Lucky learns about cats

First I must explain that most dogs who are tolerant of other cats can be sorely tested at our house. One cat is very lazy & draws little attention from the dogs. However, when startled he suddenly bolts across the room & even if cornered will rarely use tooth or claw. The other cat is a fireball with no observable survival instincts. She actually taunts the hounds & does her best to get them to chase her. Lucky tested cat tolerant but like several other cat tolerant foster dogs before him, having two cats running around, especially one who likes to sit & stare at the dogs or parade back & forth past the crate or xpen, is proving to be a challenge for him. He is still interested in getting up close & personal with the kitties but it is improving.

He is really getting better at getting his focus off the kitties. The improvement started when he learned that if I see him look away from the kitties he gets treats. It accelerated when he learned that staying calm around the kitties pays off big time, but it is still too hard to stay calm every time that one kitty just sits & stares at him or they run straight past him. The improvement leap frogged when he learned that kitties carry concealed weapons. I confess I let my guard down. A few days ago Tasty Kitty... yes, that's really her name & I'll thank you to stop laughing... anyway, Tasty made the mistake of parading past the xpen when Lucky was loose in the house, muzzled of course. "Ack," blurts Tasty worried she may be only a few feet away from living up to her name. She was under a table all fluffed up with Lucky just out of swatting distance giving her the stare down before I could even get to the scene of the crime.

Now Lucky had learned days before that cats were armed but he must have forgotten himself for a moment. "So running kitties are VERY interesting, are they?" I asked. "Oh, yeah," said Lucky. "Quite riveting actually." Alright, here's the truth. Lucky didn't even respond to me he was so riveted after his meager two yard chase. I had him by the collar but did not pull him back yet since it seemed to be a stand off. Instead I was about to try to again to get his attention with verbal distraction. I was a split second too late. Lucky blinked & Tasty let loose a volley that proved how a cat who earned the name Tasty still manages to stay alive. Lucky jumped back, shaking his head. As Tasty arched, refluffed & readied herself for another assault. I asked, "Well, Lucky, what about hissing kitties, displaying uber pointy teeth & aiming daggers at your face?" "Ruh-roh!" gulps Lucky. Suddenly other things become much more interesting than kitties. "Err... Hey, is that a crumb of food on the floor over there? Better go check it out." I let go of his collar, allowing him to pretend to wander off casually. He's not a good actor though. Smart Lucky knows it is always good to take a quick peek behind you. "Um, just in case the kitty takes off running again or something," Lucky tried to assure me. Hmmm... "Or something?" I ask. 'Um... or..." Lucky shudders, "Or tries following you still looking ready to use those sharp teeth & daggers. I really don't like the daggers." Lucky peeked again & turned away quickly. "Good boy!" I said for his looking away & treats rain down on the floor in front of him. All thoughts of cats were lost then. Lucky says, "Oh boy. It's raining treats for dogs." By George I think he's got it, though we will continue to be cautious for a while longer.