How do I stop my miniature poodle from chasing the cat???

[Bentley]

Hi, I have an adorable little miniature black poodle, named Bentley.  He actually started out being my daughters little dog, but he is now my little bundle of joy-ha   Short of not  minding--I love him to death. However, I have a cat who was here first, and Bentley loves to chase him.  And, actually the cat loves chasing Bentley too.  I think they are just playing,  but it really gets on my nerves, as they are rolling around, biting each other, the cat jumps the baby gate---there goes hair flying everywhere.  I really wouldn't mind it once in a while, but it would be nice when the cat comes in the room, I could make Bentley leave him alone.  I also have a blk standard, Elle, she has never given Chance (cat) the time of day, and get along just great.  I feel like I know quite a bit about Standards, but this little 7lb ball of fire has me thinking I really know nothing about dogs!  I think my big problem is disciplining him.  He just looks so fragile.  Anyway, any help or suggestions you might give me would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Bru

[zefi]

Hi Bru, I dont have cats so I really dont know if I can help at all, but perhaps it will help others to know more details? How old is Bentley? Has he grown up in the house with the cat? Is the cat a similar age? I'm wondering if the cat finally found someone his own size to play with since it seems he's just as much an instigator in the rough play. Also, does anyone know if this could be some kind of dominance issue? Perhaps on the part of Chance (if he was there before Bentley) who, seeing a smaller dog and having been 2nd to a big dog for a while, decided he can move his way up the ladder? Just some thoughts...

I dont have cats but I have one toy poodle and two standards. Pagan, who is older, is content to lay around in the evenings but Montana is full of energy and just wants to play. She is so happy and energetic its gorgeous to watch BUT unfortunately Billy (the toy) doesnt find it as funny as I do when she jumps around, bowing and pawing at him with one paw to get him to play with her. A paw that size can hurt a toy even in play and since Billy really doesnt want to play the only thing I can do to stop it is to either take Billy away and put him in another spot or room, or to distract Montana with a toy and play her myself.

[Bentley]

Thank you for replying to my question regarding Bentley and the "cat".  Here is a little history:  Chance is about two yrs old and was here first.  Bentley is about a year old and I got him around 6 months old.  From what I gather about the relationship between these two, is Chance wants to be with the rest of the family and Bentley (dog)  just sees it as an opportunity to play with someone his own size. Bentley (dog) doesn't growl ever at Chance (cat).  After I break up the wrestling, the cat jumps over the gate, then sits in the other room and cries.  For instance, as I sit here typing the cat jumped over the fence took out after the dog, turned around and jumped over the other gate I have up.  He is almost as bad as the dog, but I do think if Bentley ignored the cat, he would never bother Bentley. Bentley is definetly the dominate one in this relationship. Sometimes, Bentley just sits on the top of the couch like a bird waiting for Chance to come into the room.  I swear, sometimes Bentley jumps clear across the room to go after him.  It is almost like he is flying.   I wonder if Bentley just understood what "NO" meant?  Actually, I think he does, but it is just too tempting to not go after the cat.    I tried separting the two with gates, which works as long as the cat doesn't jump them, or when I put the cat in the garage,  then he cries at the door-ahhhhhhhh   I feel so silly with this little problem, but I'm really afraid someone is going to get hurt, as in an eye out.  Well, I appreciate the time you took to respond to my question, maybe I will get some others replies too.  Thank you Bru

[jenko]

Hi Bru

I have 4 standards and one cat. The cat arrived after the two older dogs and they reached an agreement in the early days that they would ignore each other, which was great. However, the 2 younger poodles harrass the cat mercilessly! The cat (chook) is unafraid of them, but sometimes that play gets quite rough and I have to rescue the cat. I too used to worry about the cat putting an eye out and I guess it could still happen. But what can I do? I can't lock the cat out, or put the dogs out, so aside from just breaking it up when it gets too rough, I pretty much leave it. Chook puts herself out when it gets too much and usually the dogs lose interest after a few minutes. When the rough play finishes they often all lay down on the couch together and go to sleep, usually with one or both of the dogs licking Chook's face while she lies there happily purring. I guess I just got used to it over time. Not much help I know, but just a message that long term - nobody has got hurt so far...cheers and good luck - deb

[partipoo1]

Hi bru!  I totally understand about the play between your animals!  While I do not have a cat, I have (in the pecking order) a toy rat terrier, Cricket (3), a german Shephard, Alex (2), and now my toy poodle, Domino (1). Now when I brought D home I thought, oh boy, Alex is going to really be rough....And, yes, while I DO have to monitor play, I taught her from a very small puppy, from the day we brought her home to be gentle with the baby....(Cricket at the time), even though Cricket had been here a while, dogs don't know the difference, and so Alex learned that absolutely no Hard pawing, chasing, or biting would be tolerated.  Now she DOES still like to "rush" the two of them (chase behind like she is going to run them down) and I stop her immediately; but the one I really have to watch believe it or not, is Domino.  That little poodle has really taken the high spot, so to speak.  When we got him only 3 weeks ago, he was lethargic; just staying in our laps and very skiddish.  Now, he is running and playing and jumping around and having a ball.  He was very thin when we brought him home, only 4#, 8 oz.  Now, I think he's up to 5#.  His bones seem to be stronger.  The only thing I have done is I make sure he eats three meals and gets his nutri-cal twice a day. 
But back to the chasing and play problem; my GS is obsessed with the ball and retrieving and it starts first thing in the a.m. and continues until bedtime.  I am constantly having to tell her no and not now.  The dogs all chase each other; it's really funny to me when the toy poodle is chasing the German Shephard.  The GS is very gentle; but I still monitor.  Hope that helps.  Kathy