Updated at: 09-01-2021 - By: Jane Brody

The majority of pet dogs are friendly, gentle, and playful. They love to cuddle, and their sweetness endears to people around them. However, not all dogs are the same, and even the calmest dog can surprise everyone around them by portraying some unbecoming behavior. On some occasions, the dog may show aggression towards those around them, visitors, or other animals, especially the cats.

Some pet owners may ignore the aggression and view it as something that will pass, but aggression could be because of something provoking their enragement. Read on to find out how to tell if a dog is aggressive towards cats.

How To Tell If A Dog Is Aggressive Towards Cats 

Signs that a dog aggressive towards cats

Dogs and cats get into playful fights all the time, but sudden aggression is something that you should take seriously because it can get ugly. Luckily, for you, if your dog’s behavior towards the cat changes from playful to aggressive, you can easily tell because there are telltale signs. The following are the signs that your dog is aggressive towards cats.

  • Growling

The most common sign that your dog is showing aggression is growling. A dog growl is a sign of anger, and it does so by making deep threatening sounds to any animal or person they want to fight. If you do not calm the dog down when it starts to grow, it may go a step further and start attacking the cat.

  • Different tail movement

Tail wagging is a common thing among dogs of all breeds. When they are happy or excited, they show it by moving their tails relatively fast. However, when something angers a dog, its tail faces upwards with a slow movement. Again, if you fail to calm it after noticing this, it might want to get into a fight.

  • Changes Physical Posture

The dog’s physical posture is another easy sign to tell you if it is aggressive towards the cat or not. The change in posture could be on the legs that indicate ready-to-fight mode or careful and sturdy body movements different from its regular physical postures.

  • Eye Contact

A dog rarely holds eye contact with a person or another animal unless it is angry. In normal circumstances, a dog will look away if you look at it, or it will blink several times. An angry dog looks at its opponent with a calm and vicious gaze without blinking.

  • Bares its teeth

Baring the teeth is one of the scariest looks in an aggressive dog. Sometimes it will bare the teeth and growl at the same time, which is a sign that it is angry at something.

  • Ears Pinned Down

When a dog is happy or excited, the ears pin-up towards the front. When the ears pin down as they face backward, then in most cases, the dog is angry and ready for an aggressive attack.

  • Biting Posture

When a dog changes its biting posture, it could mean one thing: it is getting ready to tear its prey apart. An angry biting posture is one of the most aggressive signs to look out for and be wary about.

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Action to take to prevent dog aggression towards the cats

How To Tell If A Dog Is Aggressive Towards Cats 2

If you notice any of the above signs, you should take quick action to stop the dog from going ahead with the attack on the cat. The following actions will help.

  • Obedience training on how to behave around the cats
  • Teaching your dog to recognize the commands, NO,and LEAVE IT when it starts getting aggressive towards the cat
  • Keep interactions between the cat and the dog as safe as possible, especially during playtime. You can do this by keeping the time they spend together as minimal as possible but increase it gradually as they get used to one another. Always supervise the playtime, especially if there is a little feud between the two.
  • Provide territorial bases for the two if they cannot stand each other. You can do this by ensuring the cat stays in a place that the dog cannot reach if it shows aggression.

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Wrapping it up

Dogs and cats can co-exist without any feuds or aggression. However, they are both like siblings, and occasionally they might get into fights. In the majority of the cases, the dog is the one that shows aggression, but you can prevent that from going overboard by following the above guidelines. Most importantly, you should ensure that the dog and cat hit it off as friends from the minute they meet.

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