Ok.... I love him. I really do but there is one thing he's doing that he needs to stop and he needs to stop NOW.
Ransom is tormenting the cats. Now, I knew there would be some work that needs to be done because he's a herding dog and the cats are stock to him... but this is beyond what I was prepared for. So... HELP!
Orion is my velcro... that cat goes with me everywhere. When I have the puppies inside I put the baby gate up so they stay in the kitchen which is the puppy proofed room in the house. Orion will jump over and Shye and River watch him which is fine... he doesn't seem to care. They'll nudge him with their noses.... which is annoying but not harmful. But Ransom... rushes him. He full speed lunges at Orion expecting him to run away so he can chase him and bite him. If he doesn't run, which hes learned is a bad idea, Ransom pounces him like wolves and foxes pounce on mice in the snow... rears up on his hind legs and comes down on the cat with both front legs locked stiff. If he STILL doesn't move then he just goes to bite him. I've pulled cat fur out of his mouth a couple of times now.
I end up saving the cat... putting him back over the gate and verbally reprimanding Ransom who just wags his tail with a grin ear to ear. He gets more out of that than ANY other interaction and it's dangerous for the cat who just won't defend himself. He will bat at the dogs but NEVER with his claws extended. He's always been that way.
So, I need ideas on how to get Ransom (the other dogs too but Ransom is my biggest problem) to leave my cats alone. Azure is the only one that has NO interest in the cats.
HELP!
Ransom is tormenting the cats. Now, I knew there would be some work that needs to be done because he's a herding dog and the cats are stock to him... but this is beyond what I was prepared for. So... HELP!
Orion is my velcro... that cat goes with me everywhere. When I have the puppies inside I put the baby gate up so they stay in the kitchen which is the puppy proofed room in the house. Orion will jump over and Shye and River watch him which is fine... he doesn't seem to care. They'll nudge him with their noses.... which is annoying but not harmful. But Ransom... rushes him. He full speed lunges at Orion expecting him to run away so he can chase him and bite him. If he doesn't run, which hes learned is a bad idea, Ransom pounces him like wolves and foxes pounce on mice in the snow... rears up on his hind legs and comes down on the cat with both front legs locked stiff. If he STILL doesn't move then he just goes to bite him. I've pulled cat fur out of his mouth a couple of times now.
I end up saving the cat... putting him back over the gate and verbally reprimanding Ransom who just wags his tail with a grin ear to ear. He gets more out of that than ANY other interaction and it's dangerous for the cat who just won't defend himself. He will bat at the dogs but NEVER with his claws extended. He's always been that way.
So, I need ideas on how to get Ransom (the other dogs too but Ransom is my biggest problem) to leave my cats alone. Azure is the only one that has NO interest in the cats.
HELP!