Walk the Dog Newsletter - Winter 2010

Dear friends,



‘Tis the season to be merry and for snuggling down with our pets as we look forward to some festive fun. We’ve got a bumper packed winter issue with advice on ensuring your four-legged friend stays safe over the festive period and we meet fitness guru Andi Vincent-Jones, who shares her top tips for avoiding injury from dog walking - advice we follow at Walk the Dog. Plus, we’re delighted to launch our very own cartoon series created exclusively for Walk the Dog by artist and illustrator Ellen Tozer. And, we have all our news and a great Christmas recipe for your furry friends. Thank you for your support this year, we’ve had a blast working with you and your pets. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for 2011.

Click here to read the latest copy of our Walk the Dog newsletter for Winter '10.

The Lassie Effect

I help owners with problem dogs. Most owners understand their dog’s breed, yet understanding his behaviour can often be misinterpreted, leading to problems.

Although man and dog have been together for thousands of years, we tend to forget his ancestor is the wolf. The DNA of a wolf compared to domestic dog differs by just 1 per cent; the same difference separating one human race to another. So, while your dog looks harmless, he has the mindset of a wolf.

Art, literature and entertainment has greatly influenced our thinking leading to the anthropomorphism of dogs, I call this ‘The Lassie Effect’tm. Lassie was a Collie with the heart of a lion and the navigational skills of a pigeon. Lassie made the public believe he could think, plan, sympathise, know right from wrong, remember complicated facts and seek revenge. When Lassie appeared to be studying a situation, he was actually watching his trainer wave a rag. We humans find it easier to relate to a situation when we project our own emotions onto our dogs. If a dog chews his owner’s shoes when alone, the owner may shout at the dog when he returns home, the dog may lower his body and slink away. The owner thinks his dog learns from the telling off, some may believe the dog destroyed the shoes out of resentment or boredom for being left alone which is why he looks and acts ‘guilty’. However, the dog may be anxious and the chewing action releases endorphins that calm him down, this feeling of comfort is rewarding. When the owner comes home, the dog acts in a submissive manner to avoid punishment. Yet, the owner misinterprets the dog’s attempt at communicating “please don’t hurt me” to mean “I know I’ve done wrong”. So, the problem behaviour continues.

Find out more by visiting http://www.doglistener.tv/

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Moving house - a pet's survival guide

Moving house can be an incredibly exciting yet stressful time for us, and it can affect our pets too. Dogs and cats like status quo and they’re incredibly intuitive; so, a combination of their environment changing and picking up on our frazzled emotions, this can lead to our pets displaying unwanted behaviours after the move. Below are some helpful tips for a safe and stress-free pet!

· Check the property for any potential problems such as holes in the fence, dangerous items being left in the garden and so on.
· Introduce your cat to his new home gradually; restrict him to one or two rooms at first. Place the litter box, bed, scratching post, food and water in the room with it. This gives your cat the chance to get used to the new sounds and smells, and provides him with a ‘safe’ place to use later as a refuge or if he feels uncertain. Place your pet’s favourite bed, blanket, toys or any item that’s familiar to them in that room. This helps him feel more secure in the new surroundings.
· If your cat will be allowed outside, keep him indoors for at least two weeks, so your home is familiar to him. After two weeks, take the cat outside with you, let him explore a bit. After ten minutes bring him back inside. Each day increase the time until he feels safe and knows the area.
· Ensure your pet is properly tagged with your new address and phone number.
· If possible, allow yourself some time before you go back to work. This enables you to help your dog adjust. During this period of change, practice ‘Gesture Leaving’ - where you spend time coming and going from the house, building up in small increments (from a couple of seconds to minutes) to see how your dog will respond. This helps reduce separation anxiety and with practice and repetition your dog should adjust to being home alone in the new environment.
· You should also take your dog straight into the garden of the new property on moving day. Ensure he is on the lead and allow him to explore his new environment. Practice some heel work and general obedience requests to get him focused onto you too – this keeps his pulse rate steady and avoids over excitement. Introduce your dog to his new area very slowly. Explore the area one street at a time, so he can ‘suss out’ who else lives in the neighbourhood. Strange dogs can pose a threat and cause your pet unnecessary stress.

Cats - a brief history

The cats we know today have a long history dating back millions of years. Paleontologists have discovered evidence of a cat with a retractable claw, Miacis, who lived about 50 million years ago. Most scientists believe that the descendants of Miacis and other prehistoric cats divided into three separate groups nearly a million years ago; the big cats (lions and tigers), the cheetahs, and the small cats (ocelots, bobcats and lynxes).

Cats come in many shapes and sizes, but the fur coat found on each feline is a big part of how they are classified; long-haired, short-haired, or "hairless". Long-haired breeds include; Persian, Maine coon, Norwegian Forest Cat and Rag doll. Short-haired breeds include; American Shorthair, Siamese, Burmese and Singapore. While "hairless" cats, such as the Sphinx, merely appear to be hairless, they have a thin layer of hair covering its body.

Cats first started living with people approximately 6,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian farmers domesticated the African wildcats, Felis hybica, a natural hunter, to keep grain storage areas rodent free. Egyptians worshipped Bastet, the cat goddess of fertility, happiness and the moon. Impressed with the cat's natural beauty, Egyptian artists painted and sculpted them, making them cultural icons. Although ancient Egyptians are known for their love of cats, they are not the only people who worshipped them. In Thailand, Siamese cats were sacred temple cats. In Japan, these animals kept Buddhist temples free of mice. In Norwegian mythology, Freya (the goddess of fertility) rode in a chariot pulled by two white cats. Throughout history, sailors and other explorers helped spread cats across the world. Keeping cats abroad their ships was also a good way to rid their living quarters of mice. In time, it was considered lucky to keep cats on board. When cats came to Europe in 900 BC, they crossbred with a native cat found in the British Isles, Felis silvestris. Yet by the middle Ages, cats fell out of favour with most of Europe. The Catholic Church connected cats and those who lived with them with paganism, devil worship, and witchcraft. Superstitious people believed that cats (especially black cats) had diabolical powers.

Today, cats are the UK’s favourite pet with an estimated population of 9.2million. Walk the Dog is proud to support the Cats Protection League Hemel which helps rehome and foster cats. Show your support for Britain’s best loved pet by logging onto http://dacorum.cats.org.uk/

Focus on puppies
How cool would it be if you could learn to successfully communicate with your dog so you can understand one another? Well now you can! Walk the Dog Puppies launches in February; these are puppy classes and young dog progress classes designed to help owners learn how to teach their dog the basics from recall, sit, stay, heeling, ‘leave’, as well as, learning how to avoid unwanted behaviours and deal with common problems in a calm, consistent and convincing way. So, we’ve got some top tips below to set you and your puppy on the road to successful dog training.

· Lower your expectations. Remember, your puppy is just a baby; he doesn’t know he should toilet outside, or know even his name. A human baby takes many months to learn to walk, talk, and toilet training can take years. It's the same principle when you're training your puppy – patience, understanding and consistency is the key to successful training.
· Adolescence. Around 4 months of age, the puppy moves into adolescence. They get bored easily and have no self-control, they like action and speed. Set some boundaries (e.g.) is the puppy allowed on the sofa by invitation only? Is the dog allowed upstairs?
· Avoid long training sessions. The puppy’s ability to concentrate over long periods is poor, and you need to help teach him self-control. Keep training short, fun and easy. Teach in steps, like the ‘sit-stay’ - build from one second to three seconds, five seconds and so on.
· Have fun with your puppy. Play with your dog! This teaches him to focus on you and builds the association that you’re fun to be with! Playing helps build a bond with your dog too. Focus more energy into playing than walking the puppy. Playing gives the dog mental exercise, as well as, physical exercise.
· Allow the puppy breaks and rest if he looses his concentration while training.
· Slowly introduce new experiences, environments, noises, machinery, clothing, animals and people to the puppy. Take it slowly! You mustn’t put pressure on your puppy or yourself. Your behaviour dictates the behaviour of your dog. If the puppy is scared by something move away in a calm manner, do not make a fuss of the dog (this will only re-enforce the dog’s scared behaviour). Show you are not bothered and there is no need for concern.
· Never hit, shout or punish the puppy. Aggression only begets aggression.
· Toilet training. Look for the key times the puppy will go, typically upon waking, playing and eating. Pups will sniff and circle. Encourage the puppy outside into the garden. As the puppy eliminates say a word like “be clean”, this builds the association of that word to that action, so in time you’ll be able to say the word and the dog will eliminate. Once the pup has finished, praise with food reward immediately and say “good dog”, this positively re-enforces this ‘wanted’ behaviour. Don’t go inside the house straight after the pup has been to the toilet, as the puppy may learn to hold on for longer, as they want more time to explore the outside. If the pup goes to the toilet inside the house and you haven’t caught him in the act, simply clean it up with no fuss (say nothing and no eye contact). If you catch the puppy about to go or mid-flow – pick him up gently and take outside (repeat as above).
· Start grooming early. Teach your puppy that grooming is a pleasant experience. Brush him when he’s sleepy, gently touch ears/teeth/paws to enable him to get used to being investigated in these areas. This will help when he goes to the vets, or when you need to clip his claws or brush his teeth.
· Learn to communicate with your dog. Learn the dog’s language and you’ll understand each other and have the relationship you deserve. Speak to Hanne about how you can achieve this.

For more information about our 5 week puppy courses call us on 01442 878628 or email us at: info@walk-the-dog.net

Dogs and babies

Whether you’ve got a new addition to the family or have friends visiting with young children, there are ways in which you can ensure your dog bonds with a new baby. ‘Baby proofing’ your dog, is all about making your dog feel comfortable and safe. If you are expecting, then watching how your dog reacts around other children will help to give you an indication of what you can expect when your little one arrives.

A dog’s primary sense is smell – your dog is able to detect the smell of human perspiration at a concentration up to a million times lower than humans can detect! Once we understand how powerful this sense of smell is, it’s no wonder our dog shoves its nose into our shopping bags to investigate what’s in it! A baby’s going to smell fascinating to your dog – so if you’re expecting, it’s important to introduce your dog now to baby smells; allow him to explore the sweet-smelling baby products you’ll be using. When the baby is born, have a friend or family member bring home a blanket and ask them to praise your dog when he sniffs it, give him a delicious treat and allow him to smell it again. This should be repeated a number of times before the baby comes home.

Hearing is the dog’s second sense and while the cry of a newborn can make any mother nervous, it can also affect your dog. Some behaviourists suggest using a sound effects CD that includes the sounds of children and babies crying. When the CD is played at a low level, you should play with your dog and treat him to ensure he has a positive association with the noise. Also, by simply acting ‘matter of factly’ in front of the dog when your baby cries and remaining calm, will show your dog there is nothing to fear, you’re in charge and his involvement isn’t needed.

Sight is your dog’s third sense, so it’s important that your dog gets used to what a baby looks and feels like. It’s a good idea to buy a life-size baby doll and allow your dog to touch the doll’s feet with his nose; you then praise him and treat. Wrap the doll in a blanket and walk around with it in your arms, sit with the doll in one arm – as if you were feeding it and stroke your dog with the other hand. Your dog will begin to associate the close presence of your baby with good things happening to him. Use food treats to reward your dog for calm behaviour.

From the time you bring your baby home until your child is at least six to eight years of age, he or she should never be left unsupervised with any dog, no matter how well-mannered and well-trained that dog might be. Think ‘prevention is better than cure’.

More information on dogs and babies can be found on our blog petdiary.walk-the-dog.net with a great article written by Jan Fennell, The Dog Listener on ‘How to ensure your dog and baby bonds’.

Understanding your dog - canine body language and interpreting it

There are probably times when you wish you knew what your dog was thinking. By looking at your dog’s body language, watching their expressions and actions this can help you understand what they might be feeling. On average dogs have 30 calming signals. These signals are used in times of fear, to avoid confrontation and on a day to day basis. As humans we often fail to see our dogs using these signals, so much so, that some dogs may give up using them altogether. For others, they become so desperate and frustrated they can get aggressive, nervous or stressed out as a result. Below are some basic calming signals dogs use to communicate their feelings.

Yawning
Your dog may yawn when someone bends over him, when you sound angry or there’s yelling, when he’s at the vets, and when someone’s walking or staring directly towards him. This tells you he feels uncomfortable and is trying to calm the situation down. When your dog is excited and there’s anticipation such as going out for a walk, dogs will yawn to take in more oxygen, as instinctively adrenalin has kicked in to prepare them for the ‘hunt’. Threatening signals (making direct eye contact, fast movements, bending over the dog etc) will often cause your dog to use a calming signal.

