Freckles See's His First Cat and Freaks Out

Last night's obedience class started out great. Freckles was all obedience and concentration. We worked on "Leave It" and Freckles caught on fairly quickly. Then we received instructions on how to train to "Come". Since we were in the store we couldn't work them off leash so the "Come" training will be a home this week.
With about ten minutes remaining in class we were sent off to practice sit/stay for five minutes. Our asignment was to be able to walk a complete circle around him while he remained sitting. I walked Freckles to a far corner of the store (PetsMart) and he did really good at sit/stay, allowing me to walk a bit away and around him. Then I walked him up to a main isle to practice again not noticing that I had stopped in front of the cat adoption area with glass fronted cages. Before I could tell him to sit he bolted away and started to try to pull out of his collar. I tried to calm him down then I noticed his attention was focused on the cats. I tried to get him to walk toware the cat cages but he would not budge in that direction. Then one of the assistant trainers came up to us and I explained what was going on. It was hard not to laugh as Freckles started to emit low muffled boofs towards the cats. The trainer tried to coax him forward but nothing doing. It then dawned on me that Freckles had never seen a cat before and he was not about to meet one now.
That really messed him up for the next ten minutes. We returned to the group where we were to demonstrate our sit/stay ability. The prize was a frisbee for every dog who would sit and allow the owner to walk a whole circle around him. Freckles continued to worry about those cats and kept his ears pinned back and looking everywhere but at me. He had no interest in sitting still for a second so we did not win a frisbee.
Needless to say Freckles was real happy to return home so he could aggravate Duke and forget about those strange furry things. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to entering the store next week.

 

There are days when I wish Nala was afraid of cats. She freaks out too, but in a chase-the-cat-and-sniff-its-butt-and-chew-on-it sort of way. *sigh* :roll:

 

We encountered our first cat the other day on our walk, I swear this cat must have had a death wish. I was walking my puppy Sydney down the sidewalk, and about 15 feet infront of us I notice a cat. So I stop and make Sydney do a sit stay. She hadnt noticed the cat yet. I watch the cat and it starts walking towards us, it finally comes up to us purring and the cat and Syd were sniffing eachother and then the cat rubbed its body agianst me and Sydney. This was the friendlist cat I have ever encountered. Sydney must have thought it was a small dog and she didnt try to go after it or anything, I was pretty shocked.Luckily though I had only one of my 3 dogs, lord knows what would have happened with the 3 of them.

 

I feel bad Freckles didn't win a frisbie. :cry: Cats are such trouble makers when it comes to dogs. I'd still sneak him a little treat just because he's a sweetie.

That reminds me of a time I took Reese to PetsMart and something freaked him out, also. He did a fast reverse and pulled right out of his collar and took off running through the store. Then I freak out thinking he would bolt out the door into the parking lot. I'm screaming "Somebody Stop Him!!!!" Everyone just stood there and looked at me, looked at him and just let him run by. I thought, "What The Heck!!!"

Then it dawned on me that nobody wanted to intervine because he's a Pit Bull. They didn't want to stop the Pit Bull with the "wild look" in his eyes and tongue hanging out. Finally he ran over to a store employee and started slobbering all over him and wanting him to "save" him. So the guy hung on to him and petted him till I could catch up to him.

That's when I decided that anytime we go anywhere, he's going to have a harness on. I can't believe how easy he slipped that big head out of that collar.

 

Bonnie can back out of her collar. I could make it tighter, but I don't like it to be that tight on her. I do if I have to use the collar as the only means of containment, however. Most of the time I use the Gentle Leader when I have her on a leash so she can't get free. If I put her on the flat collar on a leash, I tighten the collar.

Let us know what Freckles does when he goes back to the store. Perhaps some cat desensitization is in order!

 

Jasmine normally hates cats. So I was dreading out vet visit because their place is lined with cat cages full of kittens and cats to be adopted. And they have a few walking around the place. Well she didnt even notice them. I sat there freaking out the whole time and when we were leaving I was paying and one walked right by her face and I noticed and was about to pull her back but she was just sitting there paying no attention, so needless to say I was happy.

 

Rusty freaks out at thee sight of a cat too...except that he freaks out and takes off chasing them...which unfortunately usually concludes with him getting his butt kicked by the cat...since almost all cats are BIGGER than him!!!
But he just never seems to learn...he is born to chase!!

 

Love the new avatar of Rusty.

 

Jamiya... I thought the same thing! GREAT AVATAR, PAMR!

Dukesdad... your story was hilarious to me... I had a similar situation with Bailey on a walk, so luckily it wasn't any time important. Cats are evil in my book (only because of my allergies, hehe)....Bailey is still 'unsure' about them. I think he thinks they are dogs - but quiet dogs (I don't let him near them since I'm allergic)

 

I think Rusty thinks they are squirrels...or vice versa....anything that is furry and runs from him, pretty much is all he needs to trigger his chase mode. ANd for such an extremely smart dog, it's pretty amazing how he never stops for even a split second to consider the wisdom of what he's chasing....and the fact that it may very likely, especially in the case of cats, suddenly realize they are bigger than him, and turn around and slap the crap out of him! I have rescue him from the path of harm more than once in a cat chase!!

 

Hey when my pitt saw his 1st cat @ 8wks he tried to hump it so don't feel bad :shock:

 

we just got 2 new kittens and pearl, my labrador, thinks they are her puppies. she's always shown rather maternal instincts.
she loves to give the one who will let her near him a bath, then nose it around like a newborn puppy. she would pick them up and carry them around but that's where i stop her. :lol:

 

I'm In need of Cats!!!!

Anyone know of any feral cat rescue in or around the Houston area, please let me know!

 

Sam, If you need cats just put out some food and stand back.
Seriously, what do you need feral cats for? Are you inventing a new BARF feeding concept?

 

My guess is to eat mice in the barn.

 

look at sams other post about "i need cats!" to see what happened.
sams, i'm so sorry! :cry: