Tamaskan Dogs with cats and other pets...

Generally speaking, Tamaskan Dogs are fine with cats and other pets, but it is important that they are socialized around them from puppyhood. If a Tamaskan puppy is raised around cats and other pets, it will view them as "part of the family" (pack unit). Starting when the puppies are around 3-4 weeks old, we introduce them to our 5 household cats, who are all very familar with dogs and tolerant toward puppies. This way, if the new families have cats, the puppies already know what to expect. Even so, when the puppies arrive at their new homes, it is important to introduce them to cats (and other pets) slowly, over the course of several days, with full hands-on supervision.

  

Most Tamaskan Dogs are very gentle with the other pets that share their household. However, random animals, such as neighborhood cats and wildlife (rabbits, birds, deer, etc), might be viewed as prey, depending on the individual Tamaskan. Some Tamaskan Dogs have a strong desire to chase a moving animal, even if they don't want to hurt it, while others have a genuine hunting instinct. Therefore, it is very important to practice recall training from puppyhood. If possible, it's also a good idea to expose your puppy to livestock (sheep, horses, chickens, etc) from a young age so that they will learn to respect farm animals and understand that it is not acceptable to chase or harass them.

  

PHOTO ALBUM: Sylvaen Tamaskans with cats