The myth that cats and dogs cannot live in peace under the same roof is mostly just a myth. It is true that some dog breeds have a predisposition of not getting along with cats, but there are solutions through which you can make the two animals be the best friends in the world.
The first step is to get them know each other so it is essential to make the introduction at a young age and you must not force the socializing process because here the right steps are the small steps.
If you have one or several cats and you want to bring home a mature dog you should learn a thing or two about the dog’s history, whether that it previously lived with cats, or if it has shown signs of being aggressive to other animals.
If you cannot learn this information then start on the assumption that the dog has never in its life lived in the same residence with cats.
For starters when you bring the dog at home try to keep the cats away from it and if you want to make sure unpleasant thing won’t happen, use a leash when you are allowing them to make the first contact.
Of course there are dog breeds which do not get along at all with cats. From this category the Dobermans, hunting dog breeds and terriers are not at all cat friendly so keep this in mind when choosing a dog breed for a family with cats.
If the dog does not react to the cats the first time do not let this fool you. Some dogs are peaceful only inside the home and once they are outside they can become aggressive and chase the cats.
The best way to go is keeping an eye on the dog’s behavior on both inside and outside for a while until you are sure of the dog’s reactions.
In case the dog is very young when you take it inside the house the things change. Introduce it to the cats, let the cats smell the dog’s bed and encourage them to get along by spending equal time with both of them. Receiving the same amount of attention will prevent jealousy and will get the dog and cat get along and be best friends.
The conclusion is that if you take the time and interact with your pets, you can prove for yourself that the mythical war between cats and dogs is nothing but a myth.
