My New Dog

Good morning friends of where-I'd-like-to-be.

I need some advice.

We got a beautiful new dog in August this last year. 1/2 German Shepherd, 1/2 Husky. She is overall a good dog, although we are not really experienced with dogs. We've always had cats.
Which brings me to my problem.....We have 2 cats that were here many years before we got said puppy. At first all was ok, but she has grown to think that the cats are here just for her enjoyment, so if they move, she's chasing. They never get hurt, they just have no (zero, zip, NADA) peace, in their own home. No matter what I do.
Kaiya (the dog) just turned 1. Any suggestions on how I can get her to stop? These cats would be her friend, if only they got some peace.

Thank you

Shock collar... they make one that sprays citrinela. Don't let them see you press the button and use a command at the same time.

why citrinela? And do those collars hurt them, or is it kinda like a tens unit, where you regulate it?

The one I mentioned does not shock... it does have a beep that emits when it sprays the citranela (which they don't like). After awhile you can just use the voice command and beep... then just voice... then remove the collar as they obey. It works for any problem area like barking at the door bell or being agressive at the food bowl. I never had any probs with larger breeds... but did use it on a small wilful dog that like to yap at the door and visitors. Nothing replaces them knowing who's boss tho.

A shepherd/husky mix will have thick, long fur. Your collar needs to have the longer prongs. The prongs need to touch the neck skin and longer hair might be a problem. The collar doesn't have to be tight, so it's not like two prongs are jabbing into the neck of the dog all the time.

We use the PetSafe system that uses a wire loop buried around the perimeter of the yard. The box connected to the wire is a low-power radio transmitter and the collar with the prongs (at the dogs necks) are radio receivers. It keeps the dogs in the yard. After a while, it doesn't matter if the transmitter is plugged in or even if the dogs are not wearing their collars... they don't leave the yard... or get close to where the wire is buried.

It is the same principle with a collar that just shocks when you push a button on a remote... to train the dog that chasing the cats will result in an unpleasant experience. The shock doesn't harm the animals, but it is certainly not pleasant. (I have been shocked by them.)

I don't know about the use of citronella.

Just a stupid cat...

LOL... getting your hind legs to obey is a whole diff problem.

jose balu wrote:Good morning friends of where-I'd-like-to-be.

I need some advice.

We got a beautiful new dog in August this last year. 1/2 German Shepherd, 1/2 Husky. She is overall a good dog, although we are not really experienced with dogs. We've always had cats.
Which brings me to my problem.....We have 2 cats that were here many years before we got said puppy. At first all was ok, but she has grown to think that the cats are here just for her enjoyment, so if they move, she's chasing. They never get hurt, they just have no (zero, zip, NADA) peace, in their own home. No matter what I do.
Kaiya (the dog) just turned 1. Any suggestions on how I can get her to stop? These cats would be her friend, if only they got some peace.

Thank you

She is a pup, Jose, she will get over this and all three will be pals.

Get rid of the cats. Problem solved.
Cat people are usually not quite right in the head.
Unless you like smelling like cat litter and pee.

jose balu wrote:Good morning friends of where-I'd-like-to-be.

I need some advice.

We got a beautiful new dog in August this last year. 1/2 German Shepherd, 1/2 Husky. She is overall a good dog, although we are not really experienced with dogs. We've always had cats.
Which brings me to my problem.....We have 2 cats that were here many years before we got said puppy. At first all was ok, but she has grown to think that the cats are here just for her enjoyment, so if they move, she's chasing. They never get hurt, they just have no (zero, zip, NADA) peace, in their own home. No matter what I do.
Kaiya (the dog) just turned 1. Any suggestions on how I can get her to stop? These cats would be her friend, if only they got some peace.

Thank you

I suggest that you contact your city. Many have free dog training programs which will help immensely. If they don't have one, frequently there are ones given by volunteers which are very reasonable. Nothing is worse than a large dog which is not well trained. After obedience training you may want to go on to agility training. It is like play to them and wears them out at the same time.

They also need a LOT of exercise. Not just running in the back yard but long walks with you in the lead so they learn you are the leader of the pack.

I worked with training dogs when I was a kid in Miami at a company called K9 Inc. It did obedience and attack training. I was a kid in college so I got to be the bad guy in the suit.

Until a few years back I had two certified search dogs, one a certified cadaver dog.


German Shepherd's and Husky's are both working dogs. Making a house dog out of a working dog works fine, just so the dog has plenty of "work" to do.

Ghandi wrote:Get rid of the cats. Problem solved.
Cat people are usually not quite right in the head.
Unless you like smelling like cat litter and pee.

IMO, people who 'get rid of' any good pet, for no good reason, are the ones 'not right in the head'.
Cruel too, if it's the only home they've ever known.

jose balu wrote:

Ghandi wrote:Get rid of the cats. Problem solved.
Cat people are usually not quite right in the head.
Unless you like smelling like cat litter and pee.

IMO, people who 'get rid of' any good pet, for no good reason, are the ones 'not right in the head'.
Cruel too, if it's the only home they've ever known.

I can't stand the phrase "get rid of" when people use it to describe what they did with their pets. I'm with you, Balu. Animals are not like overcoats - you don't just throw them away when they no longer fit.

PBulldog2 wrote:
I can't stand the phrase "get rid of" when people use it to describe what they did with their pets. I'm with you, Balu. Animals are not like overcoats - you don't just throw them away when they no longer fit.

Agreed. On that note, about 3-1/2 weeks ago I adopted a beautiful steel-blue kitty from the local Humane Society. She'd been rescued from a kill-shelter in a nearby town, then had bounced around from the humane society (which is in a local bookstore... yes, this truly is a small town :] ), and the owner and her mother's homes. So she was all KINDS of confused about exactly where home was (actually, she probably still is). I am actually much more of a dog person, but I can't have dogs because of work demands, travel schedules, &c, so hunter-kitties are for me.

Balu, Az (I don't know if you know her, but she's been a member of our forums for a long time... just hasn't posted in a while) taught me a training method that works very well, if you're adverse to the shock-collar. Keep spray-bottles of water handy in each room, and AS SOON AS the dog begins pestering the kitties, spray doggie in the face, with it set to MIST and not straight-shot which could injure doggy's eye/s. Animals do not like this, but it does not hurt them and it trains them to cease unsavory / undesirable behavior/s and habits. But please note that you must spray them in the face on MIST setting as soon as they begin the bad behavior or WHILE they're doing the bad behavior, and not afterward. They will not understand and will not unlearn the behavior if you mist-spray them after they've already "gotten away" with the behavior.

I think Markle's suggestion to get in touch with your closest city is a good one, as well. If memory serves, you live outside of Ashland... no doubt they have some good programs! ha ha!!

(Why isn't there a doggy-guy?? Geez, we have an alien and a monkey for crying out loud!)

Here's my new pretty kitty, Blue, for those who have not already seen / met her: