German Shepherds are among the most favorite dogs of families in America. Because of their loyal nature and intelligence, and everybody wants one. However, if you have a cat at home, you must be thinking, are German shepherds good with cats?
Most GSDs are friendly in nature but some of them might be shy or become aggressive to cats. But, this problem can be cured by effective training methods.
Most people love to keep both cats and dogs in their homes. Some of you may be thinking forward to do it, but you aren’t sure if it’s a good idea.
This article will help you solve your queries related to it. How, how should you keep them together, what tips and tricks you should adopt, etc.
Does German Shepherd Get Along With Cats?
Most of them are naturally friendly with other animals. But some might shy away or become aggressive. To overcome such problems, training and other methods help in this regard.
If we talk about Golden retrievers, they are better at bonding with cats as compared to GSD. That doesn’t mean you cannot keep both pets together at the same time.
It solely depends on the nature of the dog and how you raise them. If you have recently bought a cat or GSD and want those two to be friendly, there are some things that you should know.
Please have a look at them below.
5 Signs That Will Predict If Your GSD Will Be Good To Cats Or Not
Normally, the kitty-dog duo does not get along really well, and you have to work hard on them. Otherwise, they will end up disliking each other, and your house will be on fire!
If you have had a German Shepherd or a cat at home for a longer period, you will know their behaviors.
In case you don’t know, below are some points that will help you assess the situation better.
1. Character Traits Of German Shepherd:
GSD’s have inherited prey drive. Its natural instinct is to herd, chase, and protect its owner as it is a herding dog.
Their intention may not be to cause any harm, but your cat can freak out if it is chased. Your furry friend may not do it every time. But this inherent trait in their personality may become a problem.
The higher the drive, the difficult it gets to co-exist with a cat and vice versa.
You can notice this characteristic while you are out for a stroll with your dog. If he reacts to other animals’ presence on the street, then your dog requires more training.
Another example is if they have chased other animals before or sprung over cats in the past.
2. Character Traits Of Cats:
Not only do German Shepherds have such personality traits, but cats also have them. These furballs are quiet and reserved animals and do not like bothering a lot. Such cats take time to adjust to a new environment.
Some of the cats are opposite as they are hyper and bold. But, both types take a longer time to respond to a new environment.
If your cat is an easy-to-go creature, then you might struggle a little less.
3. Age Of Both Animals:
It is common that at a younger age, it is easier to adapt to the surroundings.
If we talk about German Shepherds, it is easier to familiarize them with cats. Similarly, if a cat is a kitten, it will be much less frightened and panicked after seeing the dog.
If both of these animals are young, they will develop playfulness with each other. They will not notice the differences between them as well.
This doesn’t mean that adult dogs and cats cannot get along. Age is just a number, and growing up together will make a good duo. You will also find it easy to keep them together.
4. Former Experience:
Socialization is the main element that will decide how well German Shepherds and cats will get along.
Your pup’s prior experience with cats and other animals will provide you enough signs. These will tell you that, are German Shepherds good with cats? The more they are social, the better the connection.
Your dog can be shy or hesitant while meeting their new feline friend too. It can be because of the negative experience with other animals. They can also be nervous or scared.
This negative experience can lead to a negative response. It can be either aggressiveness or harming others as a matter of self-protection.
As an owner, you will have a better idea about your pet’s behavioral pattern. Greater the encounters with other animals, the better chances of a composed introduction.
5. Nature:
You might take your dog frequently for a walk, but have you noticed that he is sociable or not?
If their personality ticks all the requirement boxes, as sociable in nature, it is a good sign.
These requirements can be like; does your German shepherd likes to be the center of attention or not? Is he okay with sharing his belongings with others?
A calm and even temper will most like help in nurturing the relationship with a cat.
Best Way To Introduce German Shepherds To Cats
Are German shepherds good with cats? The answer to this question depends on how you introduce one another.
A properly calculated introduction will ensure your pet’s physical and emotional safety.
If you want a happy and fun life with both the pets, you must follow the guideline given below:
1. Restricted Introduction:
It would be best if you didn’t rush into introducing both of these pets immediately. Instead, take baby steps so that your pet isn’t under pressure to adjust.
Sometimes an immediate introduction may workout. As they might click together, but it is better that you control their interaction. This will ensure the physical and mental well-being of your GSD.
2. Train your German Shepherds:
Don’t think about introducing a cat to your German Shepherd without giving him basic training.
This includes verbal training and understanding of basic words. Like “Sit,” stand,” and “stay.” He should perform these without any hesitation.
You should also benumb your fury friend towards the cat. Also, condition him not to get hyperactive after meeting them.
This stage is necessary because, before a proper introduction with cats, German Shepherd Dogs should be calm.
3. Give Space To The Cat:
Whenever you bring a new pet to your home, they need time to adjust. From the place till the owner, everything is new for them.
Before adopting a cat, make sure you have a separate space for them to eat and sleep. Also, where he/she can find all the resources that it needs. A litter box, food supplies, and toys are the things that they need.
It will take time for the new pet to become familiar with the new faces and new places where it has to live.
If you skip this step, it will harm your pet’s mental health. It is because new places already increase stress levels in cats. And, directly introducing them to your giant German Shepherd isn’t something advisable.
A 5- Steps Guide For Your German Shepherds To Get Along With Cats
It is necessary to introduce your canine companion in phases to your new feline friend. If you do it all at once, chances are they might get into a fight.
If you want a successful introduction, your dog must understand your commands. And has undergone verbal training. It will make it easier for the duo to get along. This step guide is not for GSDs, but pugs and other pet dogs too.
Once you have followed the introduction procedure, life will be easier for you. Try following the below steps to make the introduction phase easier.
1st Step – Separation:
The first stage is to separate them completely. You can keep both pets in different parts of the house. Make sure there is no physical or visual contact.
Do not forget to spend enough quality time with both of your pets to keep them aware of the human touch. Also, keep plenty of toys around them so that they remain busy.
This stage will help you do better in further steps.
2nd Step – Introduction To Scent:
You cannot complete your introduction phase if you skip this stage.
Starting with this stage, collect a clean cloth for your GSD as well as for the cat. Make sure the fabric does not have a former scent of any animal over it. It will help if you rub this cloth on the scent glands of the animals.
In German shepherds, the scent glands are located under the armpits or on the side of their belly.
In cats, these glands are under the chin, cheeks, and forehead. This is why they rub themselves over you, not to show their love but to mark their territory.
You shouldn’t force either of your pets to sniff the fabric. Instead, leave it around them for some time and let them approach and smell the cloth themselves.
If you don’t want to use a piece of cloth, try it with a toy instead.
If you are successful in scent swapping, next thing is to notice their behavior.
Observe whether your dog gets aggressive, excited, or curious. In cats, notice if they get nervous or becomes uneasy.
Make sure you keep the scent constant. For this, you need to rub the cloth or the toy daily. Keep repeating this process for a week.
If you do not see the results, try doing it for a longer duration.
Giving them treats and praising them after they have sniffed is a good thing. It will develop positive vibes with the scent.
3rd Step – Meeting Through Glass:
As the progression continues, face-timing through glass comes on the 3rd step.
In this step, you should place your German shepherd on one side of the glass door and the cat on the other. Make sure to lock the door so that they cannot get to each other.
In this separate meeting, you will notice how German Shepherds responds to the presence of another animal, especially cats. However, keep in mind that you should not force interaction between them.
This will only result in negative behavior and can cause uneasiness in both of them.
Start with a minimum of 5 minutes of interaction. And gradually increase the timings until they both are used to each other’s presence.
4th Step – Appearance In Each Other’s Vicinity:
Before reaching this step, German Shepherds and cats must be familiar with each other’s scent and presence.
It is time that they meet each other without any barriers. But, it would be best if you didn’t let your GSD out without a leash. Your cat should be in a crate too.
