Don't chase the cat!

 I know with my dalmation lab mix Cheyanne will chase a cat if it runs too. But I have noticed that if they are my cats she doesnt blink an eye. She just seems to know which cats belong here and which cats dont.  I brought in a mama cat and her babies 2 weeks ago and when I let the mama go outside  Cheyanne looked at me and I told her " no chey she belongs here now" and she left her alone. The cat would swat at the dogs if they got to close but after a while she quit and figured out she was safe here.

Maybe your dog will know the cat belongs with you and wont bother them considering she knows to leave your caged animals alone. 

swamper

I was thinking of maybe getting a cat within the next year or so and need some advice on how to cat-train my dog.  I had planned on getting a laid back adult animal from the shelter.  I feel that there is hope because she was successfully taught to leave my small caged animals alone (show no interest).  Most of my friends have cats that aren't dog trained and will run when we try to have them in the same room (dog is ALWAYS leashed/prong collar during these sessions).  Of course, Maya will then try to chase the cat when it runs.  She seems fine when they're not moving, but sudden movements cause her to want to chase.  She's nicely sniffed kitties that were held, but I just don't know how to get her to ignore them.  Any suggestions?

According to this: http://www.sfspca.org/behavior/dog_library/cat_dog_intros.pdf, a laid back adult cat should be a good choice.  I have found that most dogs, if they aren't too predatory to begin with, do figure out that the cat belongs, and leave it alone, despite the fact that they might chase a cat outdoors.  My Sioux never chased our cats, but would chase, and very nearly grab, the occasional cat (when she was younger and quicker) who trespassed into our yard.
 

 Thanks for the link spiritdogs.  I would just feel awful taking home a cat and then having it not work out.  I do feel that there is a strong possibility that Maya can learn to be just fine with a cat in the house, it's just disheartening to see her try to chase the cat after an hour of good behavior.

If you can, get a cat that is comfortable with dogs and will not run. That will cut out some of the chase-prey instinct.  And a cat that is willing to stand it's ground to a dog can be quite intimidating. Good luck! 

 Maybe if you'll get a very young kitten, it woudn't be a problem too, because the cat isn't used to anything. It can get used to the dog. And I think that a dog woudn't do anything to a young kitten. So that seems the best option for me.

I want to say, if you decide to get a cat, get a kitten.  Animals seem to realize when another animal is a baby or not.  When we first got Misty and took her down to the boat, the other dogs were really good with her, because I believe they sensed she was a puppy (baby) and naturally annoying.  LOL  So if you got a kitten, your dog may tend to almost mother it instead of wanting to chase it around the house.  Or, if you want an older cat, ask them at the shelters which cats are used to dogs, and then this could be another option.  Good Luck!

 The kitten suggestions are good, but for me it is REALLY important to know the adult personality of the cat.  Another thing is that life would be so much easier if she got along with cats since this rules out so many petsitters.  We're just taking it slowly for now.

I wish I had advice for you, outside of rewarding for calm behavior around cats.

We're just lucky in a sense. Shadow was raised around a tomcat and a JRT, so he knows small pets are playmates. Make sure the cat has secure hiding places that the dog cannot get into. And get a cat that's not to old that has getaway speed. Our cat Jade came to us after we had Shadow. She's a bit wild and she likes to start stuff with him. But the pic in my sig is how things are, almost all the time. I didn't set up the shot, I just took it one morning 'cause it looked cool.

Dog_ma

If you can, get a cat that is comfortable with dogs and will not run. That will cut out some of the chase-prey instinct.  And a cat that is willing to stand it's ground to a dog can be quite intimidating. Good luck! 

Yep, I second this!  I had three cats before I got Kenya.  I cheated with her b/c she was raised with a cat around.  She ignored the cats and was submissive to them (if they tried to get on the couch, she'd move; if they were on a ledge above her, she'd move).  After a few months, she tried to play with my cats by play bowing and making little grunts at them.  We got Coke so now she plays with him instead.  Coke ignores my two oldest cats, but he chases the youngest one.  The reason is that the older cats just sit there and ignore him or hit him in the face.  The youngest cat RUNS so fast, sometimes I feel like *I* have prey drive to chase her!  Both the dog and the cat need to chill, but I think it time they will be fine.  He can't catch her and she has plenty of safe places.  They can hide under the bed or go through their cat door into the basement.