So I adopted my dog Vlad (5yo Husky) about two months ago. I have two cats, Dora and Shinobi that are both about three.
Vlad is partially blind, which makes him great for a house with cats because half of the time he can't see them. He has lived with cats before, and up till recently has mostly been ignoring them. However now that he has gained back a lot of the weight he lost while he was in the shelter he has a lot more energy and he is starting to show more interest in the cats. Conversely the cats are starting to show more interest in him.
Dora for instance is always in the same room. She will sit less than 3 feet away, However as soon as the dog shows more than a passing interest she will hiss and swat him soundly on the nose. She will also get quite close to him sometimes, and then run away and he chases her.
Today Vlad wouldn't stop Going after Shinobi in the closet (Shinobi hates him and growls whenever he gets close.) I can call him away but it takes something more interesting the cat. He got a pretty solid swipe to the nose and was bleeding a little bit.
They've also started "pinning" eachother, Vlad laying mid hallway so neither of the cats can go anywhere. The cats laying in both enterances to the kitchen so he can't go in or out. (I don't know maybe this is just me projecting behaviors on all of them.)
SO far he seems relaxed and just interested, He has not acted violently towards either one of them, I think he just wants to get to know them better, but he is so much bigger, I just worry.
Is this sortof a normal part of the process? What signs should I watch for that my dog is developing any kind of agression? Is there anything that I should be doing?
I am going to start teaching him the Leave It command this week.
Vlad is partially blind, which makes him great for a house with cats because half of the time he can't see them. He has lived with cats before, and up till recently has mostly been ignoring them. However now that he has gained back a lot of the weight he lost while he was in the shelter he has a lot more energy and he is starting to show more interest in the cats. Conversely the cats are starting to show more interest in him.
Dora for instance is always in the same room. She will sit less than 3 feet away, However as soon as the dog shows more than a passing interest she will hiss and swat him soundly on the nose. She will also get quite close to him sometimes, and then run away and he chases her.
Today Vlad wouldn't stop Going after Shinobi in the closet (Shinobi hates him and growls whenever he gets close.) I can call him away but it takes something more interesting the cat. He got a pretty solid swipe to the nose and was bleeding a little bit.
They've also started "pinning" eachother, Vlad laying mid hallway so neither of the cats can go anywhere. The cats laying in both enterances to the kitchen so he can't go in or out. (I don't know maybe this is just me projecting behaviors on all of them.)
SO far he seems relaxed and just interested, He has not acted violently towards either one of them, I think he just wants to get to know them better, but he is so much bigger, I just worry.
Is this sortof a normal part of the process? What signs should I watch for that my dog is developing any kind of agression? Is there anything that I should be doing?
I am going to start teaching him the Leave It command this week.
