Have you seen techniques on tv Dog Whisperer.

I would ensure you have strong basic training. A really strong leave command. Working on getting her to be calm summisive not in a very over exsited state, when she have stimulus Ie - cat ect.

He also advises regular exercise. 1hr a day.

I would also contact breed clubs for advice.

D xxxx

I'm so sorry to hear of this problem; I really sympathise with you.
*Hugs*

So sorry to hear this i think there has been a lot of good advise already. Personally i think i would try some sort of muzzle (then she cant hurt the cat even if in play) and try lots of food distraction. My lab was quite intent on the kittens when i got them and he did try to grab them out of my arms but they are ok now. We gave him lots of treats and praise whenever he looked away from the kittens and did something else cos he was obsessed with them. Never growled or barked at them though. It was several weeks of them being seperated before he had accepted them enough to try one person holding the cat and one holding the dog and then the food distraction. But i think this only works with dogs who are very food motivated im sure it wouldnt have worked on the other dog who really doesnt care about food!
Good luck with anything else you try and dont beat yourself up over it if it doesnt work xxxxxxxxxx

Thanks for all your replies.

OH and I have talked it through and although re-homing Ruby is still an option we will consider, something Random said has been in my head all day.

This may have just given Ruby a lifeline.

You may have a very valid point there and it has given me a bit of hope, she REALLY could've hurt the cat badly last night but there is not a scratch on her (the cat) and she has even been brave enough to come back in, back on the kitchen table, well, brave or incredibly stupid

We have agreed we will try the muzzle along with some intense "cat and dog happy moments together" with lots of yummy things to tempt, we have tried this before but i am now accusing us both of giving up too quick and we need to put in more effort!!

Its definitely NOT a breed thing as D is an angel with them, see Randoms "cats and dogs" thread he was best buds with Busta before Ruby came and is still fine with them all and they with him but he has grown up with them and i think THAT is the key in this case.

If D sees a cat outside he will try to chase it just the same but not "our" cats.

Soooo, she's not out of the water yet but Random has thrown her a lifeline

Finger crossed it work out for you, no-one could ever say you have not tried your best x

When we got our first malamute he was 7 months of age, and had no cat experience, at the time we had our cat that was a house cat, never going outside, the cat is VERY skittish and would run as soon as look at the dog, anyway we decided to crate the cat, giving her a large crate that fitted her litter box in there and bed, she was fine being in there at first, and we fed the dog and cat next to each other (cat in crate) after a while Bailey started to chill out(the cat coulnd not run anwhere and so induce a prey response) over time I left the gate to the crate open, and also fitted a gate to the stairs, this way the cat could come out of the crate and venture back upstairs where she prefers to be anyway, over time the cat learned to walk about near the dog slowly rather than runabout skittishly, Bailey totally ignors the cat now, but since that time we have added more dogs and so as to prevent any accidents or silly behaviour from the dogs, we now have a gate seperating the dogs from the cat on a pernament basis, the dogs live in the back half of the house where we have to go to go to the kitchen etc so they are seeing us on a regualr basis, and the cat stays at the front half of the house, the dogs can see the cat all the time, the cat because she is not being chased walks about normally and does not induce any excitement in the dogs, up to now(going on 5 years seperation it has worked very well.

Mo

I really hope you manage to work some thing out VV, good luck with it all .

Hoping all goes well and the lifeline works.

When i first got Lady Juke was constantly bullying her , He would grip her by ther neck and drag her around the house ,At one point i thought we would have to rehome Lady because Juke was so hostile towards her , But it turned out to be boisterous playing (i know your case is different hun ie cat & dog ) But with perciverence and dertermination it should hopefully work out for Ruby and the cats in time , fingers crossed hun, xxdk

Btw, have tried using gates but Ruby can jump them