The journey towards coexistence doesn’t stop when your dog and cat are no longer on opposing sides of an active warzone. When all the hard work training is finally paying off and you can see the changes it’s making to your household, what comes next?

Setups!

In this coaching call I helped Lindsey and Em, members of the Cat and Dog Coexistence Club, come up with some starting setups to reinforce the training they’ve been working on.

Key Moments

[00:25] Introducing the cast of characters

[01:00] Evening behaviors: Resting in the living room

[01:48] Taking the next steps to further relaxation

[02:46] Using ritualistic behavior as a foundation for new setups

[03:22] Hands-off enrichment based movement around a space

[04:30] Stations

[06:08] Food-related problems: Lower appetite

[07:05] Combining food-based stations with non food-based stations

[09:35] The first setup

[12:06] Setup prep work during relaxation protocol training

[13:44] Adjusting and managing when pets get over threshold

[15:40] Current interactions between cat and dog

[17:50] Using enrichment activities to redirect/channel behavior appropriately

[18:35] Letting interactions evolve naturally but in controlled situations

[19:55] Reward/encourage disengagements