Introduction

[dinnaf]

Hello
I just got my first puppy. His name is Ace he is a lab/pitt bull mix. I adopted him from the ASPCA about 3 weeks ago. He is a sweetheart, the only issue you I have is his obsession with the cat. Is that ever going to stop? I have just started crating him but I like him to sleep with me on my bed at night time... Why not its big enough. There is always someone at home so he doesn't spend too much time by himself. He is my love! I could not have asked for a greater dog. I just joined this sight to learn some great dog tricks and also get advice since this is my first dog, I have a lot to learn. Any advice would be appreciated!:dogwink:

 

[CollieMan]

...but I like him to sleep with me on my bed at night time... Why not its big enough.

If you want him on your bed, you have him on your bed. There's no rule saying that you can't. I know a great many fabulous dogs that enjoy the luxury of their owner's bed. It's all about personal choice. I would just make sure that you teach him 'off' as well though in case you ever don't want him on there at any time.

As for the cat fixation, it's incredibly common. My guess is that he will learn to adapt to the cat through regular exposure. That said, some dogs just don't. Lord only knows why it should be that cats and dogs, in particular, seem destined to not get along so often.

Enjoy your puppy, they grow up way too quickly!

 

[spark]

Hello! I'm a newbie here too, but we also just recently adopted a pit/lab mix. You should upload some pictures of Ace! I'd love to see him.

As for the cat, the thrill of tormenting him/her should decrease ... eventually. We have one as well, and for the first week or so she wouldn't go ANYWHERE near Zoey. Now she holds her ground and even charges the dog if she gets too close. Our pups learned not to mess with a grumpy cat.

 

[snooks]

Welcome. Sure have him sleep on your bed if you want. You can always change your mind later. I've trained most of my dogs when they got too old to safely do the jump to stay off the bed. It's not that big of a deal.

There are loads of things you can do to encourage him to leave the cat. Teach a good leave-it. Check out the classroom. I started with food and apply it now to dogs and people that walk by our deck. You can also use a clicker or a word cue for when he calmly looks at the cat and treat him with food or his favorite toy like a squeaky or a ball and have a romp with him. I did that with elk and deer with some good success. Also teaching hand targeting is a good distractor. I use it to recall my puppy often when I know she may not come for a "come" and it works like a charm.

Some people also feed the dog/cat with a towel or mat under the bowl that the other has used as bedding or has been wiped over their fur. This associates good calm things with the other's scent.

:dogbiggrin: