overpossessiveness directed at the cat

[VictoriaEdmondson]

I have a problem with an 8 yr old cocker spaniel who belonged to a friend who recently passed away. her biggest issue is with my cat (who is fine with dogs and actually wants to be her friend). but Sasha seems to be a little scared of cats and is mega overpossessive of her food and toys /stolen trophies and acts quite aggressive towards the cat chasing and barking. she even growls or barks when when I call the cat and if he comes into thd room she will immediately search for something to guard. i need to give her some training to stop this behaviour as it drives me mad before I work on other stuff like listening to me etc. can anyone let me know what training I can give her/where to find it please?

[Adrienne]

Hi Victoria,

Welcome to the forums. I will provide some reading material to start with and will follow up later today with some more in-depth information pertaining to your specific situation. Please make safety your top priority and make sure your dog is under threshold by keeping him on leash to give distance. Remove as many items from the room that your dog may want to guard against the cat. Make sure your cat has an area to retreat that your dog cannot go to and where your cat feels safe. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/attacking-small-animals/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/cats-dogs-dont-get-along/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/look-into-my-eyes/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

[Adrienne]

21 hours ago, VictoriaEdmondson said:

I have a problem with an 8 yr old cocker spaniel who belonged to a friend who recently passed away. her biggest issue is with my cat (who is fine with dogs and actually wants to be her friend). but Sasha seems to be a little scared of cats and is mega overpossessive of her food and toys /stolen trophies and acts quite aggressive towards the cat chasing and barking. she even growls or barks when when I call the cat and if he comes into thd room she will immediately search for something to guard. i need to give her some training to stop this behaviour as it drives me mad before I work on other stuff like listening to me etc. can anyone let me know what training I can give her/where to find it please?

Hello, I am back!

So sorry to hear about your friend who passed away. Bless your heart for opening your heart and home to this dog. 

For some reason, spaniels are often over represented when it come to guarding resources, with springer spaniels and cocker spaniels often topping the list. Makes one wonder whether there may be some breed predisposition at play, but without hard data or studies, at this point we can only speculate. This aside, we need to do as much as possible to keep your cat safe and allow your new dog to not feel stressed when in possession of valuables. Here are some tips that come to mind for your specific situation.

• Use management. Management is the best option when it comes to dogs who guard food or toys from cats. This simply means keeping the dog and cat separate from each other when there are any items the dog may guard around. You can erect a baby gate your cat can't jump over or you can put kitty in another room until meal time is over. Alternatively, you can feed your dog outside in the yard where kitty is not around. This can help your dog relax and gain some confidence knowing that his food won't suddenly go missing. 
• Make sure to remove all possible resources that your dog may resource guard against the cat. 
• If you leave food out for your dog all day (free-feeding), it would be ideal to stop feeding at scheduled times, leaving the food bowl down for 10 minutes and then picking it up whether your dog ate or not and feed again at the next serving. Of course, keep your cat away during these scheduled feedings.  
• Train your dog to respond fluently to cues such as lie down, come and leave it. These can come handy if you catch your dog about to chase your cat and want him to stop. Make sure to praise and reward him generously for responding to you. 
• Make sure your cat has always a safe place to retreat. A cat tree or a baby-gate with a smaller entrance at the bottom can provide your cat access to places your dog cannot get to.
• Supervise your dog and cat at all times. Accidents can and do happen. Don't let your cat become another statistic. Each year, countless cats are injured and killed by dogs, even those with a history of living together peacefully.
• Use behavior modification. The goal here is to create positive associations with the cat walking by. For example, high-value treats may be added to Rover's bowl any time the cat walks by at a distance. If at any point the dog reacts, it means he's over threshold, and you need to make it easier for him by increasing the cat's distance. It also helps to start practicing with lower value things your dog guards. If the cat's safety may be at stake, keep dog and cat on different sides of a baby gate or have your dog wear a muzzle during the exercises,. These sessions should be short and fun. When you are not performing behavior modification, dog and cat should be kept separated to prevent your dog from rehearsing the guarding behavior (the more dogs rehearse problematic behaviors, the more they put roots and establish).  Please note: Behavior modification comes with risks. For safety and correct implementation of behavior modification, please consult with a dog behavior professional using force-free behavior modification.

I hope this helps,

Let me know if you have any questions

Best,

Adrienne