The most common pets in a household are generally dogs and cats, and many pet owners have a combination of the two.

There is the conception that dogs and cats don’t get along, which is true in many circumstances. But there are some things you as an owner can do to train your dog to get along with your cats.

The first dog behaviour training you can do is providing your dog with the necessary exposure to the cats.

The dog must see the cats in the house over an extended period of time, such as a few weeks. You want to make this process as controlled as possible, which you can do by having your dog on a leash or your cats in a crate. This allows your pets to see that you are in control, and they have to get used to each other.

What you may find is that your dog will bark at the cats when he is in the crate or on the leash. In such a case, you will want to verbally tell your dog that this type of action is not ok.

After a week of not barking at the cat, you can then bring your dog out of its crate.

Once you have released your dog from the crate, it is vital that you watch him closely and forbid him of any kind of bad dog behaviour. This is not going to be an easy thing to do, so placing a muzzle over its mouth is sometimes recommended.

This dog behaviour training is certainly not for everyone, but it can be an extremely effective way to get your dog acclimated to the new climate with the cat. It will prevent your dog from biting or barking at your cats and it will generally take its mind off of the cats and more on the muzzle.

After some time with the muzzle, it will eventually have to come off. You will want to take it off when you have seen good dog behaviour and you feel comfortable letting your dog roam with your cats. This can take several months if they are adult cats and dogs but will be much quicker if they are puppies or kittens.

Getting your dog acclimated to your cats is by no means a quick and painless process. The best dog behaviour training you can give is time and exposure.

The more your dogs and cats see each other in the beginning, the more they will learn to respect each other and share the territory.

Over time, the two will get along, and there will be no dog behaviour to worry about.

About the Author:

Tony Reed is an Animal Behavior Specialist and a passionate writer. He loves to write about the nutrition, health, and care of dogs. He aims at providing tips to dog owners that can help them become better pet parents. He writes for the blog Howpup.