The Case of Dog vs. Cat

When you’re trying to create a pack with your dog and cat, you need to block the predatory instinct of the dog and the fight-or-flight mode of the cat. I’ll give you some suggestions on tonight’s episode. The key is changing the energies of both animals to calm-submissive. Think about it in terms of the animals on a farm. There are many different species, but they all tend to submit to each other and get along.

It also happens during moviemaking! While filming the movie Babe, different species were put together on the set during filming. Humans conditioned them to co-exist, but neither the humans nor the animals were nervous, aggressive, or tense and, as a result, it was a great looking shot! Your home can be as calm as that movie set if you commit to becoming the pack leader.

Sweet and Sour Candy

As I’ve said many times before, our moods and emotions are huge factors in the energy we project toward our pets—and people—in our lives. Becoming self-aware and conscious of the energy we are projecting can help us live a better life.

If your dog sees you as pack leader, she can lend a emotional hand (or paw) when you’re feeling low. But if your dog is the dominant one and doesn’t see you as pack leader, she may react negatively to your bad moods.

Remember, our moods are language to our dogs and while we can fool another human with lip service, we can never fool our animals!

Lonely Rottie

Sometimes “dog people” forget that not everyone embraces dogs like we do. And when you own a big powerful dog, especially if it’s breed with a “bad” reputation, even well-mannered pooches can be scary to guests. But it’s not good for a dog to have to be locked away in a room whenever people drop by. There are some easy techniques that can help break the ice and tear down the preconceived barriers between your pet and your guests.

Humans are visually-oriented and a lot of people react to the color of a dog. Lighter-coated dogs tend to get more positive reactions than darker-coated dogs, which can sometimes appear to be more intimidating. If you own a dark-colored dog, whether it is a black Lab, Poodle, or Rottweiler, try putting a colorful bandana on him, which to a nervous guest can make him appear less threatening and lighten the mood.

A second idea is to condition your dog to sit or lay down a certain distance from your guests. Again, the idea is visual and psychological. They understand the dog is in the room and under control, but not too close.

Now, if you have a friend over who is obviously fearful and not open to the idea of being in the same room as your dog, I would move him away from the situation and not expose him to that energy, which can make him anxious.