When we got the puppy I had intentionally left the cat’s claws untrimmed for a little over a month leading up and a few after. it certainly wasn’t the only way we trained the dog to be respectful of the cat, but it definitely helped! These days we’ve progressed to more advanced socialization; cuddling on either side of me in exchange for treats. sometimes on a pretty good day I can get them to sit on the same side with a few inches in between, and on a very good day the cat accidentally rubs her face on the dog’s paw while aiming for my hand (the look of surprised disgust is hilarious). The biggest rule that really helped was teaching the dog that if the cat is close by the dog should be belly up. Helps the cat feel safer and makes it less likely the dog will chase.
When we got the puppy I had intentionally left the cat’s claws untrimmed for a little over a month leading up and a few after. it certainly wasn’t the only way we trained the dog to be respectful of the cat, but it definitely helped! These days we’ve progressed to more advanced socialization; cuddling on either side of me in exchange for treats. sometimes on a pretty good day I can get them to sit on the same side with a few inches in between, and on a very good day the cat accidentally rubs her face on the dog’s paw while aiming for my hand (the look of surprised disgust is hilarious). The biggest rule that really helped was teaching the dog that if the cat is close by the dog should be belly up. Helps the cat feel safer and makes it less likely the dog will chase.