Whether you’re looking to add a Maine Coon to your home or to add a dog when you already have a Maine Coon, you need to ensure you’re not creating problems by putting the two animals together.
Fortunately for you, Maine Coons generally get along great with dogs, but it’s important to remember that they’re only half of the equation. We’ve highlighted everything you need to know below, and we’ve come up with some tips you should follow anytime you’re introducing a cat and a dog for the first time.
Do Maine Coons Get Along With Dogs?
While Maine Coons typically get along with dogs just fine because of their docile and loving nature, they’re only one part of the interaction. The half you’ll need to focus on is the dog. Dogs that are incessant and won’t leave a cat alone aren’t a good fit, even if the cat does have a docile temperament.
Moreover, dogs with strong herding instincts don’t get along great with cats as they try to chase them around the home. In short, if you have a Maine Coon, they usually won’t be the problem, but that doesn’t mean you can pair them with any dog out there!
The 6 Tips for Introducing Your Maine Coon to Dogs
Just because you shouldn’t have any issues introducing a Maine Coon to a dog doesn’t mean you want to take it for granted. With that in mind, we’ve highlighted several tips you should follow to help ensure a smooth integration between your Maine Coon and your cat.
1. Start Slow
While we understand the temptation to just try and introduce your dog to your Maine Coon right away and see how it goes, one bad interaction can be extremely challenging to overcome. Because of this, we highly recommend starting out slowly.
This means taking it one step at a time and allowing both your Maine Coon and your dog to fully adjust before moving on to the next phase!
2. Introduce Scents
Before you introduce your dog and your cat directly to each other, we recommend introducing them to each other’s scents and getting comfortable with that first. To do this, simply leave both pets in separate rooms for a set amount of time, then switch the pets.
This gives them time to explore the scent of the other animal and get comfortable with that before they meet each other for the first time.
3. Teach Basic Commands
This is something that’s much easier to teach the dog simply because they’re usually a bit more compliant. But having the ability to get a quick recall, to get them to sit, or to stop barking can go a long way for a smooth interaction.
It’ll depend on the individual dog for how long this training takes, but most dogs can master these basic commands in 2 or 3 weeks if you work at it consistently.
4. Give Them Their Own Space
When your pets start to feel a bit overwhelmed with each other, it will go a long way if they have somewhere they can get away. While it’s not always the easiest to set up, if you take the time to find the perfect locations for each pet, it can help ensure a smooth introduction.
5. Monitor Interactions
No matter how you expect the interaction to go, you need to keep a close eye on it. Not only is this for the first interaction between the two animals, but it’s for all their interactions for a while. It doesn’t take long for things to go south, so monitor the interactions so you can step in before things get to that point if you need to.
6. Stay Vigilant
It’s really easy to let down your guard when things are going well, but just because things are going well now doesn’t mean they always will. Because of this, you need to keep your guard up and stay vigilant when your Maine Coon is interacting with your dog.
It might be a bit more work, but if it stops a bad interaction from happening, it’s more than worth it.
Final Thoughts
If you already have a Maine Coon and you want to get a dog, you’re in luck. Maine Coons generally get along great with dogs, especially if you take the time to introduce them properly. But don’t take it for granted! Take your time with the introductions and ensure you get the right type of dog that won’t try to terrorize your cat and create problems for everyone.
Featured Image Credit: Akifyeva S, Shutterstock
