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prey drive. Some dogs are more laid back by nature, whereas some have an intense need to chase. Sighthounds in particular reflexively run down moving things. The sighthound family includes greyhounds, Afghan hounds, whippets, Siberian Huskies, Labrador Retrievers, Alaskan Malamutes, and Irish wolfhounds. Any large dog that has large eyes, set relatively close together, and a long face are probably a part of this family. They can be socialized to cats, and in fact many are quite gentle with cats inside the home. However, no matter how well they get along inside the house, a sighthound will reflexively chase anything moving while outside. Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog, reaching speeds of 45 mph from a standing start, which is faster than most cats ever expect. Please do not try to have both a dog and an outdoor cat, you will have a tragedy in your backyard. While other breeds have less of an inbred hunting reflex, and many crossbreeds have wonderful personalities that socialize to cats in record time, dogs and cats outdoors do not mix. When choosing a new dog to bring into your home, remain open to all possibilities. You never know when the perfect canine is going to walk into your life.

Once you've picked out your new friend, putting some time and effort into preparing for them is absolutely necessary. If introducing the cat, be sure that your dog has obedience training first. If going the other way around, get the dog into obedience training as soon as possible if he's not already a graduate. It's imperative that you maximize your control over the dog's behavior for two reasons; the first is that your dog is more dangerous to the cat than the other way around. The second is that the dog is the only one of the pair that you are going to control at all.

When first bringing your new animal home, ensure that the animals' territories are clearly demarcated and physically separated. In addition, the cat's food should not be available to the dog at any time because cat food is high in fat and protein, also known as dog junk food. Just like junk food for humans, your cat's food, no matter how tempting, will cause your dog health problems. Keep the litter box out of canine reach as well because dogs are frequently attracted to leavings out of cat litter boxes. This is psychologically stressful for the cat, especially when he can't get to his box. It's also extremely unhealthy for the dog and household.

Keep the cat away from the dog's food, toys, and den as

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