Introducing him to the household's other pets
You've just adopted an adult dog and a cat or another dog is waiting at home: take a breath. Living together is built over a few days, not in a single minute. Keep introductions short and calm, give the cat a high perch, put the bowls away, and stay your natural self.
Living together is built, it isn't decreed
Your dog arrives with a past you know nothing about, and taking precautions doesn't make you an anxious owner: it's exactly the right attitude. Most conflicts don't come from some hatred between species but from resources (the food bowl, the bed, your attention) and from misread signals. A dog wagging its tail thinks it's saying hello, while a cat with big, tense movements is already saying leave me alone. The more space and resources you give each of them, the fewer reasons they have to squabble.
You can introduce them calmly if…
- The foster family or the previous owners confirm he has already lived with a cat or a dog without any trouble.
- Your cat is curious about or indifferent to dogs and has high spots to retreat to.
- Your resident dog is perfectly at ease with other dogs and you know him inside out.
See a behaviourist first if…
- Your dog, whose past is unknown, stares intently at the running cat: that's a predation risk, not play.
- Your cat attacks every dog on sight, or your resident dog is reactive towards other dogs.
- A first meeting has already turned into a chase or a fight.
Setting the scene before the introductions
Five minutes of preparation saves you weeks of tension.
0 / 5Introducing your dog to your cat, gently
Tire the dog out first, cat up high, short sessions: make it ordinary rather than forcing it.
Take your dog out and tire him first
A good walk before the meeting: a dog who's burned off some energy watches instead of charging in.
Set the cat up high, free to leave
On a piece of furniture or a perch. He stays if he wants and leaves when he wants: never a cornered cat.
Let your dog look at the cat for three seconds, then redirect
A calm yes (your marker word) when he looks away, and you call him over to you. No big speech.
Finish quickly, start again later
Three mini-sessions beat an hour of face-to-face. If they sniff each other calmly, you've won.
In the first few days, don't tell him off for taking an interest in the cat
He's still discovering, and the cat jumps up high to handle it. The no and redirecting to a toy come after a week or two, once the rule is understood.
Being friends with HIS cat doesn't mean liking every cat: your dog can adore yours and still chase the ones down the street. That's normal, he files yours under family.
Introducing your dog to another dog in the household
For two dogs, the golden rule fits in one word: keep moving, never freeze.
Have them meet on a walk, on neutral ground
Never at either one's home to begin with: the house is territory, the walk isn't.
Newcomer on a long line, your dog loose if he's reliable
A trailing long line lets the dogs approach side-on and sniff each other's rear, instead of the tense head-to-head of a taut lead.
Walk side by side, without stopping
Movement dissolves most of the tension. A yelp before any contact is normal, don't panic.
Head home together
Once you've shared the walk, you cross the threshold together. Bowls and toys are already put away.
Let them set their own limits
A short growl that says stop to a game that's got too pushy is communication, not a fight. You stay calm and you watch.
The scenes of the very first days
The cat bolts up high and hisses
- That's his normal strategy, not a failed meeting.
- You let him manage the distance, you don't lift him back down by force.
- You praise your dog with a yes when he looks away.
Your dog whines and gets worked up with excitement
- The emotion is spilling over, it isn't aggression.
- You move him away a little, let him come back down, and start again calmly.
- A walk before the next session will take the pressure off.
They ignore each other completely
- That's excellent news, not a worrying indifference.
- There's nothing for you to force: just carry on with your life as normal.
- Many wonderful shared homes start with a long I've seen you, we'll sort it out later.
Your dog freezes and stares at the running cat
- Fixating on what moves deserves your full attention.
- You interrupt with a yes and a call before he launches.
- If it keeps happening and escalates, it's time to call a behaviourist.
Read the whole body, never a single sign, and know when to hand over to a pro.
Keep an eye on it
- Nose-licking, yawning, a body that freezes for a second
- The cat stays perched and refuses to come down for hours
- One of the two avoids the other constantly
Slow down and increase the distance
- Repeated growling around a bowl, a bed or you
- Intense, silent fixation on the animal that's moving
- An animal who stops eating or hides non-stop
Stop, call in a behaviourist
- A determined chase after the cat (predation risk)
- A bite, or a fight that won't defuse on its own
- A meeting that goes wrong every single time
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
- Reisner et al. — Behavioral and demographic risk factors associated with dog bites (2011)
- Herron, Shofer & Reisner — Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods (2009)
- Coppinger & Coppinger — Dogs: a startling new understanding of canine origin, behavior and evolution (2001)
- Bradshaw, Blackwell & Casey — Dominance in domestic dogs: useful construct or bad habit? (2009)
To go further
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a dog and a cat to live together?
Put the bowls and toys away for the first few days, give the cat a high-up retreat the dog can't reach, keep introductions short and calm, and behave normally. You mark with a 'yes' when your dog looks away from the cat. Most shared homes settle in if each animal is given the time to communicate.
How do you introduce two dogs?
On a walk, on neutral ground that neither of them sees as his territory. The newcomer on a long line, you walk side by side without stopping, then you head home together once the bowls are put away. Never a head-to-head face-off on the lead: that's what creates the fight.
How do you introduce a kitten to a dog?
A lively kitten that darts off can trigger a chase, so you supervise closely. With an adult dog who's already at ease with cats: a few seconds of sniffing, then the kitten up high, free to leave. If your dog stares and freezes instead of looking away, never leave him alone with the kitten and call in a behaviourist.
How long before my dog and my cat accept each other?
Often anywhere from a few days to a week or two, each at their own pace. If they ignore each other, that's a good sign, not a worrying indifference. Don't invent a problem where there isn't one: carry on with your life as normal and let the relationship settle.
My adopted dog chases the cat, what should I do?
Tell excited play (he bounces, gives up quickly) apart from predatory fixation (he freezes, stares, sets off in silence). In both cases you interrupt with a 'yes' and a recall before he launches, and you give him plenty of exercise every day. If the chasing is determined and repeated, don't leave them alone and see a behaviourist.
Should you leave them alone from day one?
No, you supervise for the first while. If you have any doubt, separate them into different spaces while you're out, without making it a punishment, and the cat always keeps its high retreat to fall back on. You ease off the supervision gradually, once the meetings under your watch have become calm.
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