How to Stop a Puppy from Barking at a Cat

It’s totally normal for a puppy to get excited and start barking when it sees a cat. Unfortunately, this behavior can cause a lot of stress for the cat and make things tense between your furry friends. With a little patience, though, you can train your puppy to sit quietly whenever it sees a cat. It’s also important to introduce your pup and cat properly so their relationship can start off on the right foot.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Teaching the “Quiet” Command

1. Train your puppy to “speak” by rewarding it when it barks. This may seem a little odd, but it’s easier to teach your puppy to be quiet if you first teach it to bark on command. Wait for your puppy to start barking on its own. Let it bark 2 or 3 times, then say “speak” and offer a treat at the same time. Keep doing this until your puppy starts barking as soon as you say “speak.”^[1]
   
   • Only reward barking while giving the “speak” command! Otherwise, you might encourage your puppy to bark all the time.^[2]
2. Take your puppy to a quiet location with no distractions. When you’re ready to teach your puppy the “quiet” command, take it someplace where you’ll have its full attention. For instance, go to a quiet room in your home with the curtains drawn.^[3]
   
   • At this point, you should not have a cat present, or any other stimuli that usually cause your puppy to bark. This would only distract your puppy.^[4]
3. Ask your puppy to “speak,” then offer a treat when it barks. Give the “speak” command, then immediately give your puppy a delicious treat or a favorite toy. Your puppy will probably stop barking immediately, since it will be paying attention to the treat.^[5]
   
4. Say “quiet” at the same time that you offer the treat. As you are giving the puppy a treat or toy, say “quiet” or another command of your choice, like “hush.” This way, the puppy will come to associate the command with being quiet and getting a reward.^[6]
   
   • Be consistent—once you choose a verbal command, stick with it. You can also use a gesture, such as holding up your hand.
   • Give the command calmly and quietly. Don’t shout, or you might scare your puppy or encourage it to bark more.
5. Keep practicing until your puppy stops barking on command. Practice the “quiet” command with your puppy a few times a day. Eventually, it should stop barking as soon as it hears the command, without you having to offer a treat!^[7]
   
   • If your puppy stays quiet for a few seconds after you say the command, offer more praise and treats. Over time, keep extending the length of time between the “quiet” command and the reward so that your puppy stays quiet longer.^[8]
   • Once your puppy has mastered the command in a quiet setting without distractions, increase the challenge level. For example, you might try giving the command while you’re out for a walk or when your puppy is excited by the sound of a visitor at the door.
6. Try the “quiet” command when the puppy barks at a cat. When your pup consistently stops barking on command, it’s time to put your training to the test!^[9] Next time your puppy sees a cat and starts barking, give the command. Remember to offer plenty of praise and treats if your puppy responds.
   
   • If your puppy keeps barking at the cat, quietly remove the puppy from the situation. You can try again when it’s calmer.

[Edit]Distracting Your Puppy

1. Teach your puppy a basic command, such as “sit” or “lie down.” To teach your puppy to be quiet around your cat, it can help to do some basic training first. Most dogs will quiet down while obeying a settle command, such as “sit,” “lie down,” or “watch,” so start by working with your puppy to learn one of these commands.^[10]
   
   • One simple way to teach your puppy to sit is to hold a treat, then wait for the puppy to sit on its own. As soon as the puppy sits, say “yes” and hand it the treat. After you’ve done this a few times, say “sit” every time the puppy starts to sit. It will soon learn the “sit” command!^[11]
   • Try to spend at least 15 minutes a day training your puppy. Since puppies can’t focus for very long, break your training up into shorter sessions (e.g., about 5 minutes each) instead of trying to do it all at once.^[12]
   • Depending on your puppy’s personality and how consistent you are with your training, your puppy could learn the command very quickly, or it could take days or even weeks. Just be patient, and expect mistakes and slip-ups from time to time.
2. Give the verbal command whenever the puppy sees the cat. Once the puppy learns your chosen command, give the command any time the cat is nearby. This way, your puppy will be focused on obeying the command instead of barking at the cat.^[13] Use a calm, friendly voice, since both your dog and your cat will sense and react to any hint of frustration or anxiety.
   
   • For example, wait for a moment when your puppy is calm, then let your cat into the room. As soon as the cat walks in, say “sit.”
   • When you first start practicing this command around the cat, keep your puppy on a leash. You can remove the leash once the puppy is able to consistently obey the command around your cat.
3. Offer a treat and praise as soon as the puppy responds to the command. If your puppy sits quietly when you give the command in front of the cat, reward it immediately. Give your puppy a favorite treat, pet it, and say “Good dog!”^[14]
   
   • If the puppy ignores your command and starts barking, gently lead it a few steps away from the cat and try again. Keep moving away until the puppy is able to focus on your command.
   • If it keeps barking at the cat or is too excited to focus, take your puppy out of the room and try again later.
4. Keep rewarding the puppy whenever it sits quietly around the cat. If the cat stays close by and the puppy remains quiet, continue to praise and pet your puppy. You can also offer a favorite toy to keep your puppy distracted while the cat is in the room.^[15]
   
   • After a while, your puppy should start automatically looking at you and waiting for your command whenever it sees the cat.
   • Be patient and consistent, and don’t be surprised if your puppy occasionally seems to forget its training and starts barking again. It may take a lot of repetitive reinforcement before your dog really gets it!

[Edit]Introducing Your Pets Properly

1. Keep your puppy and cat in separate rooms for a few days. When you introduce a new puppy to your cat, it’s important to give them time to get used to each other’s scents and sounds before they’re placed together. Take turns letting each of the animals out to roam around so they can investigate and smell each other around the home.^[16]
   
   • For example, you might supervise your puppy while it explores the living room for a few hours and keep the cat in your bedroom. Then, crate your puppy or put it in another room and let the cat out.
   • Your puppy will be less likely to start barking when it sees the cat if it's already familiar with the cat's scent.
   • It’s normal for a puppy to scratch and bark at the door or other barrier separating it from your cat for the first 1-2 days. If this behavior continues after 2 days, then you might need help from a professional trainer, who can work with you on more advanced training techniques.
2. Wait until both animals are calm before letting them interact. If your puppy is excited and worked up, or if your cat is still acting nervous about the newcomer in the home, then they’re more likely to have a tense introduction. Don’t put your pets together in the same room until your puppy has stopped acting excited whenever it hears or smells the cat.^[17]
   
   • Make sure your cat is eating and using the litter normally, since refusing to eat or go to the bathroom are signs of stress.
   • Before the first introduction, you might find it helpful take your puppy on a long walk. This will help it release pent up energy, so it’s more likely to be calm and quiet when it first meets the cat.
3. Choose an area where your cat can retreat to a safe space. When you’re ready to make the introduction, pick a room where your cat feels safe and can easily leave or move to a high place.^[18] If your cat feels cornered, it may panic, which could trigger your puppy to become overexcited and start barking.
   
   • Cats tend to feel more secure when they can get up high, so choose a room where your cat can climb up onto a tall scratching tower or jump onto a shelf.
4. Put your puppy on a leash when you first introduce your pets. Attach your puppy to a leash so that you can keep it under control whenever your pets are together in the same room.^[19] Keep these visits short at first (e.g., 5-10 minutes) and do them several times a day. Eventually, you can build up to longer interactions.
   
   • If possible, have someone else in the room at the same time so you can each pet, praise, and treat both the puppy and the cat for good behavior.^[20] Reward both animals for sitting quietly and staying calm.
   • If your puppy gets overexcited and starts barking, take it out of the room. Similarly, take the cat out if it starts hissing, growling, or trying to swat the puppy. You may need to go back to keeping them in separate rooms for a longer period if this is a consistent problem.
5. Give the puppy a distracting toy while the cat is around. Any time you have the cat and dog together, try offering your puppy a favorite toy, such as a Kong or an activity mat. This way, the puppy will focus on the toy instead of barking at the cat. Eventually, your puppy should become used to having the cat around while it plays quietly by itself.^[21]
   
   • If your puppy plays with the toy instead of barking at the cat, offer plenty of praise and treats!
6. Practice supervised interactions on the leash for at least a month. Keep doing leashed visits between your puppy and cat for several weeks so that they can get used to each other. Eventually, they should get to the point where they ignore each other and your puppy doesn’t bark or chase the cat.^[22]
   
   • Try to get a sense of how your cat is feeling, too. Wait until the cat seems calm around the puppy and is eating and using the litter box normally.
   • Once you’re sure that your puppy can behave around the cat, you can allow them to spend time together with the puppy off the leash.

[Edit]Tips

• While there are a variety of no-bark collars available on the market, these devices aren’t particularly effective and are not recommended by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Use a no-bark collar only as a last resort if other training techniques haven’t worked.^[23]
• If your puppy barks at a cat outside through the window, close the curtains or take your puppy out of the room. Do this calmly and quietly, so that you’re not accidentally rewarding your dog for the behavior with a lot of excitement or attention.^[24]

[Edit]Warnings

• If your dog ignores your attempts to distract it, or if it regularly lunges, snaps, or growls at your cat even while the cat is being quiet and calm, then your puppy and cat may not be a good match. You may need to permanently keep them apart or get help from a professional trainer.^[25]
• Never punish your puppy by yelling at it, swatting it, or yanking on its leash. This will only confuse your puppy and make it feel afraid of you. Instead, focus on gently redirecting your dog from bad behaviors and rewarding good ones.^[26]

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking
2. ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/train-your-dog-to-speak/
3. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking
4. ↑ https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/teaching-your-dog-to-stop-barking-on-command
5. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking
6. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking
7. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking
8. ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/barking
9. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking
10. ↑ https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/teaching-your-dog-to-stop-barking-on-command
11. ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/teach-your-puppy-these-5-basic-commands/#sit
12. ↑ https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/puppy-behavior-and-training-training-basics
13. ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/dog-chases-cat-dogs-and-cats-living-together/
14. ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/dog-chases-cat-dogs-and-cats-living-together/
15. ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/dog-chases-cat-dogs-and-cats-living-together/
16. ↑ https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/introducing-dogs-to-cats/
17. ↑ https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/introducing-dogs-to-cats/
18. ↑ https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-should-i-introduce-my-new-dog-or-puppy-to-the-family-cat/
19. ↑ https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/introducing-dogs-to-cats/
20. ↑ https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-should-i-introduce-my-new-dog-or-puppy-to-the-family-cat/
21. ↑ https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-should-i-introduce-my-new-dog-or-puppy-to-the-family-cat/
22. ↑ https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/introducing-dogs-to-cats/
23. ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/barking
24. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-get-your-dog-stop-barking
25. ↑ https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/introducing-dogs-to-cats/
26. ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/teach-your-puppy-these-5-basic-commands

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