barking at the cat

[Melissa]

Hi,
I have a 14 m.o. papillon who has been with us since 9 weeks old. We also have a 13 year old cat who has been with us for 13 years. The initial introduction when we first brought Riley (our papillon) home didn't go well. My daughter - not knowing, and before we could stop her - put the puppy down right in front of the cat which startled them both. Riley used to avoid the cat and would go into "her room" when the cat was nearby. Lately though she has been barking at our cat and even seems to be trying to provoke her. Our cat seems to try to avoid Riley and usually only hisses at her when Riley startles her or confronts her with barking. I have started to try to reward with a treat when I say "no bark" and she shuts up or stays quiet. However this doesn't always work. How can we restore peace in our household. It is getting cold outside and our cat wants to stay inside more. Plus, given she's 13 years old, I think she deserves a little peace and quiet and nice warm place to cat nap.

During the day we close Riley up in a bedroom with the drapes open and a radio playing. I think she's old enough now not to get into mischief but I don't want to leave her out in the house with the cat when nobody is home.
Any advise would be helpful and truly appreciated!

[LetsPlay]

Hi there,

you will need to be very consistent. Every time your dog harasses the cat you need to put him in time out. Pop him in a boring room for 5 minutes and let him back out when he calms down.
If he approaches the cat in a way that is not acceptable say no and again, pop him in time out.
Treat him as soon as he displays acceptable behavior around the cat (like ignoring, no braking etc)
With time he will learn that the cat is off limits and it's best to leave her in peace as that will earn him a treat.

Let us know how you get on
John