Advice new puppy with 4 cats

[syzygycat]

Seeking advice from you cat and dog owners:

My Boston Terrier puppy, Chelsea, came home 7weeks ago. Introduction process went fine,.But, the puppy needs constant stimulation when she's awake or she will chase the cats, then do the Boston's whine/bark when she cant get to where they are. Im rewarding her for not paying attention to the cats. Giving everyone treats for staying calm around each other. Trying to teach the Puppy leave it. It's going to take 3 months to a year for all that stuff to have genuine results, in the meantime I have to be 4ft away from the puppy at all times.

TLDR: What can I do in the meantime to make life for the cats easier (and hopefully be able to spend some time with them when the puppy is not asleep.).

 

[Draco]

Do the cats have an escape? Their own room with a gate where the dog can't get through? High places to jump up to to get away?

 

[neely]

With our last dog when we brought him into our home and already had a cat, then a second, at first I left the leash on the dog when he was out with the cats. That way I could grab hold of the leash and correct him immediately but never scolding. He was a larger dog so I didn't want the cats to have a negative interaction. As mentioned above I always made sure the cats had a safe space/room that the dog could not get to. You can also crate the dog when the cats are out and free to roam then reward her afterwards with a treat or favorite toy. Puppies are full of energy and need a lot of exercise, both physical and mental. Although she's still young you can bring her into a room with you and work on some of the simple commands, e.g. sit, stay, wait, etc. One of the best times for the cats and puppy to be together would be after you have exercised her whether walks or playing in the yard/park.
Best of luck and if you would like please feel free to share a pic or two.

Here is a TCS Article that might have some helpful information for you about cat and dog introductions:
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog - TheCatSite
These are also some helpful threads from other members:
Want to get a dog but getting terrified
Introducing cats??
How much harder is it to introduce a puppy than a kitten to adult cats?

 

[Kflowers]

Our dog had a long muzzle and deep set eyes. She adored the cats, who were there first. Dog never complained but the first couple of months her muzzle looked like a patchwork quilt. You might want to get your puppy some goggles to wear as he gets used to the cats and the cats set their boundaries. The cats won't understand how fragile and vulnerable his eyes are. After he gets smacked in the face a few times, he'll learn the distances they want and they won't have to smack him again. It may take a couple of times to remind him not to sniff them and not to go 'treat diving' in the litter box. But it's doable without either one being pushed outside of their instincts.

 

[iPappy]

I didn't have to do this so much with chill little Balki, but Livie was a puppy I knew from about 4 months of age that she would have to be taught how to settle down and chill. She was (and, to a degree, still is) an adrenaline junkie and learned early on that once we have played or trained, it's time to find a toy to chew on or just relax. Constant stimulation was not good for her. One day, I decided to see how long she would go without enforced naps or settling down. She was still a puppy, and she went for 10 solid hours before she fell into an exhausted heap.
Both dogs learned that if they wouldn't settle down, they went to their crates or ex-pens. They were welcomed back out, and if things started heating up again, back in they went.

 

[syzygycat]

All good practical advice.

The cats are physically safe, no dead ends, elevated paths to get to every corner of every room.
The only rooms the puppy can go in has barriers far from the doors, so the cats can come and go without ever physically running into the puppy.

I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to with crating, training, distracting. But it takes 5seconds of the puppy running along side a cat (on opposite sides of the gate) or 5 seconds of yapping in a cats direction from the crate to make the cats not go into that room (or on that level of the house again for the rest of the day.

No ones come close to getting hurt (or even hissed), I didnt realize I had to be 4feet from the dog 24hours a day for months til she learns what she is and isnt supposed to do its making it more of a struggle to get the cats to realize the puppy is not a threat than it is to get the puppy to stop paying attention to the cats. (stop, sit, look at me all work as long as Im there to say it)

 

[iPappy]

It's frustrating because there is no way to train a puppy if you're not there. Livie was very trying this way. If it helps, she and the cats get along very well.
Are you covering the puppies crate with a large towel or sheet? If I have a dog in my grooming area that wants to bark at things, 99% of them quiet down if the crate is covered so they can't see the thing they were barking at.

 

[Kflowers]

Just to be sure you understand, my puppy got smacked because she kept trying to sniff and wash the cats. She was just moving too fast for them, she adored them and, in time, when they felt she understood manners everything was perfect. (She was 25 lbs when she met them.) Cats teach manners to kittens and puppies and older dogs and people by smacking them. Nothing wrong with that as long as the learner's eyes are protected. Cats don't aim for the eyes when teaching, but accidents do happen.

 

[syzygycat]

Just to be sure you understand, my puppy got smacked because she kept trying to sniff and wash the cats. She was just moving too fast for them, she adored them and, in time, when they felt she understood manners everything was perfect. (She was 25 lbs when she met them.) Cats teach manners to kittens and puppies and older dogs and people by smacking them. Nothing wrong with that as long as the learner's eyes are protected. Cats don't aim for the eyes when teaching, but accidents do happen.

