Trainable Cat by Bradshaw John

Author:Bradshaw, John
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2016-07-10T04:00:00+00:00

Squidge is busy with a puzzle feeder while Herbie watches, safely behind the barrier.

Building on these initial steps, we can now provide more positive experiences for both animals while they are in each other’s presence. This will teach them that positive things occur when they are near each another (Key Skill No. 2). In practical terms, the next step is therefore to remove the physical barrier between cat and dog, although at this stage it is a good idea to keep your dog on the harness and house line (which your handler holds) so your handler has some control of where he goes. Keep your dog in the part of the house that you have dedicated to him, and position yourself in the same room as the dog but at a distance from him. Your presence there will help encourage your cat to come into that space in his own time. Again, ideally, you should have a handler to look after your dog’s needs and training for this part of the introduction, so as to keep your dog’s attention intermittently diverted from the cat.

Do not worry if your cat initially chooses not to come into the room—he will be learning that the barrier that used to separate him from the dog is no longer there, and he may need time to feel confident enough to get closer to the dog without the protection of the barrier. For some cats, it may take only minutes before they are in the room with you; for others, it may take several repetitions of removing the barrier over a period of days or even weeks. Just be prepared to go at whatever speed your cat chooses. Picking him up and bringing him in the room will only remove his ability to decide for himself, potentially making him feel uncomfortable and thus undoing all the good associations he has previously learned about the dog. When he does decide to venture into the room, you can again reward this behaviour with a food treat or game. At this point, your cat may become quite tentative again, so it is really important that your dog handler keeps your dog’s attention anywhere but on the cat.

Some cats are really inquisitive and will want to get close to the dog, simply so they can investigate him. However, such boldness can be risky—the cat may get itself into a situation where he has approached the dog to investigate him, then realized that he is not that comfortable being so close to the dog and panics. The cat may then lash out at the dog or simply turn and flee at great speed. The dog may then be provoked into chasing the cat, which is precisely what the whole process has been designed to avoid. Having the dog on a house line means you can monitor both the cat’s and the dog’s behaviour carefully, and pre-emptively move the dog away if the cat is getting too close. In this way you

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.