Introducing a Shetland Sheepdog with a Cat

Regardless of the misconception, a lot of dogs and cats can cohabit in harmony. Follow these simple to follow actions to discover how to best introduce your Shetland Sheepdog with a cat.

1. Make sure your Shetland Sheepdog knows fundamental commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘down’ before meeting.
2. Make a safe space for both your Shetland Sheepdog and cat, where the other animal can not go into.
3. Keep them separated in the beginning, for the very first few days. Ensure both Shetland Sheepdog and cat have had the required shots.
4. Feed your Shetland Sheepdog and your cat on opposite sides of a closed door. This helps make them affiliate each other’s presence with appealing things.
5. Once they both can ingest calmly beside the door, begin having meet and greets in a common location of the house. Keep the very first few sessions short and calm with your Shetland Sheepdog on a leash. Award both pets for great behaviour.
6. Proceed these face to face sessions on a daily basis. Make sure to save your animals’ preferred treats for these sessions. If your feline wants to leave, let them, however make sure your Shetland Sheepdog does not chase after. Attempt ending the sessions well before any family pet shows indications of stress or violence.
7. When they look like they’re getting a long well, let them hang around in the space together. If any stress emerges, return back to the previous actions and redo them.

Why do Shetland Sheepdogs Hate Cats?

Not all Shetland Sheepdogs dislike felines, some get along with them. When Shetland Sheepdogs do dislike felines, of the most typical reason is quite simple. Like all pet dogs, Shetland Sheepdogs still hold onto some of the hunting behavioral instincts that they were originally reproduced for. This is why Shetland Sheepdogs like chasing all moving things, whether it’s a ball, mouse, or a cat.

Considering that most cats will escape when they come across, it’s simple to see why they are known for not being friendly with each other. Shetland Sheepdogs in fact delight in chasing after cats not since they dislike them, but mainly since a quick running animal triggers a strong, natural behavioral instinct to chase overcomes any training or socialisation.

How to Stop Shetland Sheepdogs Chasing Cats?

Training your Shetland Sheepdog to stop going after cats requires time, training and consistency, but the benefit of not needing to worry about them always chasing is well worth it. Here are the procedures of how to stop your Shetland Sheepdog from chasing after felines.

1. Keep your Shetland Sheepdog on a leash while loose when your cat remains in the same room.
2. Whenever your feline is nearby to your Shetland Sheepdog, stop what you are doing and get your Shetland Sheepdog’s attention. If he listens, give him a reward!
3. Keep rewarding your Shetland Sheepdog till the feline disappears. If the cat stays give your Shetland Sheepdog a chew treat or toy so they remain concentrated on their reward.
4. Consistently redo the above stages and you’ll see your Shetland Sheepdog instinctively sit and look up to you when they see the feline. Don’t forget to keep treating them!
5. If they are now instantly looking at you every time the cat remains in the space, they’re ready to be using a longer leash. If they still attempt to chase after the feline at this point reel them in and return to step 2.
6. Last but not least, take the long leash off and enable your Shetland Sheepdog and feline in the very same space. At this moment your Shetland Sheepdog must know not to chase after the cat, but if they do return to step 5.

How to Stop Shetland Sheepdogs Killing Cats?

The best method to guarantee your Shetland Sheepdog would never kill a feline is to raise them with felines when they’re a young puppy before 3 months old. At this age, they will usually want to have fun with the cats and will not see them as prey.

If your Shetland Sheepdog has actually eliminated a feline in the past, its optimal if you keep them in an open, fenced off space. When taking them for walks try to prevent going after dusk and before dawn because that’s when cats are very active and most likely to be roaming the streets.