Okay, so I am, again, flip-flopping on how to treat this whole Ecko trying to eat my kitties problem... maybe I really am not going about this right... I guess I am going to keep trying until someone approaches me about her adoption... I really want to keep her,she is so sweet and she is so beautiful... Does anybody have any suggestions on how to try and desensitize her reaction towards my cats so that I can be comfortable and my cats can be safe? She doesn't always try to eat them (only when I turn my back) but she constantly obsesses over them... I really do want to try and keep her... Any suggestions, and yes I understand that it may not work, but in the hopes of keeping me positive please don't post your doubts just try and post some help...

What are you doing about it so far?

....

She'll probably never get over that crazy "obsessive" look she gives them. And she won't EVER be able to be alone with them. I know a lot of people who will lock the cats up in their rooms or in a certain part of the house all day and let them run loose at night while pups are in their crates.

Mishka was 5 months old when she came to live with us. She was not socialized with cats at all and was very rough with them. She's been with us for almost 3 months now and even with consistent correcting and behavior modifying she still is not trustworthy with them and probably never will be.

You just have to always be on top of her when the cats are around. And if you aren't watching, one has to be locked up. Correct everytime and reward her when she ignores them. In the beginning it will be few and far between when she'll ignore them but lavish her when she does. That's the only advise i can give. For the safety reasons, that's why I could never adopt an older Sibe :[

Good luck! And she certainly is beautiful.

how long has she been with you? is there a way to build a shelf system for the cats to move around on so they are not on the floor? I know we tried socializing our 2 to the chinchillas and only learned it was not going to work and had to rehome they because of fear something would happen. I wanted to ask you is there a husky rescue in your area that you could give Ecko to?

I live with a sibe, a dalmation and 2 cats. I hacve the advantage that teh cats were here first, but saying that the huky love to chase the cats. I dont think she would harm them as it is a game, but she is bigger than them. My advise is the following. Don't leave the cats and the sibe togther if you are not around. When I leave the house my sibe is always left in her crate. She prefers to be there and I know that she cant do any harm!! When you are in the room with the cats and she is there two that is the time to do some treat training. Get her to pay more attention to you than to the cats. have a really hight value treat =like some hot dog sausage and when the cats are about start a game with her rewarding her with sausage so that she stops paying attention to you and you are the focus of her attention.

If this does not work i would seek the advice of a expert behaviourist, making sure he or she uses positive reinforcement training, don't let anyone advise you to use any form of electric, shock or spay collars.

Good luck

I will also take your advise here Spiffy as I have cats myself, my babies are curious at the moment and so far the cats have had the upper hand, hehe hopefully it will stay that way. Tracy x

HI Tracy

If like me the cats came first you should have less of a problem, but I would not trust Arapahoe to be left alone with the cats if i am not about. Unfortunately the sibe is a hunting dog and the instinct is to chase a smaller animal like a cat, and if Araphoe caught one of the cats in her jaws the cat would stand little chance.

I had a scare recently when Arapahoe got away from me and ended up in a field of sheep. She was close to bringing down one, so i sent the dalmation in after her and the two dogs are such good friends that play with thedalmation was far more interesting than the sheep and she lost interest in the sheep in preference to her dally friend. It was however a lesson well learned!

I am really envious of your little pups!! hope that you will have them with you if you go to any of the shows we might be exhibiting at, like Robin Hood East Anglia, Paws in the park etc

cheers

alex and Arapahoe

Ahhh please let me know when these events are, we would love to come to them, we want to take the babies to as many events as we can for both us and them.

Yes our cats came first, but I have no illusions, I know if they are left alone my cats would come off worse, and the cats are very carefull around them

Would be great to meet you at one of these events and would love to see your baby. Tracy x

Hi Tracy

We are just finalising our events for this year, but we are at Cruft, Hall 1 stand 125 in March and we are launching our range of sled dog equipment there. Unfortunately you cant bring dogs that are not involved to Crufts. Arapahoe, however will be on stand and in her usual way she will be teaching people how to looose lead walk!!

I will let you know about other shows once they are arranged, but we are aiming to be at Robin Hood in Ipswich, South End and Hottinghamshire, The CLA Game Fair, hoping to be at Royal CornwaLL show, Discover Dogs, World's biggest Puppy Party in Brighton, plus champ shows and much more.

Hope to meet up with you at some of these

alex and Arapahoe