9 week old american bulldog and my 3 adult cats. Help!

by Beth
(Marion, Oh)

I am not sure what what to do about my new american bulldog puppy and my 3 cats. When I first brought my puppy home, they just did a lot of sniffing and it went better than I could have hoped. But since then Ruby (my puppy) has started to chase the cats. She also growls and nips at them. I have been trying to correct her but she does not listen well and has very high energy!

The cats also seem to egg her on and seem to want to play back with her, but I am worried that when she gets older she might hurt them.
What is the best way to deal with this problem?

She is also a biter and sometimes growls and barks at me. Not sure if this is normal puppy behavior or if she is being overly aggressive?


Hi Beth
This can definitely be tricky for a while, but in most cases they can learn to get along once the initial excitement and exploration-type activity wears off.

Of course, there is always the possibility that either the cats and your puppy will get hurt, and although an American Bulldog pup is fairly big and strong, cats have very sharp claws and lightning fast reflexes, so it's definitely not a one-sided problem!

I'd recommend separating the cats and the pup as much as possible, but letting them see each other and get used to their presence. Confining the pup to a room using a baby stair gate, or having her crated while the cats are loose, are both good ways to start. Never leave them together unsupervised, and be sure to have an escape route available for both, especially the cats as your pup gets older.

Some breeds are more likely to chase, nip and 'worry' cats and other small animals. Herding dogs and terriers are classic examples. My daughter owns a wolf-hybrid who is the sweetest boy on this earth - but he's absolutely not safe around cats and never will be.

Your pup is showing fairly normal canine behavior patterns, and I don't think she's being overly aggressive with the cats at this point. She just needs to learn that they live with you too, and aren't playthings or prey.

Correct her firmly whenever she growls or nips at them, and praise her when she accepts their presence calmly. It will take time and patience, but if you're consistent in your training, she will 'get it' eventually. This is one of the situations where a dog training collar can come in handy. Although I would try to correct her behavior as above first, if your puppy continues to chase/nip or bark at the cats, a training collar that you control with a remote and that has a tonal (sound) correction can be very effective when used properly.

As for the growling and barking at you - that is most definitely not allowed! Check out my Puppy Biting page for tons of tips and advice on overcoming this very common puppy behavior.

Few (very few!) puppies are 'aggressive', but some are more dominant than others, and may be a bit bull-headed or stubborn. With this little girl I would make sure that you have her 'earn' her food, treats, petting, play/games and so on by teaching her to 'sit' and having her always sit on your command before getting fed, petted and so on. She needs to learn that you are in charge.

Enrolling her in a Puppy Class at a dog obedience school will also be good for both of you. It will help you bond and communicate better, and gives her valuable socialization experience.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your pup.