Take small steps and start with a distance, as your cat should be at one corner of the room and your pup on the other.
Notice how they both react after seeing each other without a glass wall or any other barrier.
Suppose you see any negative behaviors like hissing or spitting, take them away. Otherwise, their excitement can be like bouncing, lunging, and barking.
This barrier-free introduction will make the last stage easier for you.
5th Step – The Final Meeting:
You shouldn’t move to the final step if you aren’t completely sure about your pup. Whether it will be aggressive towards the new feline friend or not.
This last stage will be the first time they will face each other unleashed, so you have to be careful. Make sure you don’t leave them unattended in the first few meetings.
Cats tend to be subtler when it comes to showing emotions. They won’t express their emotions like a GSD. If you have any doubts that your cat will be nervous, do not let go of the dog’s leash.
To know if your car is anxious or calm, here is the tip:
If the cat’s ears face forward and its pupils are of normal size, it is relaxed and ready for the meeting.
Before these unleashed meetings, your GSD must be well trained. They must know the following commands:
- Sit
- Stand
- Leave it
- No
If your GSD shows the signs of aggression, as mentioned earlier, tell him “NO.” They will most like to stop this behavior.
But if they do not, go out of the room with the cat. This behavior will condition them to behave well next time. It is because you take away the “good part,” which is yourselves, out of the room.
Reasons Why Your German Shepherd Is Not Ready To Like The Cat:
There can be many whys and wherefores that your dog won’t get along with a new animal in the house. Check out a few reasons below:
1. Jealousy:
This is a common factor that exists not only in German shepherds but in most of the animals, including cats. They might be jealous and feel a little insecure about having to share the house with a new animal.
You can observe if they tend to get a little aggressive when you show extra care towards the cat. That’s when you know they are jealous.
2. Cats Love To Run:
Cats do not like to lay still. Instead, they keep running around the house. On the other hand, GSD’s have a greater prey drive than any other breed. So, they will most likely run after the cat all around the house.
Throughout the training session, you will teach your pup to “stay”. You can use a moving toy to create a distraction and then reinforce the “stay” action.
Your GSD will require lots of training so that they can break this habit. Otherwise, it will be a problem in connecting these two animals
3. Dominant Behavior:
If the cat is dominant, your dog may not like this behavior and show signs of aggressiveness.
They may also try to become dominant by putting themselves in higher positions than you. They might even stop responding to your commands.
To stop this problem, you treat both of the pets equally. You should not compromise on giving attention to either of them.
Things To Remember
Owning a German shepherd comes with great responsibility. On top of that, if you decide to keep a cat, it will require much training.
This is a slow and steady process, but here are a few points that you should consider:
1. You Should Not Punish Your Pet:
Keep in mind that your dog WILL get over-excited or even aggressive when they see a cat. This is an inherited behavior, and it cannot go away overnight.
If they lunge or growl over the cat after seeing it for the first time, you shouldn’t push your dog away from you.
You will hurt these poor souls’ emotions by saying words like “Bad Dog”! or “go away”!
2. Don’t Force Interaction Between German Shepherds And Cats:
You shouldn’t rush things to create a good connection between them.
Conditioning behaviors takes time. You have to go with the flow. If you invade your pet’s boundary, they can become uncomfortable.
3. Don’t Lose Your Temper:
We know training is an extensive process, and it will require lots of your energy and time. But good things don’t come off easy, right?
German shepherds can easily sense if you are angry or nervous. Therefore, they will act according to your mood during training.
If you want the fruit of your hard work, try to remain calm and happy around your canine companion as much as you can.
Conclusion:
Positive interactions between cats and dogs do not have to happen right away. It requires a lot of training and patience. These trainings are not only limited to GSDs but breed like pitbull can also get benefit from it.
If you are lucky, you might not need to make a lot of effort. The duo might just click at once. But, if they are not getting along despite training, you can visit a behaviorist and get them checked.
The behavioral drills will help your GSD in the long run. It will also help them socialize not only with the cat at home but also with other animals.