I recently got a 18 week Alaskan Klee Kai who is currently 10 lbs. I brought it home with a six year old cat who is also 10 lbs.
The puppy really loves to play with the cat but the problem is he plays like a puppy would. He gets really physical. He tackles, bites, and worst case will grab the cat and drag him across the floor.
The cat fights back but he's been declawed. Everything he does, the puppy just interprets as play. This gets him even more riled up and he gets more physical. The cat is stubborn and tries to stand his ground but gets overpowered.
I break them up every time it starts. I lock the puppy in his kennel until he's calmed down. But now the puppy just waits until I'm not near the cat and rushes in when he sees an opportunity.
Currently the cat doesn't seem to be hurt by this and is just really annoyed. I'm afraid that will change as the dog gets older. I don't want the cat to be afraid to wander the house, and I don't want to have to keep the dog on a leash in the house or locked in his play pen.
How can I discourage this behavior?