Dog attacks the cats when I tell the cats off??

Lirin

Cats really don't care if you try telling them off. Dogs will give you big sad eyes and an expression that says 'Why are you doing this to me?' Don't fall for it- mine like to think they're cute.

They used to fight with the cat, but took a gamble and left all three (lab, rough collie, and the moggie) in the kitchen for an hour. Surprisingly quiet when I got home- and no apparant signs of a fight. Just all three curled up against together, after realising that swiping eachothers noses wouldn't get them anywhere.

puddy

Mankysteve wrote: »

Don't bother telling you cats off since it doesn't work, they cant understand you and for some reason it winds your dog up. Simple pick them down off the tops/sofa if you don't want them on there. Surely this would solve your problem. If you don't want them licking empty cereal bowl don't leave them lieing around. I'm afraid cats don't respect property and will pretty much go where/do what they like.

Sounds to me that you may be a bit ott with both the dog and cats. I'm not a soft touch when it comes to looking after animals, maybe a more of a carrot approach with the dog as instead of the stick would be help.

reward good behaviour and ignore the bad is usually much more effective than telling a dog off. i.e trying using treats to reward good behaviours from the dog when moving cats on from doing something you don't want them to do.

When he tries to play/gets aggressive with the cats distract and reward the dog rather than telling off.

yes, i do use rewards but i also tell hmi off when he does things he knows hes not allowed to, he is a collie, training has to be firm with them or they'll get away with murder. he knows when he is being good and is rewarded. i dont tell the cats off, i dont raise my voice or shout (i am a long term cat owner so i know thats pointless) but i do speak to them and say things like 'what are you doing on there' or say 'get down' because both of them know what that means

Mankysteve

Mutter wrote: »

We had a cat when I was a child. My mother trained it as a kitten not to get up on worktops etc. I never even saw it on a chair, so there must be a way to train cats.

Tenner on fact they did still go on the counters.

Our old cats and new cat know not to go on the counter because I soon as did they would be put straight back down. But if there anything attractive on there they would sneak up while no body was in there.

Also I bet your mother never left anything on the surfaced to encourage them they learnt that there wasn't anything out of interest up there so didn't bother. I remember an ex Gf mum didn't like having the cats on the front window cill but the cats never stopped jumping up as there was something there interested them.

Sometimes when annoyed I've shouted at the cats but it was more to make me feel better than punish them.

puddy wrote: »

because both of them know what that means

They wont know what you mean there unable to understand human language unfortunately. They may turn around and stop what there doing but it isn't because they know what your saying it because you made a noise that's interesting to them and they've stop too see what going on.

puddy

well if i tell them to get down off something they do and one of them (my talkative one) even answers me back, she sort of 'natters' and complains

walwin

Mankysteve wrote: »

They wont know what you mean there unable to understand human language unfortunately.

Got to dsagree with you there.

My cat knows the difference between 'go for a walk' and 'do you want wet food' and a whole lot of other things. I think a lot depends on the relationship you have with your cat.

She also understands 'no', but quite often chooses not to understand that

puddy

yes, my cats know a limited amount of words (just like dogs its the association with them)

so when i shout 'food' they know its eats time

when i shout 'cats' they both come to me

obviously they both know their name

they know 'get down' and 'no'

they know 'garden' to go out in the garden

morg_monster

The problem is, if you are just talking to the cats more than telling them off, then whenever you talk to them you might have the same problem with the dog? IE it sounds like it isn't the tone of voice you use that is bugging the dog.
And you can't stop talking to the cats completely, can you.

Oh and we thought we'd trained our rescue cats not to go up on the table or the kitchen counter. It didn't take long to realise that actually we'd just trained them not to go up there when we were around. Clever things.

puddy

i know, i wouldnt begin to suggest that ive trained the cats to do anything, simply to understand when im saying 'no' or something.

maybe its because its around food. if the dog sees the cats eating what is their own food, he's not bothered, but i think if he sees them eating or drinking out of something that ive been using he gets the hump, so then when i speak to them while they are doing it, he thinks he can go for them.

he's quite a complex character really

foreign_correspondent

aah - my dog tells other dogs off if she sees them not doing what they are asked to!

I have watched this and really tried not to anthropomorphise, but I really do think that she thinks she is helping me out - some examples - she will bark at my mum's lurcher if she doesn't drop the ball when told to, when my mum first had her lurcher, if she told her to sit, and the lurcher didnt, my dog would bark at her, and if that didnt work would actually put her front paws on the lurchers bum till she sat! She also tells off my dads jack russell when he starts playing tuggy games - she clearly thinks the humans are trying to get him to give up his toy and he is resisting!

She is the canine equivalent of that annoying kid at school who always crept round the teacher and grassed the other kids in!

What sort of dog is he Puddy?

Lirin

Mine can be very funny.

The cat's gone, unfortunately- just didn't come back one day, so looks like she's maybe been hit by a car, or something. Pity, as we'd had the pleasure of her company for 8 years.

The Lab can be very grumpy- she's not a morning dog. Not supposed to be on the sofa, if she hear my partner coming she burrrows in under a pile of cushions and stays as still as she can, even when she's been found out.
She's fairly quiet, and won't bark if a known car/ person arrives- though getting her to stop licking everyone enthusiastically was a slight problem. Out the back, she only barks if someone comes near our cars, or if it's a strange person or car.
One bark means she wants to go outside. Two usually means she thinks we've forgotten dinnertime.

He's quite jealous, and is a collie. Very good-looking, though a tad 'nice but dim'. If he wants to go out or show you something, he takes your hand in his mouth. He's a terrible habit of groaning when he relaxes- I had a hugely embarrassing phone call with my mother once- insisting I turn off that 'disgusting film' and talk to her! Rocky's sweet, but quite a bully at times, which thankfully is being trained out. Loves it if you rub just under his front legs....

I have choice words I can tell them both- either loud and excitable, or very quietly- and they do understand.