linda

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Dogs also have a chase drive that makes them instinctively go after anything that runs, and cats sure do run! Even when dogs don't have much of anything in mind, the sudden flash of feline movement sends a message to their brains: "Chase." And that's what they do.

Some dogs, of course, wouldn't get up and chase a cat on a dare. Elderly dogs and those with low-key personalities would rather sleep than chase.

In fact, dogs who have been raised with cats since they were pups usually know that cats are just a fact, and they're a whole lot less likely to chase than dogs who don't have any feline acquaintances.

While the urge to chase prey thrives in modern dogs, the follow-up urge to kill prey has largely been extinguished. Dogs get excited by cats. They enjoy chasing cats. But once they have them cornered, they forget why they wanted them in the first place. Most dogs will corner a cat and then just bark out of frustration because they don't know what to do next.

Even when dogs have evil intentions, the result is usually the same. Cats are faster and more agile. They can leap tremendous distances and climb sheer surfaces. They usually walk away from chases without a scratch.

If you own a dog who likes to chase your cats, help your cat to safety by following these 3 tips:

1. Raise a baby gate. Once a chase is under way, it's likely to continue until the cat is out of reach. To expedite the getaway, put a baby gate across the doorway to the kitchen or another cat-only area. Rather than putting it flush to the floor, raise it a few inches. Your cat will be able to zip underneath, leaving the bigger, clunkier dog on the other side.

2. Help her over the top. Raised gates only work when the dog is considerably bigger than the cat. When they're both the same size, put up the baby gate and rig a perch on top. This can be as simple as a section of board screwed tightly to the top. Cats are better jumpers than their canine companions, and the perch will allow them to hop up and over, leaving the dogs in their dust.

3. Interrupt the chase. Even though most dogs don't chase the cats they live with, some find it too much fun to give up. One way to discourage them is to keep leashes on their collars all the time. The minute they lunge, step on the leashes and make a loud noise. Stepping on the leashes arrests their forward momentum and gives them a jolt, and the loud noise makes the whole experience a little uncomfortable.

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Linda Kajda Email: pebbles26@comcast.net http://www.americaneskimosecrets.com for great (Dog Care) click here!

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