My dog just killed a cat

Question
QUESTION: I have a 4 year old golden retriever that we rescued from a native reserve up north.  He has been a very gentle dog but just recently ran across to the neighbors yard and killed their cat very aggresively.  What do we do with him now?  Will he always be this way?  Will I be able to introduce him to my cat and feel safe?

ANSWER: When did you rescue him, and has he not met your cat yet? Killing cats frequently falls into the prey-drive category. It doesn't indicate aggression towards humans, and possibly not towards other dogs. Dogs are hunters by nature. My dogs are fine with my cats IN the house (and my cats do not run from them) If they saw a cat running in the yard - especially a strange cat - it's likely all bets would be off. Do you have a fenced yard? It certainly doesn't make for good neighbor relations when your pet can roam loose and kills another's pet. If he doesn't know your cat, I would get the help of a local professional to help introduce them, and be very careful. Always supervise. If that's not do-able Golden Retrievers have a good rescue network, and it may be possible to find him a home with a secure yard and no kitties. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com

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QUESTION: We rescued him about 6 months ago. He has met my cat twice and showed nothing towards her, but he has always been on a leash when they met.  We have a small fenced in yard and we keep him tied up regulary except when we throw the ball around or we are outside with him. If we always kept him on a leash during the day and in the fence at night will he become more aggresive or is this fine for dogs?  He is not neutered yet either would it help if he was?

Answer
Of course, with any dog - but especially dogs like Goldens who are bred to work with humans - the more time he gets with his humans, the better he will be. The problem with tethering dogs is that they are frequently lonely and bored - leading to bad habits, and they may also become aggressive because they feel "trapped" as they can't move away from a situation if they feel like they need to. Obviously without more training (including a solid leave-it and a reliable recall) you can't have him off leash in an open area. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com