Laev really, really likes the cats. And not as a pillow to snuggle with.
I don’t think she really intends to kill them, because she’s caught them a few times and hasn’t tried a kill shake or anything. She does nibble at them or even give them big, soft bites, but no real attempts to harm. I’m not happy with the habit, though, because it would be easy to kill a cat if she got too excited, and the cats certainly don’t enjoy it.
So when Laev chased a cat into the mudroom the other night, I followed. The cat leapt over the washer and dryer to a cat-safe shelf. (I do provide the cats with safe, Laev-free zones — but they don’t seem to understand that if they stay there while she’s out, she can’t reach them. They come out and stand in the middle of the room in front of her, and then they seem stunned to find her chasing them. And this isn’t the same friendly baiting they give the other dogs; they’re afraid of Laev. But not afraid enough to stay out of the way.)
Anyway, the cat jumped to safety, and Laev tried to follow. But as her paws touched the dryer I warned, “Eh! Don’t do it.” Laev glanced at me, looked at the cat, and tucked herself into a perfect Schutzhund hold and bark, the kind which makes the desired play-fight come to her.
Nice try, puppy. I got a toy and we played with that instead of a cat. 🙂
