Dog Sitting (with cat) (kittens, throw, dogs, domestic)

[GeePee]

Hi All,

My girlfriend will be out of town this weekend. She has a lovely 40ish Lb hound. He is very mild mannered. I have agreed to take care of him this weekend as i love him dearly.
The original plan was to keep him at his own house..just a mile from mine and I do daily walks and check ins. We decided this because of the newish kitten i have in y house. It's been about 2 months and shes adjusted just fine. Shes a spunky little one.

Any concerns i should have with bringing the dog to my house with the new cat. I would much rather this situation than the former. Do you they they will integrate just fine or should I stick with plan A?

[cheesenugget]

I'm currently working on my dog's interaction with our new 4 month old kitten. My dogs lived with and loves our resident cat. They also loved the foster kittens.

My question to you is, how well trained is that dog? Will it sit and stay if you tell it to in the midst of distractions? Will it listen to you? If the answer is no, then keep them separated.

If the answer is yes, what breed and age is this dog? The younger they are, the more stimulated the dog become as he sees the kitten, regardless of whether or not it has been used to cats. Young dogs do not remember their manners, especially when excited about something new. If it's a terrier/hound mix, greyhound especially, be extra careful. My dogs are pit/lab mixes. Hunting breed mixes can get along and accept smaller animals. However, do not be naive and always be on your toes as their instinct to chase can be triggered by a running kitten. You will have to teach yourself how to read a dog's body language to prepare yourself for the introduction. If you cannot distinguish between a dog with a fixed stare, ears up, hackles up, tail stiff or slowly wagging to a dog with ears down, helicopter tail, relaxed, panting, then I recommend not to introduce them and keep them separated. A mistake can cost your kitten his limbs or life.

If you have dog training experience, and the dog will most certainly listen to you, you can practice the LAT training. While on a short leash, every time the dog looks at the kitten, click or say his name or reward word and treat. The kitten should never be forced to interact with the dog. Allow your cat free rein but an escape route to a room should the dog charge and you lose grip of the leash.

If you plan to not introduce them, and simply placed them in separate rooms, that's fine. But be vigilant on keeping them apart. Going from no exposure to sudden view of a playful, running kitten, the dog may become excited and try to force himself out of the room to meet the cat.

Do not throw them together in a room and hope for the best.

Introductions can be as easy as a few days to weeks of work. Kittens may hiss and spit at the dog but are more accepting of dogs once they learned the threat isn't there. Dogs will chase if they are convinced the cat is prey. The instinct to chase prey has never left dogs in spite of their domestication.

NEVER leave them alone after they accepted each other. You can do so after months of safe, calm interaction between them, to the point where the dog and cat are so comfortable with each other that they eat, sleep and groom in each other's presence.