They Fight Like Cat And Dog!

The possibility being because they are

Just sitting watching TV when I heard a horrible commotion upstairs. Next thing the cat comes flying downstairs, closely followed by Max, (who incidently tripped on the step and was limping for a few minutes after ). Cat runs under the table hissing and growling, Max goes after her and gets a whack on the nose, so he sits there and barks at her.

I had resigned myself to the fact that they were never going to get along and I know that it is in a dog's instinct to chase.

I tried introducing them slowly within the first few days of me getting Max (Amber is now 3 years old), but she made the mistake of running from him! Well that was it! Ever since then, he has had this fascination with her and whenever her back is turned, he takes chase! Oh he's not brave enough to take her on face to face

I have tried having them both in the same room with me 'supervising' and after about 10 minutes of growling and spitting, sniffing and hitting, they do settle down and just seem to ignore the fact that the other one is there. The problem is this only works with me keeping tabs on the pair of them, if they are left to their own devices they carry on! I think they feel a little safer with me being there?

They are both as wary of each other, because if Amber is facing Max, he's not very brave at all, so it's not a case of Max being aggressive towards her, I think he just wants to play, but 'knows' she could do him some damage if he oversteps the mark. My dad is all for leaving them to it, but I am so worried about Max getting hold of Amber, or Amber scratching Max's eyes or something.

It would just be so nice to have a cat and a dog that 'get along' or at least tolerate each others company does anyone have any suggestions? or am I stuck with it

We've always had dogs n mogs, n they've always loved each other..until..i foolishly decided an English Springer Spaniel puppy was in order, for my sins! Ralph was an evil little cretin with the cats..chasing, harassing, barking..the whole lot! The house was mayhem, the cats were miserable, we were stressed n he was having a ball!
I tried everything..clicker training, the noise discs, reward basis for getting his attention-NOTHING worked, he'd see them..n go into frenzy. Until one day, i spoke too somebody on here actually, who said to really shout a firm NO at him when gave chase. Blessed with the fact my voice can go somewhat deep when needed, n being a coventarian i'm a natural loud mouth, it worked! He would give chase, a shout in a loud n firm voice, NO! or LEAVE! n he got the idea. Rewarding when he left..well i found it a viscious circle, because rewarding him after shouting no or leave n when he did leave them, didn't seem to work. I'd reward him, he'd go straight back n chase..i'd say NO!, he'd leave..get a reward. I think somehow he managed to get this confused view of why he was getting a reward. So we refined it to a a bit of a fuss, not food or toys etc, when he left them.
I can't sit here and say DO IT! it will definatley work, as it very well may not. Ralph was a special case..he's been one who has never worked well with normal training methods, so yes..you get the idea.
It isn't perfection just yet, but it's settled a lot..Ralph can be around the cats and everyones happy, he still gives the sly chase..so still it's just refining his behaviour, but..its a vast improvement.

What are they like eh?

A couple of things I forgot to mention, if she is in the same room, and I go near him and tell him to "leave her!" he will, and while he still gets excited - whining and tail destroying everything it can - he doesn't go after her. But I do have to repeat it over, and over, and over, and over, and ... well you get my drift he gets lots of praise when he does as he is told.

I have tried the "NO!" which I was a bit reluctant to do in the first place, as I don't like raising my voice with him but I have to say I was not rewarding him all of the time. I did find it was the only thing that got his attention. I tried distracting him with toys, noise etc. I guess it is just going to take lots of perserverance (sp?)

Thanks Luke, glad I'm not the only one with a mad pup and grumpy cat

I think sometimes..n many are going to slit my throat for saying this! But sometimes, young,male dogs, of energetic n exceedingly bright breeds..really take the p*** n run rings around their poor owners concerning certain things!
I found with Ralph the key when training, and especially with the cats, was the unexpected. Give him something he expected or was aware of and he'd look at you as if you were having a joke! However one day..he was really chasing one of the moggies, Clementine, n i stood there with the clicker..n he just glanced at me n looked as if to say, oh the twits off again, but instead i shouted as loud as i could 'RALPH OFF!' n he stopped in his tracks..he walked over too me, sat at my feet n looked up at me with the 'aye up?'face. N this is how it took shape, n slowly..the cats have become more confident. We are still in the training phase with the cats, but it DOES work and ralph is living proof tbf.