How Does Cat Training Differ from Dog Training?

There are many differences in training dogs and cats. The variety in methods is mostly due to the differences in the nature and habits of each of the animals. Read on to learn more about training cats and dogs and how the practices are different.

Training Dogs and Cats

Dogs are natural pack animals, which means they need to know their place and role in the pack. This must be established from the moment you take a dog into your home; otherwise your dog will never be fully trained.Dogs are generally more social than cats. They tend to seek out the approval of its master or the pack leader.Cats as most people will tell you who has ever owned one, are very independent. While cats do travel in packs in the wild, they are not as dependent upon that pack as a dog is. Cats can be left alone for a longer period of time with food and water and especially if it has another cat to keep it company. They don't tend to seek approval like dogs do, because of that they are more difficult to train.

Training Tips

It is effective to use treats to train both dogs and cats. It is best to work on one trick at a time with a cat. When it gets tired or disinterested, don't push any more training at that time. Most cats will run to the sound of a can opener or the sound of their food being opened, so use that clue with the command 'come' and soon they will associate the word with the food. Then from that point, use 'sit' and put them in the sit position to wait for the food.

A dog can usually work on more than one trick at a time, especially if its play. 'Fetch' is a good example of this. Many will bring you a ball or toy to meet you at the door. Take the toy, throw it and say 'fetch.' This usually is learned almost instantaneously. You can work on 'sit' and 'stay' together also as a part of obedience training. Very soon, the dog will sit and stay in one spot as if its the same command when learned together.