# My dogs go ballistic when they see a cat outside...



## StdPooDad (Mar 16, 2012)

I live in a split level house with a picture window overlooking the street. There are a couple cats that just wander around the neighborhood all day. (If I let my dogs wander around the neighborhood, would I not be in trouble? But that's another discussion)

When the cat appears in the front walking down the street, etc, both my dogs immediately jump on the back of the couch and start wildly barking. Just the barking doesn't bother me all that much. 

However, my younger dog, Teaghan, has toenails that grow straight out, that, combined with her digging at the back of the couch to get to the cat, has pretty much shredded one side of the back of the couch. 

Any suggestions as to what I can do to stop her digging at the back of the couch, perhaps redirecting her? The problem is that I''m rarely in the living room where this happens so I really cannot anticipate when the cat frenzy is going to start. 

As it is now, I just have the drapes closed a lot. And have blankets over the couch.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

When Rocky was young, he really wanted to chase cats he saw on walks. I always walked him with a bait bag. Whenever we saw a cat, I would say, 'no cat' when he looked at it, and immediately redirect his attention to me. Then he would get a click and a treat. We kept walking around the neighborhood and past the cats and I would let him look at the cat, but then he would have to look at me and get the click and the treat.

It didn't take long before he really lost interest in cats. When Shade joined us, I did the same thing with him. He would take off on the leash after cats so we had to work on it or he'd yank me off my feet. We have a cat that wanders around our front yard and both boys will watch it out the front window but they are more interested in the squirrels then the cats and they pretty much just whimper a few times at it and walk away. 

Maybe you could take your guys out on walks around the cats and desensitize them to cats while they are outside (one at a time) so that when they are inside, they just don't care about the cats anymore.


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## StdPooDad (Mar 16, 2012)

When I'm taking them on walks, they couldn't care less about cats.  It's only when they see them through the picture window in my house.

Matter of fact, my vet has a "live in" cat. Seamus wuvs Patches.
Joe



chowder said:


> When Rocky was young, he really wanted to chase cats he saw on walks. I always walked him with a bait bag. Whenever we saw a cat, I would say, 'no cat' when he looked at it, and immediately redirect his attention to me. Then he would get a click and a treat. We kept walking around the neighborhood and past the cats and I would let him look at the cat, but then he would have to look at me and get the click and the treat.
> 
> It didn't take long before he really lost interest in cats. When Shade joined us, I did the same thing with him. He would take off on the leash after cats so we had to work on it or he'd yank me off my feet. We have a cat that wanders around our front yard and both boys will watch it out the front window but they are more interested in the squirrels then the cats and they pretty much just whimper a few times at it and walk away.
> 
> Maybe you could take your guys out on walks around the cats and desensitize them to cats while they are outside (one at a time) so that when they are inside, they just don't care about the cats anymore.


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## 3labs (Mar 27, 2012)

Is it possible to move the couch? At least until you can train Teaghan not to take out her cat hatred on your furniture


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