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Kodiak is wonderful. We have labeled him as the happiest dog on Earth. His tail is always wagging...even while he's lying down. He has definately calmed down towards the cat, and I think actually, her fear of him is what drives it. She is an adopted pet also, and I think she may have been around not so nice dogs prior to us, because she's TERRIFIED.

He spends his days in our backyard with Jake, and they have a track/trail they run. He loves to ride in the car, and has gotten use to the leash, so now we are walking together....instead of him DRAGGING us! At night he sleeps in Kyle's room next to his bed. (Not sure who's protecting who, but they sure love each other) We are taking him camping at the ocean this weekend, so I'll send you some pictures of that.

We are in love with this gentle giant! The transition went great, our little dog was NOT happy at first, but they are playing like buddies now. The only thing that's been a concern is he chases our cat with an intent that if he caught her, it might not end well......do you know if he has any history with cats?

Thank you again, he's completed our family.

Shelter response: so glad they are playing now, that's terrific (and pretty quick, too!) I know Kodiak lived with cats with his original owner, and we do ask about aggression before intake and she did not say he was aggressive with them at all... so I'm confident you will be able to break him of that bad habit!

Here's some good info from Diamonds In The Ruff trainer:

It's a de-sensitization, habituation and counter-conditioning issue. Your plan is to keep the dog's and the cat's adrenalin levels low and their comfort levels high while just hanging out in the same room for hours at a time until the novelty of seeing the cat is desensitized. We want the dog to think of the cat as "just another piece of furniture." Pick a mellow time of day and put the cat in a carrier or on a lap and the dog on leash at a distance they can feel comfortable and watch movies. As they start to ignore each other, you may move closer but don't be in a hurry.

Allow quiet, curious investigation by the dog and praise/food treats for all appropriate behavior. Use phrases like "easy" or "gentle" and show him how. Pet the kitty and then pet him. Spread kitty scent on him and doggy scent on the kitty. The goal is simply to help the cat feel safe and the dog feel calm. Calm curiosity is fine, intensity is not. Redirect or time-out for inappropriate behavior. The one and only goal is to teach the animals to relax in each other's presence.

As their relationship reaches a point where they have more freedom in each other's presence, put a trailing line on the dog, long enough that you can step on it easily, as a safety net in case of chasing. The dog should wear this line until you are 99.9% sure there will be no chasing. Should the dog start to think about chasing, plan to say a specific phrase "AAAHH AAAHHH!!" or "Leave it!" and step on the line. You want the dog to make the connection that you warned him that the chase was not an option. Be careful that the dog is never in a position to gain much speed - we don't want to whiplash the dog, just interrupt the thought of chasing. If you find have to use the line, take a step or two backward in your desensitizing process. It probably means you are giving too much freedom too soon.

and some other info from sites online:

http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Your-Dog-from-Chasing-Cats

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/dogscats.html

http://www.perfectpaws.com/chase.html

A little investment of time in training, and I bet Kodiak and kitty will be just fine together