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and under a down/stay command.

Do stop the meeting at the first signs of stress or aggression from either party and try again later.

Do give massive amounts of praise and affection to both animals for any good behavior.

Don't make the decision to bring a new animal into your home lightly or quickly.

Don't deal with any breeder, dealer, or adoption society who is not willing to take their animal back if she is unsuitable to your home.

Don't rush to bring a new animal home because he will be unavailable unless you take him now. There will always be more animals out there in need of a home, and all parties need to be sure they can get along.

Don't assume your existing pet can acclimate well to the other species. Test first, and if the answer is no, accept it.

Don't try to introduce a dog and a de-clawed cat. The risks and stresses are too much for the cat.

Don't have a dog and an outdoor cat. In fact, it's not advisable to let cats outdoors at all, but some of them will not be happy any other way. However, if yours is an outdoor cat, she relies on your yard to be dog-safe territory. Please don't take that away.

Don't punish either of them if they do not behave well upon meeting. This will only increase the negative associations each has towards the other.

Don't ever leave them together while no one is home before they have really bonded. This takes at least thirty days, sometimes more. Always separate them behind a solid door, not just a baby gate. In addition, if they never get to more than mutual tolerance, always separate them before leaving for an entire day.

Don't keep trying with the same animal if it becomes clear that the two just do not like each other. Determine which pet has the problem, and either try with a different animal or accept that your home is multi-species enough with just one.

For more tips, help, and advice, please see:

Bibliography

"Introducing Your Cat to Other Cats and Dogs." Feline Advisory Bureau 12 Dec 2006. Oct 8 2007

Miller, Mary Anne. "Introducing Cats and Dogs." The CatSite.Com. Oct 8 2007

Donaldson, Jean. "Renaissance Dog Training." The San Fransisco SPCA. Mar 25 2002. Oct 6 2007

"Cat and Dog Introductions." Pet Library Online. Ed. Champaign County Humane Society. 1998. Oct 6 2007

"Introducing Cats and Dogs." Pat Brody Shelter for Cats. Oct 7 2007

Kilcommons, Brian, and Wilson, Sarah. Good Owners, Great Dogs. New York: Warner Books, 1999

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