Originally Posted by
Snowshoe
We had gates off areas with cat sized holes in them. Two gates kept puppy from falling down stairs. Two cats laid down the law pretty well, when they had to. Dogs drool, cats rule. The third cat, the one who was really bonded to our previous Lab, hid for a year. It took that long but she and Oban did become friends.
One thing I think really helped was a training exercise suggested for use with a second dog. I only had one puppy so I used a cat. Puppy SIT, too slow, cat gets free treat, dog gets no treat. This seemed to work in three ways: Cat with dog in same room means treats for both. Cat earned respect as obviously cat controlled the treats. Puppy sat so quickly the next time his little bum went SMACK on the floor.
Another thing I've always done is speak to, pet, feed, play with whoever was here first. I think it helps establish a hierarchy. Maybe it only makes me feel better.