Dog and cats can they learn to get along

Question
Hi:
l have just acquired an 8 month old part Husky part Chow Dog.
she is very loving, however l have a 7 month old kitten who was at the house before the dog came. The Dog will come in the house determined to find the cat and when she see's the cat which has been blocked off down stairs as we are afraid the dog is not going to be friendly from the sound of her bark and her determination to get at the cat.Is it possible to have them get along inside the house. They are both females.

Answer
Hello,

To be honest, an eight month old Husky mix with a kitten is a tough one.  I don't want to say that they will NEVER get along, but you'll need to proceed very carefully and gradually.  Huskies are by nature predatory dogs, and dogs in general as we know are predators - but Huskies and Husky mixes might have a bit more predator in them than some other breeds.  To your Husky mix, your kitten may be perceived as prey, and you need to keep this in your mind and carefully supervise and control all their interactions so your kitten doesn't get hurt.  On the other hand, or paw, your kitten could hurt your Husky mix if the kitten has claws trying to protect itself from rude or frightening advances by your Husky mix.  In all honesty, it would have been *better* if your Husky mix was younger when you introduced them; but again, this does not mean that they will never get along.  They might!

What you need to watch out for:
- some cats are dog savvy and realize that movement, any movement, triggers a dog's predatory pattern, and this dog can be a Chihuahua or a Chow or a Husky (you get the idea - any dog); so, some cats learn to stay still in the presence of a dog.  See if your cat is a runner or a statue with your Husky/Chow mix.  However, your kitten may not know this and may run from your Husky mix, triggering your dog's predatory pattern.  
- There is no guarantee that your kitten's/cat's being still WON'T trigger the predatory response on the part of your Husky mix.  Keep that in mind.
- Make sure your cat has a high place that she can escape to quickly in each room if the dog goes after her.  Your cat must have a safe place with quick access, like a Kitty Kondo or other high, soft place that the dog can not knock over or jump up onto.

Put gates up that keep your Husky mix and your kitten separated and let them get used to each other.  For both kittens and Huskies or other dogs who are both good jumpers, you may have to double gate (one gate on top of the other with no room in between), making sure that neither can push the gates in or get through or over the gates.  If you're not sure, triple gate or put a full-doorway, secure screen up.

Get an experienced trainer/behaviour expert to come in and see the controlled (gated/screened) interactions between your Husky and your kitten.  A skilled trainer/behaviour expert can read the body language of each and let you know how and if you can proceed slowly with more challenging and closer controlled greetings with your dog on leash, and perhaps your cat in a harness as well.

Some trainers also work with a fake kitten or cat that moves like a real one, and can gauge by the dog's response to it whether the dog will be cat safe.  Do NOT let any person put your live cat in a crate or kennel and see what your dog will do - I have seen video (luckily never experienced this 'live') of dogs breaking crates to pieces in seconds trying to get to a live cat.

Hope this helps, and best of luck to you!

Madeline, NY-NJ Dog Trainer