Licking
Licking is another calming signal - when meeting new people, dogs or in stressful situations. Licking is especially used by black/dark coloured dogs and dogs with a lot of fur around their faces as their facial expressions are harder to read. To show a dog you’re not a threat, avoid making direct eye contact, yawn and lick your lips – this is a pacifying signal and helps the dog to feel less anxious.

Turning away
A dog will turn his head slightly to one side or turn completely around so his back and tail is facing whoever the dog is calming. If a person seems angry, aggressive or threatening, dogs will often turn away. When you bend over a dog to stroke him or he’s taken by surprise - lookout for his head turning away. Dogs will use this signal to other dogs to prevent possible conflicts. Dogs that perceive themselves to be head of their pack will also use this body or head turn as a way of showing you where they want you to pat them. It’s a case of ‘who do you think you are?’ when you try to stroke them over the head. To show a strange or a nervous dog you’re not a threat, crouch down, don’t ‘invade their body space’, avoid direct eye contact, let the dog sniff you, then slowly hold your hand out for them to smell you. Once the dog is calm, then stroke him gently under the chin.

Play bow
A dog bending down on his front legs is an invitation to play if he’s moving his legs from side to side in a playful manner. But if the dog’s standing still while bowing, this is a signal to calm someone or another dog down. However, the invitation to play is often a calming signal by itself because the dog is making a potentially dangerous situation less tense and diverts with something safe.

Sniffing the ground
You’ll often see this when out walking with your dog and someone’s coming towards you, in noisy situations or places where there’s a lot going on or when your dog sees objects that he’s not sure of and finds it intimidating. Sniffing the ground may be anything from moving the nose swiftly down toward the ground and back up again to sticking their nose to the ground and sniffing persistently for several minutes. Of course, dogs sniff a lot anyway to find out whom or what has passed along the street before them! But depending on the situation this is used as a calming signal.

Sitting down/lifting one paw
Some dogs will sit down and lift a paw towards another dog or human to calm a situation down. Dogs will also sit or lay down as another dog approaches as a way to calm that approaching dog, if they feel it’s coming towards them too quickly. Dogs may also sit with their backs turned against the owner when they sound too strict, angry or the owner’s speaking in a loud voice!

Walking in a curve
This signal is the main reason why dogs react so strongly to meeting other dogs when they’re forced to walk straight at them. Instincts tell our dog that it’s wrong to approach someone like that – as humans we think differently. The dog can get anxious or defensive and this results in the dog barking and/or lunging at other dogs. When we’re outside with our dogs, we’re at our most human. So, if our dog barks or acts in an aggressive manner towards another dog, we then get flustered and anxious and may even shout at our dog. This creates a chaotic and stressful situation and now the dog has a negative association with other dogs. When given a chance, dogs will walk in curves around each other. Watch how your dog meets another dog when off the lead. Some dogs need large curves; others only need to walk slightly curved. Don’t walk your dog directly toward a dog, instead stop and change direction. If this isn’t possible give him some more leash to enable him to manoeuvre away from the dog and walk the other side of you. The more anxious your dog is, the wider the space you create between you and the other dog. Remember to take a deep breath, stay calm – keep your pulse rate steady and show your dog you’re not concerned and he will soon follow your lead.

Puppies – the secret to having a happy and well behaved puppy

Wild dogs raise their offspring into perfect wild dogs. So, when humans raise puppies into dogs, they run into trouble. Why?

Well, we don’t allow our puppy to get the natural upbringing they’d receive being brought up by other dogs, and we expect the dog to respect our human rules. These are meaningless to the dog, and we fail to take into consideration the dog’s age, developmental stages and its capacity. So, as a result our dog fails to meet our too high demands. This month we’ve listed below some key rules to help you and your pup on the road to success.

• Lower your expectations. In the wild dogs are allowed to grow up naturally in a pack, they learn self-control gradually.


• Adolescence. Around 4 months of age, the puppy moves into adolescence. They get bored easily and have no self-control, they like action and speed. This is where patience and consistency with your puppy is key. Set some boundaries (e.g.) is the puppy allowed on the sofa by invitation only? Is the dog allowed upstairs?


• Avoid long training sessions. The puppy’s ability to concentrate over long periods is poor, and you need to help teach him self-control. Keep training short, fun and easy. Teach in steps, like the ‘sit-stay’ - build from one second to three seconds, five seconds and so on.


