Cat Obsesssed!

[Evanescence]

Okay, here's one for you...

My puppy (a year old, but she's still sooooo a puppy!) is an ACD/rat terrier mix (I think) who is totally obsessed with my cat! She doesn't do anything wrong, she just lays in the doorway to my bedroom staring at the cat all day. And when the cat finally decides to move (which isn't too often because she's old and fat and lazy) she's glued to it. She follows it around with her nose like within 2 feet of the cat. When the cat gets out of her reach she just sits and stares and watches its every move. The cat gets annoyed when the puppy's nose gets within like 6 inches of her for too long, or when the puppy tries to lick her, and will whack her, but the cat is cool with it for the most part. They never have a chance to be alone together, because I'm worried that the puppy is trying to assert dominance or something over the cat? and one day when the cat turns and smacks her she'll do something about it, but I really don't think she will if I'm in the room. She's sloooooowly getting a little less obsessed as she gets older (like she'll lie on the other side of the room and stare at the cat occationally) but its not an incredible improvement. Any suggestions/thoughts/opinions about this?

Thanks!

Lisa

[scarlett]

It's a puppy. It's a rat terrier. They were bred to ferrit out rats...maybe your puppy thinks your cat is a rat? Puppies are like babies...everything is new and they investigate and take in all the new aspects of their lives. If your puppy isn't being aggressive, don't worry. They will probably soon bond and be good friends. It's funny but a younger animal can take over the feeling of being responsible for an older animal. I have had this in my household many many times. I had a older blind cat and brought my sheltie in and he helped my cat find her food and place to sleep. Many years later, my new dog Jack took that same sheltie who was blind by then and helped him find his places to pee and eat etc. Unless you see blood, don't worry.

[Evanescence]

Well, I don’t think the cat and dog are going to be friends. The pup has become increasingly bossy with the cat. When ever the cat comes into the room, the pup hovers over her, and I’m starting to worry she’ll bite, or at least push the cat around and get herself scratched pretty bad. My reasoning for thinking this is based mainly on the fact that when she’s in her kennel and I’m not in the room, if the cat comes near she begins to emit a low nasty growl, and she’ll do the same if I’m in the room and she’s eating and the cat comes near. She will not do this to my other dog, only the cat, and other new dogs before she gets used to having them around, and only in her kennel.

She’s definitely dominant over my other dog, and my only thought is that she’d love to put the cat in its place, but never gets the chance since I’m always protecting the cat. Since she can’t correct or dominate the cat she’s uncertain about her position in relation to the cat in the “pack” and is getting increasingly nervous about this as she matures.

I do a lot of heavy obedience and agility training with her, so my dominance is never in question, and with a quick “no” she’ll back off from the cat, or stop the growling immediately, but the issue does make me nervous. Again, the pup and the cat are NEVER alone together, and I’m watching her all the time, but I’d really rather not be nervous for the rest of her life. Any suggestions on how to correct this behavior?