Dear Dr. John,

I have been seeing a gentleman for a few months, and we are challenged by our pets. I have a neutered male cat. His dog is a neutered male that is some kind of Irish terrier breed. When we visit and stay at one another’s homes, the animals are at odds. What can we do?

At my condo my cat can easily hide from the dog, and he does. The dog is high energy and barks at my cat, and I’m not sure if he wants to attack the cat or is just barking. At his home, I keep the cat in one room, and we keep the door closed. What things can we do so the two animals can co-exist? B.W.

Dear B.W.,

There are several behavior-modifying techniques that you can use but the challenge is that the two animals do not live in the same home but visit. How long do you each stay over? The dog has to come

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