Oh, i though you were being facetious about the goggles. shouldn't I be rewarding the puppy whenever she doesn't go near the cats til it becomes patterned behavior... before the cats have a chance or need to hurt the dog. I guess goggles would be fine to have just in case

 

[Kflowers]

Your puppy has a short muzzle and pokey out eyes. Puppies also have to learn to protect their faces, yours may not realize that yet. Just like a small human. The cats are just doing their job because they are hard wired to what kittens can handle without harm. It's those huge eyes right out there with no protection that are the risk. Once your puppy learns to keep his face to himself (which is the opposite of what he's hardwired for) things will be safer for him. Neither the puppy nor the cats mean any harm by this, they are just treating each other as mother figures and toddler. Kinda like when you took chemistry, no harm meant but better safe than sorry.

They do make goggles for dogs for swimming and other activities. They fit by breed and size.

 

[iPappy]

FWIW, Lila slapped Balki (9 months old) a few weeks ago and didn't use her claws. He let out a surprise "eep" and realized cats don't appreciate obnoxious puppies. Had she wanted to sink her claws into him, she would have.
I have a hilarious video of Livie being "overly friendly" to Lila by licking her face incessantly. Lila finally had enough and smacked her, no claws, over and over and over. Lila stopped, let out an annoyed warning growl, and Livie looked at me and let out an audible gulp and left Lila alone.

 

[syzygycat]

Puppy asleep and senile senior kitty

 

[iPappy]

Adorable photo!
My senior kitties seem to calm with age and become really good puppy raisers.
I found this earlier today and thought of this thread. It might be something you'd like to play around with at some point.
Why You Should Try Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol | Journey Dog Training

 

[syzygycat]

Adorable photo!
My senior kitties seem to calm with age and become really good puppy raisers.
I found this earlier today and thought of this thread. It might be something you'd like to play around with at some point.
Why You Should Try Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol | Journey Dog Training

Molly is late stage kidney disease, undercontroll but starving to death. She doesn't react to normally to normal situations anymore

Did it the KO 15day training, I know that it is popular but as far as I can tell, it teaches a dog to sit (and stay) on high alert. Waiting for hisclock and treat not useless but it doesn't help a dog relax.
Thiers the other one. Your reward a dog when theyre relaxed when they don't see the treat coming. Way better to teach actual relaxation

 

[Kflowers]

best choice of teaching method, probably works well with all creatures. Molly looks as though she knows the puppy needs a mom/grandma and she's there for him. Best way that could happen, since puppies get scratched not from being bad, but from having to learn cat language. Your puppy seems wise beyond his age.

 

[syzygycat]

...Molly looks as though she knows the puppy needs a mom/grandma and she's there for him. Best way that could happen, since puppies get scratched not from being bad, but from having to learn cat language. Your puppy seems wise beyond his age.

Actually, Molly is the only cat that might be in danger. She gets confused a lot these days walks into the other cats, steps in food/water bowls accidentally, does nothing when the puppy jumps on her, walks into the shower etc


The puppy takes a lot of very short naps, gets very hyper very often. She's doing better not lunging except when it's getting close to bed time

Ps goggles arrived. She looks like a nerd.

 

[Kflowers]

They look good. Us Nerds gotta stick together. Does she like them okay? Bet if she knew they were a way to avoid the vet she'd like them.

congrats on her taking naps! Current kitten refused to take naps, it was like being with a human toddler who wouldn't take naps. We ended up putting a bed and toys in her carrier and putting her in the carrier with a towel thrown over it. In the semi-dark she'd fall asleep. Life was better. See what a brilliant puppy you have? She already knows the insufferable naps are important.

 

[fionasmom]

My tortie Alix would walk up to my 126 pound GSD and sucker punch him several times in the face, so the advice about the eyes is good.

 

[syzygycat]

They look good. Us Nerds gotta stick together. Does she like them okay? Bet if she knew they were a way to avoid the vet she'd like them.

congrats on her taking naps! Current kitten refused to take naps, it was like being with a human toddler who wouldn't take naps. We ended up putting a bed and toys in her carrier and putting her in the carrier with a towel thrown over it. In the semi-dark she'd fall asleep. Life was better. See what a brilliant puppy you have? She already knows the insufferable naps are important.

She tries to get them off a lot, but in a playful way not like a kitten wearing a collar for the first time.

Enforced naps in crates are much harder than falling asleep on me.
I've found with both puppies and kittens that pet heating pads(mini electric blankets) in a corner but not a fully covered carier/crate makes naps a lot easier; I have 4 of them now.

 

[syzygycat]

Does she like them okay? Bet if she knew they were a way to avoid the vet she'd like them.

Been trying for close to a week. She won't keep them in over her eyes, not super food motivated she rather stretch it to got into her mouth to chew on it rather than leave them long enough to eat a chunk of chicken.