• Have fun with your puppy. Play with your dog! This teaches him to focus on you and builds the association that you’re fun to be with! Playing helps build a bond with your dog too. Focus more energy into playing than walking the puppy. Playing gives the dog mental exercise, as well as, physical exercise.


• Allow the puppy breaks and rest if he looses his concentration while training.


• Slowly introduce new experiences, environments, noises, machinery, clothing, animals and people to the puppy. Take it slowly! You must not put pressure on your puppy or yourself. Stay calm. Your behaviour dictates the behaviour of your dog. If the puppy is scared by something move away in a calm manner, do not make a fuss of the dog (this will only re-enforce the dog’s scared behaviour). Show you are not bothered and there is no need for concern.


• Never hit, shout or punish the puppy. Aggression only begets aggression.


• Toilet training. This is where ‘consistency’ is your friend! Look for the key times the puppy will go, typically upon walking, playing and eating. Pups will sniff and circle. Encourage the puppy outside into the garden. As the puppy goes to the toilet say a word like “be clean”, this build the association of that word to that action. In time you will be able to say the word and the dog will eliminate. Once the pup has finished, walk up to the puppy and treat with food reward immediately and give lots of praise. This increases the repetition of the ‘good’ behaviour. Don’t go inside the house straight after the pup has been to the toilet – if you do, the puppy may learn to hold on for longer, as they want more time to explore the outside. If the pup goes to the toilet inside the house and you haven’t caught him in the act, simply clean it up with no fuss (say nothing and no eye contact). If you catch the puppy about to go or mid-flow – pick it up gently and take outside (repeat as above).


• Start grooming early. Teach your puppy that grooming is a pleasant experience. Brush the puppy when he’s sleepy, gently touch his ears/teeth/paws to enable him to get used to being investigated in these areas. This will help when he has to go to the vets, or when you need to clip his claws or brush his teeth!


• Learn to communicate with your dog. Speak to Hanne Grice about puppy training and the Amichien Bonding method – we’re here to help you. Learn the dog’s language and you’ll understand each other and have the relationship you deserve!

For more information call us on 01442 878628 or email us at info@walk-the-dog.net You can find out more about Walk the Dog Puppies, our puppy classes by visiting our website; http://www.walk-the-dog.net/

Who's walking who? Teaching your dog to walk to heel

Walking a dog that pulls on the lead can be a stressful for any owner and may be even be dangerous. Taking a dog for a walk is supposed to be a pleasurable experience, however we often see many owners literally ‘skiing’ down the pavement with their dogs, or repeatedly saying “heel” to their dog, while getting increasingly frustrated, jerking the dog back on its lead. Having a dog that pulls and an unhappy owner is far from the relaxing ideal of ‘going for a walk’. But, have you ever considered what causes this behaviour in the first place?

Dogs not only want to explore their environment with as much freedom as possible using their incredible senses of smell, hearing and sight, but a dog that pulls on the lead is a good indicator of a dog who’s confused about its position within the hierarchy of its pack. In the wild, the alpha pair lead the hunt and the rest of the pack follow. There is no debate, the rest of the pack follow out of respect for the leaders as the decision makers. If you’ve got a dog that perceives himself to be the decision maker in your domestic pack, it makes total sense that come the times when the pack go out ‘on the hunt’, where shall leader be? In front!

A dog that’s being yanked on the lead or even shouted at receives mixed messages from us. To be the good leader for our dogs we must always ask ourselves ‘Am I happy and am I in control?’ Being a good leader stems from the three C’s: being calm, consistent and convincing. If your dog gets over excited at the mere sight of the lead or you have to struggle to even get the lead on the dog, you haven’t just got a problem walking outside, you have a problem before you even think about going for a walk! To understand dog behaviour we observe wild dogs as this is where we see true dog behaviour in their natural environment.

In the wild, dogs do not walk in unison or ‘to heel’, and they certainly have no concept of the lead – where in the wild do you ever see a dog taking another dog for a walk? In fact, wild dogs such as wolves, jackals, kayotee, dingoes, dholes, painted dogs, hyenas and foxes, never ‘go for a walk’. The closest a wild dog gets to going for a walk is with the hunt. However, they don’t go out through choice, they have to leave the den in order to find the food they need for survival. In the wild, dogs may only hunt once every three days.

So, we have to teach our dog where we want him to be – by our side, and that has to be done without shouting, violence or force. So, let’s look at the most effective way to teach your to walk to heel.

