New kitten challenging older dog

[paragon]

So, I just got Dexter, a male Siamese kitten about three days ago. He's not quite a year old, and he likes exploring the house, but my roommates have a young Akita/Husky male named Valiant. Valiant is about 2 1/2 years old, and about 80 lbs, which is a lot bigger than a kitten. I was worried that Valiant might not like Dexter, or might like him too much (he used to play very roughly with another cat he used to live with), but it turns out Dexter is the problem. When I let Dexter out of my room, Valiant follows him around very attentively, which probably scares Dexter a little, until inevitably, the two are face to face, and Dexter starts hissing, and usually swats Valiant.

I assumed Dexter would take to Valiant better, the people he lived with before also had a dog, and they got along just fine.

So far, Valiant has been very tolerant, not making any kinds of counterattacks, just continuing to watch the cat, and we never let the two interact without supervision, so when it happens, we're always quick to step in and prevent any escalation, but it'd be nice if they could get along, so Dexter doesn't have to stay in my room all day unless I'm with him, and because I'm sure if the two did get along, they'd each enjoy the company.

So I guess I'm looking for advice on how to broker a friendship between the two, how to reinforce good behavior and punish bad behavior (preferably not corporeally, I don't want Dexter to be scared of me). I'm also hoping it's just something that will get better as Dexter gets older, and I'm hoping it will get better once Dexter is neutered as well.

After reading some of the other threads on the forum, I realize I may also be introducing them too soon for Dexter to cope with, though it's important to note that sometimes he just slips by as I'm trying to enter or exit the room. I haven't tried introducing smells yet, and I'm not sure that would work as well with a dog as a cat, but I am going to try.

 

[rad65]

NEVER corporally punish a cat. Cats do not respond one iota to negative reinforcement, so any physical punishments will get him to either be extremely afraid of you, or start attacking you.

It's only been a few days, and it can takes weeks for two cats to get along well, much less a cat and a dog. Plus, Siamese tend to get along better with humans than other animals, so that could increase the adjustment period as well. At this point in owning him, you don't know how he will act normally. You can't talk about changing behavior until he settles down enough to show you his normal behavior.

You might want to try seperating them and reintroducing them once Dexter has settled down and let his real personality out. Right now he doesn't know you, your roommate, the dog, or the territory he is in. That'd be a lot for me to handle, too.

 

[bluerexbear]

I would stand back after he smacks and see what the next step to the interaction is. My kitten, Rex, will sometimes smack at my cocker spaniel. I use the soft paws on Rex, so he isn't truly hurting Rosco...but Rosco doesn't like the smack and will often just walk away. He is a sweet dog and puts up with a lot from Rex. Blue - my Siamese cat is not nearly as sweet as my dog and when Rex tries to play him (inappropriately sometimes... like when Blue is asleep and Rex just hops on his head!), Blue will sometimes get up and teach him a lesson. Animals have a way of working these things out...and if no one is truly being harmed, I would let the two animals find their place.

Good luck!

 

[feralvr]

I would suggest separating the kitten for now. Everything is way toooooooo new for this kitten to also be dealing with a HUGE dog following him around. It is definitely causing unnecessary stress on the little guy. Let him get a feel for his new place and you and after he settles and is a happy little camper, then slowly introduce him to the dog. Do not let the dog just follow the kitten around sniffing and getting in the kittens space. You want their first meetings to be pleasant to the kitten so they have a long-lasting friendship. The dog seems nice, but also has to be trained to leave kitty alone until the kitten is comfortable in his new territory.

 

[paragon]

But I feel so bad leaving him cooped up in my room! It's difficult to find a lot of time when the dog is away, or closed off in a room, to let Dexter roam the house, though it sounds like that's what he needs?