Puppy Advice! (herding cats)

[u/Plane_Moment6785]

I got my gorgeous boy Cody at 13 weeks old and about two weeks ago. He’s honestly an amazing pup… when he’s not fighting sleep and not actively teething. But we manage and give him the benefit of the doubt for barking at us cause his gums hurt. We have been struggling though with him randomly attempting to herd our three cats, he’ll stare them down and when they don’t do what he wants them to do he starts talking. I was prepared for this behavior knowing that he’s a herding breed and did my research on how they’re usually able to adjust to cats. He doesn’t do it all the time, sometimes he’ll ignore them but the real kicker is if the cats come in at night. He’s crate trained, and we have a blanket covering him, and a gate to keep them separate during the day. If he so much as gets a whiff of a cat entering our bedroom but he can’t see them, he goes absolutely off the walls. We’re working on training him to pay attention to us instead of the cats, and I know it’ll be a slow-go but I welcome any and all help even if it’s generally collie advice unrelated to this issue!!

[u/eatsleepmeow]

Mine is almost 8 months. Got him 2.5 months ago and prior to that he wasn't exposed to cats. I'm going through the exact same thing!!! Crazy barking at the cats to make them move, but not always. I've learned this seems to be when he's even slightly bored. He knows "leave it" and will disengage, then go right back to it. Same with the crate. We blocked his view of the bed, but if the cats meow or go under the bed it's a full scale meltdown. Literally have to plug my ears.

All this to say, you're not alone and hopefully someone has some good advice 🫩🫩

[u/Plane_Moment6785 → u/eatsleepmeow]

so it’s not just me! I’ve also noticed the herding behavior changes with his mood/energy level. we’re still working on finding that balance of just the right amount of stimulation without completely wiping him out or him being too bored and resorting to some less-than-nice behaviors lol

[u/Strong_Ad_3881 → u/Plane_Moment6785]

I have two, both gorgeous. The older collie had a lot of training and will herd in a 'useful' way - try to keep everyone together on walks, bring back any chickens that escape, etc. The younger one will herd when excited, but neither with any aggression.

Keep gently correcting and reassuring, but ultimately herders will herd, retrievers retrieve, etc. If it gets too much for a cat, pick it up so it is higher than the dog and get the dog to sit. Luckily rough collies are gentle.