To teach your dog good manners, you must begin at home, where there are no distractions.

1. With your tasty treat in your hand (sausage/cheese/meat strip), turn your back away from your dog, put your hand containing the treat to your side to show your dog where you want him to be, call his name and ask him to ‘heel’.
2. If your dog appears at your side praise him and give him the food reward. If he doesn’t, leave it an hour or so then try again.
3. Build this process up by walking a few steps, while treating and praising as he gets it right. Intermittently you may say ‘heel’ – but remember you’re showing your dog where you want him to be with your body and movement, this action speaks louder than words!
4. Walking to heel doesn’t come naturally to the dog, so you have to build up your and your dog’s confidence and trust in you, so you must stay calm. If your stress levels rise your dog will pick up on this, so stop your heel work practice. This is like the good diet, you should practice this ‘little and often’ and only for 5 to 10 minutes, so you and your dog have fun and stay focused.
5. With practice you’ll be able to move freely around your home and garden with your dog following you in all different directions – forwards, backwards, in figures of eight and so on! You should practice this off the lead first, and then once you and the dog have the hang of it, introduce the lead.
6. Get the dog used to seeing the lead being moved about, this breaks any associations that the lead equals ‘going for a walk’ and helps calm the dog down. If he gets over excited once you’ve popped on the lead, take it off, go and sit down and wait until he’s settled.
7. Practice moving to the door regularly, if he pulls just stop and wait for the lead to go slack, as this happens say "good dog" and take a step towards the door. You may only get one step before he pulls again, but you must be consistent and keep a steady pulse rate. If he pulls again, you can take off the lead and abandon the walk altogether or stand still until the lead goes slack once more.
8. Once you’ve got out of the door you need to keep practicing with the principle of ‘slack lead’ equals ‘move forward’; ‘tight lead’ equals ‘stop’. Consistency is the key to success here. The reward is the moving forward, praise and treat, so if you keep going when the dog is pulling, you’re actually rewarding the dog for pulling!! Use treats to get the dog focused back on you. If the dog pulls you stop, wait for the dog to look up, change direction and reward the dog for being in the right position.

This exercise does take time and a lot of patience but it really works!

Research shows misunderstanding of dogs

Hanne Grice, a dog behaviour specialist and certified Dog Listener, is leading a research study into how well people understand dogs. Over one hundred people have participated in the study so far. Here’s a summary of some of our findings to date;

• over 40 % of respondents have been bitten by dogs
• only 20% of people correctly identified a picture of a dog smiling as being
  ‘friendly’. Most considered the showing of teeth to mean the dog was either
  aggressive or stressed
• 54% of people believe a wagging tail only means the dog is friendly and approachable, but dogs can bite you when they’re wagging their tail

If you’d like to know more about our research, email us at; info@walk-the-dog.net Our findings will be published in spring 2010.

Dogs and cats - can they get along?

A common question we get asked is “Can dogs and cats get along?” There is a common misconception that the two species cannot live happily ever after within a home. While there are some breeds of dogs that do not naturally interact well with other pets most breeds can be taught how to interact calmly with cats and live together in a house.

The way the two species are introduced to each other, their age and the pet’s previous experience with the other species will impact their behaviour. When introducing your dog to your cat it’s vital to create a calm and controlled situation where the two can accept one another and a positive association can be built. Here’s some tips on how to achieve this;

• Get a family member or friend to sit on the sofa with your cat at their side. Gently hold the cat and stroke.
• With your dog out of the room, practice some ‘sits’ or ‘stays’ to get the dog focused onto you. Then bring him into the room on his lead (say nothing, no eye contact with the dog).
• If the dog pulls towards the cat, barks or gets excitable upon seeing the cat, immediately take him out of the room (say nothing and no eye contact – so the dog understands why he is isolated). You may have to repeat this several times depending on his reaction.
• Once the dog has settled, bring him back into the room. If he dog remains quiet and calm, sit him down away from the cat. Pop him into a ‘sit’ and reward with a very tasty treat and praise “good dog”.
• The cat should be stroked or praised for being calm too.
• Let the cat move away if he wants to, but keep hold of the dog’s lead in case he tries to go after the cat. Repeat all of the above until both pets are relaxed in one another’s company. You can build up to the point where the dog is off the lead.