Natural Enemies.

Recently, we gave our dog, Foxy, to another family. It was a difficult decision, but a necessary one. She is a working dog, very intelligent and very active, and she needs a job. The family that has adopted her has other dogs of her breed, a lot of land, and horses. She is in a much better situation, and is able to run over acres and acres every day. Now, my other dog, Rosie, has become more of a spoiled house dog. She has a very different personality, and it seems, her instincts are focused on eating, sleeping, and being petted. Leave the exercise to the athletes! Her life has also changed for the better, but now she has a different challenge: the cat. Lilly, my miniature tiger, owns the house, or at least she thinks she does. She and Rosie don't tolerate each other; they have different ideologies. But, are they really natural enemies? Research will tell you how similar they are: they both walk on four legs, they are carnivores, they have super senses of smell and hearing, and they are both very territorial. It's this last point that apparently makes the difference. Both species compete with each other for territory and food. Add to that the attitude of a dog to its owners: it is protective. It might see a cat as a threat to its human family. Cats, on the other hand, see dogs as a threat to their lives; dogs will hunt and eat anything small and furry. Plus, cats are independent, not a group animal like dogs. Of course, all of this isn't a rule. Some domestic cats and dogs get on really well, especially if they have been raised together. It must be a question of getting used to eachother. Over time, my animals are. I'm training Rosie to not bark when she sees the cat. Now, they are able to be in the same room without a war starting. Hey, that's progress. I read that there are some tricks you can use to make them like each other. If you feed the their favorite food when they are quite close to each other, they will transfer the good feelings of eating to their relationship. They will even get used to each other's smell. I wonder if anyone could try this on the Republicans and the Democrats; they might learn to control their barks, and to tolerate each other's smells. However, unlike cats and dogs, I don't think that sharing territory will ever be possible.  1.a.The little girl asked if she could pet the lady's dog. b. Cats don't like to be petted very much. 2.a This breed of dog is good for working on a farm. b. If you want a relaxed dog, choose the breed carefully. 3.a He took the man's words as a threat. b. They received threats in the mail! // //   //   //